Born in the Mississippi Delta, Dr. Rod Rocconi was 7 years old when his teenage aunt was diagnosed with leukemia. He had already lost two grandparents to the disease. As an adult, he knew he had a path to fight back against cancer.
“I have an opportunity to come back to the state where I was born and return to the place where I lost so many family members to cancer,” said Rocconi, Ergon Chair for Cancer Research and director of the Jackson, Mississippi-based Cancer Center and Research Institute. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
Thanks in part to a $2.5 million commitment from Regions Bank, the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s state-of-the-art Cancer Center and Research Institute will be able to serve more patients and expand access to advanced cancer care.
“One in 2.7 people will develop cancer in their lifetime, so it affects all of us, our families and our friends,” Rocconi said. “Having a cancer center in your own backyard gives you access to the latest advancements in care. It’s a tremendous benefit for our patients.”
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 22.
Construction of the facility will expand access to innovative cancer care, groundbreaking research, clinical trials and patient support services for people across Mississippi. It also will help the cancer center pursue the National Cancer Institute designation, considered the nation’s highest standard.
“It makes me proud to know our organization stepped up and answered the call,” said John Howie, market president for Regions Bank in north Jackson. “It’s a testament to our senior leadership and our CEO, John Turner. He quickly embraced the idea and wanted to support Mississippi, which is a legacy market for Regions.”
Mississippi has one of the nation’s highest cancer mortality rates, and cancer is the state’s second-leading cause of death.
“The closest NCI-designated cancer centers are in Houston, Nashville and Birmingham,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC. “We don’t have one here. What we do have are some of the worst cancer outcomes in the country.
“Regions really hit it out of the park today with this magnificent gift. We’re honored and thrilled. Receiving care close to home, where patients and their families don’t have to travel long distances, makes a tremendous difference.”
Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Engagement for Regions, said the commitment made sense on many levels, including the cancer center’s longstanding relationship with the bank and the opportunity to positively impact Mississippians across the state.
Regions really hit it out of the park today with this magnificent gift. We’re honored and thrilled. Receiving care close to home, where patients and their families don’t have to travel long distances, makes a tremendous difference.”
Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC
But Abrahams also understands what this means on a personal level.
“It wasn’t that long ago that my own father passed away from cancer,” he said. “I’ve also had many friends and family members who have either survived cancer or lost their lives to the disease.
“As an organization, we can help families and support the research that may one day lead to a cure or improve quality of life for people battling cancer.”
The cancer center’s innovative five-story, 250,000-square-foot facility will be a game changer for patients, physicians and researchers alike.
For Rocconi, it represents an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong mission home.
“There are many outstanding community cancer centers and physicians across our state, most of whom trained here,” Rocconi said. “NCI designation, combined with a new facility, will elevate our research and expand access to cutting-edge treatments, so patients won’t have to travel as far for care. They can sleep in their own beds.
“When a patient receives a cancer diagnosis, it’s one of the worst days of that person’s life,” he added. “Now, we’re building a legacy of care, and I’m grateful for our partners at Regions for helping make it a reality.”