Proposed Budget Would Cut Roswell Park's Funding By Nearly a Third

BUFFALO, NY — The sharp reduction in New York State support for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center included in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2011-2012 budget is a cut of nearly one-third of the public-benefit corporation’s state allocation this year. A decrease of that magnitude could irreparably harm a thriving, nationally recognized and highly efficient organization, says Roswell Park President and CEO Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP.

“The budget proposal the Governor unveiled Tuesday calls for a cut of more than 30% in state funds for Roswell Park,” says Dr. Trump. “This reduction of $32.8 million for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2011, impacts not only operational support, but critical capital support for our buildings and property, which New York State still owns.

“This is a disproportionate burden placed on Roswell Park and may seriously compromise our ability to fulfill our mission, and may stunt the remarkable trajectory of growth experienced over the past five years and erode the consistently high performance that Roswell Park has maintained,” he adds. “We strongly support Governor Cuomo’s commitment to responsible fiscal policy and stewardship of state assets, and we’re of course willing to shoulder a fair share of this burden.”

Despite reductions of more than $20 million in state funding over the past three years, the Institute has enhanced its reputation as a center for outstanding cancer care, research and education. In 2010 alone, the Institute was ranked among the nation’s best cancer hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, named one of the country’s top 55 hospitals for patient safety by the Leapfrog Group, granted Magnet status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and cited among the Best Places to Work in Academia by The Scientist magazine.

“Governor Cuomo has highlighted the need for leadership by example, investment of New York State support in programs that work. For every dollar the state has invested in Roswell Park, we’ve returned $5. We’ve added over 1,000 jobs and five new start-up companies to the Western New York economy over the last decade,” says Dr. Trump.

“We will continue to work with Governor Cuomo and the Legislature to ensure that Roswell Park continues to grow, to add jobs and to be an economic driver for our state and our region — and provide state-of-the-art, nationally recognized care to cancer patients throughout Western New York and in fact the entire state,” he says. “We’ve been doing more with less for some time, and we’ll continue to maximize the return on New York’s investment in Roswell Park for the benefit of our patients, our region and for New York’s long-term outlook.”

Additional coverage can be found at The New York Times, The Buffalo News, Business First, WBEN Newsradio 930 AM, and WBFO 88.7 FM.

The mission of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Roswell Park, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute- designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit Roswell Park’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1- 877-ASK-Roswell Park (1-877-275-7724) or email AskRoswell@Roswellpark.org.