Huntsman foundation announces major gifts to support hospital expansion

A group of donors has stepped forward to provide funding necessary for major expansion plans at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. Peter Huntsman, chairman and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, made the announcement at a foundation gathering recently at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

A total of $40 million in donations was made by a number of donors led by Spencer and Kristen Kirk in honor of Spencer Kirk’s mother, Kathryn F. Kirk; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Aid Fund and doTERRA International.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}

“This expansion was my father’s vision and something he worked on prior to his death,” said Huntsman, referring to institute founder Jon M. Huntsman, who died in February. “He was always looking forward to plan what was needed next to help people with cancer. Our family is honored to continue to carry his and my mother’s vision forward to ease the suffering caused by cancer. We are immensely grateful and humbled by the generous support of the donors who have helped realize my father’s dream to eradicate cancer from the face of the Earth.”

The funding will support a proposal to significantly expand the Cancer Hospital at HCI, part of the University of Utah Health system. The proposed addition would extend from the north end of HCI’s existing buildings. The expansion will be called the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and add an additional 100,000 square feet to HCI’s cancer campus, including up to 50 additional inpatient rooms and workspace for oncology specialists. The proposed structure would also expand the number of procedure, consultation and outpatient exam rooms and would increase the size of the Linda B. and Robert B. Wiggins Wellness and Integrative Health Center.

The plan for raising the remaining funding of the estimated $80 million project will be finalized in the coming months, Huntsman said. The proposed project timeline estimates construction would begin in December 2019, with an opening planned for fall 2022.{/mprestriction}