Hillman Cancer Center dedicated in ribbon cutting

The ribbon was cut on the multi-million dollar Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Shadyside… The ribbon was cut on the multi-million dollar Hillman Cancer Center at UPMC Shadyside Wednesday evening at a black tie event.

The technologically advanced treatment and research facility was made possible by the donations of the Hillman Foundation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Shadyside Hospital Foundation, the National Cancer Institute and numerous corporations and individuals.

Considered the flagship of the UPMC Cancer Center, the Hillman Cancer Center was designed to provide the most advanced methods of preventing, detecting and treating various forms of cancer.

Henry Hillman, for whom the new center is named, gave a speech to the nearly 1,000 people attending the dedication.

“This is a very wonderful and joyful day for everyone,” he said. “This center will offer state-of-the-art care to tens of thousands of patients.”

Mayor Tom Murphy said the center would help shape the region’s future.

“It will be a place of hope,” he said. “It will make remarkable contributions to the quality of life.”

Murphy added that the center will utilize the finest medical staff available.

“We all know how important good doctors are,” he said.

The center is made up of the William M. Cooper Pavilion and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Research Pavilion. Each pavilion has roughly 150,000 square feet of space and are five and three stories, respectively.

The Cooper Pavilion houses a large clinical area that is divided into suites where physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers can collaborate and private and semi-private outpatient treatment rooms offer patients the comfort they need.

The UPIC Pavilion is designed to accommodate nearly 450 laboratory personnel including research faculty and laboratory technicians. The laboratories are designed to streamline the application of laboratory findings to patient care.

A large stem cell research area was added to further aid cancer research and encourage medical breakthroughs.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg called the center “one of the finest comprehensive cancer centers in America.”

“Tonight, because of generous support, we are poised to take another huge step forward,” he said. “We are going to move forward under the lead of Henry and Elsie Hillman.”

Ronald Herberman, the director of UPMC Cancer Centers and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute said the center would have a huge impact on its patients. He said the dedication of the center was “truly a wonderful milestone.”

“The most remarkable aspect of the Hillman Cancer Center is the impact it will have on its patients,” he said.

Upon entering the Center, visitors encounter a large portrait of Henry Hillman.

Marble planters and fountains are spread around the sky-lit lobby. Other amenities include a gift shop, cafe, pharmacy and the Gumberg Family Library.

At the end of his speech, Hillman talked about the pivotal role that the new center would play in finding a cure for cancer.

“While the sea of cancer is turbulent and frustrating, it is not unconquerable,” he said. “It’s a battle that must be won.”