Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center to bring cancer prevention and early detection to the workplace
(Baton Rouge, La.) More people are beating cancer than ever before, but Louisiana’s mortality rates remain well above the national average. To continue aggressively addressing the state’s cancer mortality rates, and with the Albemarle Foundation’s leadership, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center will expand its outreach efforts in a new way. The Cancer Center is launching an initiative, seeded by a multi-year gift from the Albemarle Foundation, to expand its highly-successful community education and early detection program to the corporate environment. This is the first contribution announced as part of the Cancer Center’s major gift initiative. This gift, a commitment of $200,000 over five years, totals $1 million.
“Albemarle has made a transformational gift to help fight cancer,” said Todd Stevens, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center president and CEO. “There has been much progress in survivorship, but there is still more work to do, and we are always focused on the next step. The Albemarle Foundation is helping us take that step. Their generous gift affords us the resources to reach an expanded population of people and provide them with lifesaving prevention and early detection services. There is no doubt that Albemarle’s support will improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer.”
The initiative, tentatively called the Corporate Access Program, will begin with a pilot for the delivery of cancer prevention education and early detection services in the workplace with three area companies. During the approximately six-month pilot phase, the Cancer Center team will utilize feedback from these corporate participants to model the forthcoming program. Anticipated services include onsite cancer screenings, risk assessments and interactive, in-person educational seminars.
“It is important to us to be part of the solution for building healthier communities,” said Luke Kissam, CEO of Albemarle Corporation. “Educating people about cancer prevention and early detection can be a complete game changer for individuals and their families in terms of health. In partnership with the Cancer Center, we can make a positive impact for many people in practical and manageable ways, and together we can save lives.”
Today, the Louisiana cancer mortality rate is 14 percent higher than the national average. The Louisiana Tumor Registry, which collects statewide data on all newly-diagnosed malignancies and cancer deaths, reports that one reason for the state’s higher than average mortality rate is inadequate cancer screenings for early detection, resulting in late stage diagnosis.
The Corporate Access Program builds upon the Cancer Center’s nationally recognized education and outreach efforts. To address Louisiana’s disproportionate cancer death rates, the Cancer Center began its comprehensive community outreach program in 2002. To date, more than 74,000 people have been screened and more than 500 cancers detected. The community outreach program is made possible through the community’s generous support.
Since 1990, Albemarle and its employees have contributed to the local fight against cancer by making substantial and impactful investments in the Cancer Center’s mission in a number of ways, including employee giving, volunteerism, event sponsorship and technology investments. Sandra Holub, Albemarle Foundation executive director, said she is proud to be continuing this partnership and is hopeful that this most recent gift will impact the Cancer Center through the creation of a novel approach to prevention and early detection efforts.
“This gift, in many ways, will help stop cancer before it even starts,” said Ethan Bush, Mary Bird Perkins vice president and chief development officer. “Albemarle is a true patron of health and continues to set the bar for corporate giving, committing more time and resources than ever before; we thank them for 26 years of taking the fight forward.”
The Cancer Center’s five-year major gift initiative, Take the Fight Forward, is focused on strengthening the organization’s position as the Gulf South destination for cancer care.
About Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center
As a regional destination for cancer care, Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center offers the most advanced technology and services provided by a dedicated team of nationally-recognized oncology experts. The Cancer Center provides best-practice, comprehensive care at every stage of the cancer journey, including disease site-specific multidisciplinary care teams, a robust clinical research program and extensive supportive care services. As a nonprofit organization, donor generosity is essential to sustaining the mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer for so many throughout Southeast Louisiana and beyond. For more information on the Cancer Center, and how you can become involved, please visit mbpolol.org.
About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine, refining catalysts and applied surface treatments. We power the potential of companies in many of the world’s largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to aerospace and electronics. Working side-by-side with our customers, we develop value-added, customized solutions that make them more competitive. Our solutions combine the finest technology and ingredients with the knowledge and know-how of our highly experienced and talented team of operators, scientists and engineers. Discovering and implementing new and better performance-based sustainable solutions is what motivates all of us. We think beyond business-as-usual to drive innovations that create lasting value. Albemarle employs approximately 6,900 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.
Albemarle Foundation Media Contact: Sandra Holub, (225) 388-7552
Media and Investor Relations Contact: Matt Juneau, (225) 388-7940