Development Dispatch

Carol Nimitz, UFHCC Senior Development Officer

What will it take to cure cancer? At the UF Health Cancer Center, this question defines our daily work and commitment to improving the lives of all who are battling this disease. I have had the honor and privilege of meeting many of our patients and their families and am deeply grateful for their willingness to share their stories and their passion for helping us solve one of the most pressing health issues of our time.

Every one of us has unique reasons for our choices of what we support through philanthropic gifts. At our center, contributions from our patients, families and community members have had an extraordinary impact upon the research and patient-care initiatives that are making a real difference in our search for a cure. These gifts represent their trust and faith in our work, and they pave the way for tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Contributions from our patients, families and community members have had an extraordinary impact upon research and patient-care initiatives. —Carol Nimitz

As a development officer, I am charged with uniting purpose and passion on behalf of those willing to support the UF Health Cancer Center. It is the most fulfilling job I could have imagined, made better every day by the opportunity to meet and speak with people like you.

I would welcome your phone call, email or personal visit to my office, which is located on the first floor of the UF Health Davis Cancer Pavilion by the elevators, or at a location convenient to you. Working together, we can answer the question, “What will it take to cure cancer?” Thank you for your continued confidence in, and support of, our work.

Sincerely,

Carol Nimitz

Senior Director of Development cnimitz@ufl.edu, 352-273-8689

To learn more about how your gift to the UF Health Cancer Center directly supports promising research and quality, patient-centered care, please contact Marcela Brandao at 352.273.8689 or mbrandao@ufl.edu.

Summer 2014

From the Director’s Desk

Clinical trials are at the heart of every advancement in treating cancer, yet lack of understanding about the benefits, risks and opportunities that trials offer can sometimes prevent patients from taking advantage of the newest drugs and treatments they make available.

To Kill a Tumor

Researchers in the UF Health Precision Cancer Care Program are identifying the genes of lung and colon cancer tumors, forming the first center in the state to perform this testing for solid tumors. By identifying particular gene mutations that drive cancers, physicians can deliver better, more targeted treatments to those cancers.

The Great Unknown

Each year, more than 1,000 patients take part in clinical trials at the UF Health Cancer Center. All are helping UF researchers chip away at the great unknown: what makes each person’s cancer tick, and how to stop that ticking without causing harm to the patient over the course of treatment.

Clear As A Bell

UF Health cancer patients and their treatment teams rang the Liminal Bell, an art installation consisting of a bell created from an oxygen tank that is suspended from an oak beam structure. The word liminal is derived from the Latin word “limen,” which means “threshold.”