(From left to right) Diana Hendel, CEO, Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s and Community Hospital Long Beach, Mayor Bob Foster, Philip Di Saia, M.D., Medical Director, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute and Tamra Kaplan, COO, Long Beach Memorial break ground on the site of the new Todd Cancer Pavilion.

10:00am | Excitement was in the air at the long-awaited ground breaking event for the new Todd Cancer Pavilion on the campus of Long Beach Memorial. Mayor Bob Foster, the Port of Long Beach Harbor Commissioners Doug Drummond and Thomas Fields were in attendance along with Doug Todd, son of the late Malcolm C. Todd, M.D. founder of the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute (TCI).

The new 64,000 sq. ft. pavilion will be part of TCI, which is one of the leading cancer care facilities in the region where more than 1,800 newly diagnosed patients are treated each year. According to Long Beach  Memorial, The vision for the new pavilion stemmed from the need to house all of the cancer care programs offered at TCI under one roof. The pavilion will provide a central, compact place for patient needs, access to a breadth of caregivers whether it be diagnosis, treatment, counseling or therapy.

The estimated cost to build the new pavilion is $30 million with a philanthropic goal of $10 million. Long Beach Memorial through the Memorial Medical Center Foundation, has announced that they have raised more than $6.2 million towards the goal.

The MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Memorial is dedicated to the early diagnosis, treatment, research and education of patients with cancer or serious blood disorders.  Through interdisciplinary treatment planning conferences, TCI specialists develop specialized treatment plans suited to the specific needs of each patient.

“The new Todd Cancer Pavilion will give Long Beach Memorial and the City of Long Beach a multidisciplinary resource for cancer care in a state-of-the-art facility with the atmosphere of a spa,” says Philip Di Saia, medical director, TCI. “Cancer is a disease that will be with us for many years to come so we need to prepare for the fight with tools such as this pavilion. We are thankful for the support the citizens of Long Beach have contributed to this endeavor.”

The Todd Family pictured left to right: Brother, William H. Todd, MD, son Doug C. Todd and daughter-in-law, Nancy Todd of the late Malcolm C. Todd, M.D., the founder of TCI.

Cathy Kopy, Executive Director, TCI with Philip Di Saia, M.D., Medical Director, TCI and Eknath Deo, M.D., co-chair of the Todd Cancer Pavilion Initiative.