With a $75 Million Donation in Hand, Huntsman Cancer Institute Announces Plans for a 2nd HQ in Vineyard, Utah

The Huntsman Cancer Institute has received a $75 million donation dedicated to creating a second headquarters, and related facilities, in Vineyard, Utah.

According to the Institute's news release, the $75 million gift was made by the Huntsman Foundation and is

"... the largest single gift by the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman family to Huntsman Cancer Institute since its founding."

This second headquarters is designed to be located within a planned 800-acre development called "Utah City" slated to be built within downtown Vineyard, the fastest-growing city in the state of Utah.

{NOTE: Vineyard is roughly 40 miles south of the Huntsman Cancer Institute.}

“This expansion of Huntsman Cancer Institute will address the monumental population growth in Utah and reduce the travel burden many patients face every day," said Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO of the Institute. "Located in one of the fastest growing counties in the country, it will provide easier access to comprehensive cancer care, accelerate cancer research, and train the next generation of cancer providers and scientists.”

What Isn't Known. Yet.

Naturally, all of the elected official have lined-up to praise the planned expansion of the Institute, from the Mayor of Vineyard to the Governor of the state.

Beyond the above info, however, the truth is that little else has been disclosed about this second headquarters so far, including questions about

• Its exact location or size;
• When groundbreaking will occur;
• How long it will take to develop/build;
• How much it will cost;
• Etc.

Yet as frustrating as it might be for someone like me to not have answers to such questions, I get it.

The reality is that the Huntsman Cancer Institute is owned by the state of Utah, and as such, the ultimate financial backer of the Institute is actually you and me - the citizens of Utah.

And what that means is that it's the State Legislature that must ultimately play a significant role in all things related to the Institute, including any additional funding needed to build HQ2.

Some Final Thoughts

Clearly cancer is no joke, as it's the second leading cause of death in America, with only heart disease being more deadly.

In fact, the American Cancer Society says there were 1.9 million new cancer cases in 2022, just in the United States alone, with over 609,000 deaths attributable to cancer last year.

{NOTE: Although I've not yet been able to track down the annual budget of the Huntsman Cancer Institute to provide readers with some sense of the financial requirements of such an organization, I did learn that the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle spent just under $1.1 billion in fiscal 2022 (ended June 30). Yeah, that's not nothing.}

Given the amazing work of the Institute's professionals, some of which is highlighted in the infographic above, I believe the decision to expand the Institute into Utah Country is quite positive, on multiple fronts. Specifically,

• It's good news, business-wise, for Vineyard;
• It's better news for the citizens of Utah County (and rural areas south, west, and east of the county), from a healthcare prospective; plus
• It's also great news for the fight against cancer.

So for now, I look forward seeing this project move forward.

And hopefully, I also anticipate learning more in the not too distant future about what is planned by the Institute for Vineyard, Utah.