As part of the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Spending Bill, Congress awarded direct appropriations of $500,000 to benefit the UT Cancer Institute and $750,00 to benefit UTHSC’s participation in the Delta Health Partnership.
As part of the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Spending Bill, Congress awarded direct appropriations of $500,000 to benefit the University of Tennessee Cancer Institute (UTCI) and $750,000 to benefit UTHSC’s participation in the Delta Health Partnership.
The $500,000 appropriation will expedite UTCI’s long term goal of being a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center. Senators Bill Frist (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) supported UTCI’s request for funding to increase its research efforts. The mission of UTCI is to create a world-class, statewide cancer institute serving Tennessee citizens and dedicated to public education, prevention, early detection, research, and treatment of cancer with convenient access, superb facilities and a comprehensive platform for new discovery and education.
“This funding will help ensure that UTCI has the resources necessary to continue its development into a world-class cancer institute,” said Senator Frist. “UTCI directly impacts the quality of cancer care for Tennesseans statewide, and I’m thrilled about our continuing investment in UTCI’s research efforts.”
The Delta Health Partnership is a multi-state consortium including UTHSC and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC), with the mission of improving healthcare in the Mississippi Delta. The $750,000 will fund activities to provide a sustainable, evidence-based model for regional diabetes care that will significantly reduce diabetes complications and costs, improve diabetes outcomes and quality of care, and provide a realistic basis for prevention of diabetes and obesity in the region. The system will provide diabetes disease management, patient education, provider education, prevention programs, screening programs, and address access to care. UTHSC will primarily be involved through its telehealth services, which will expand access to care throughout the Mississippi Delta region. Senators Frist, Alexander and Thad Cochran (R-MS) supported UTHSC’s request for program funding.
“I am pleased that Congress voted to invest in this partnership that is committed to improving healthcare in the Delta region,” said Senator Alexander.
“We look forward to the great strides that UTHSC will make through the Delta Health Partnership and UTCI toward improving healthcare in our region,” said UTHSC Chancellor Bill Rice. “These appropriations show the dedication of our government to the continued growth of our healthcare community and our university.”