The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Case Study
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Case Study
1. How did DFCI come about?
The Dana-Faber, as it is commonly known, was originally established as the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation in 1947 by Dr. Sidney Farber, then a pathologist at Boston’s Children’s Hospital. In the 1940’s the only treatment for cancer were surgical removal of tumors and radiation therapy. Cancers that had metastasized were regarded as incurable. Dr. Farber’s vision was that children’s cancer, particularly systemic cancers such as leukemia, could be cured if researchers and clinicians worked as a team. He envisioned the union of research laboratories and patient care. As David Nathan, CEO of the Dana- Faber since 1995, explained, “The problems of the patients would be brought up to the labs and ideas from the labs would go down to the patients.”
The history of the Dana-Faber is intimately tied to history of its funding. Initial funding for the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation came from the Variety Club of New England. In 1948, the Variety Club organized a radio broadcast from the bedside of a young patient with lymphoma known as “Jimmy” as he was visited by members of the Boston Braves baseball team. The donations that poured in to buy Jimmy a TV set on which to watch Braves’ games were the beginning of the subsequently became the official charity of the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. In 1974, the institution’s name was changed to the Sidney Faber Cancer Center to honor its founder, and in 1983, the name was changed to the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute to acknowledge the major contributions made over twenty years by the Charles A. Dana Foundation.
The first Children’s Cancer Research Foundation facility, the Jimmy Fund building, was built in 1951 and housed research laboratories. It was expanded in the 1960s to include outpatient services, mostly for children. According to Dr. Faber’s original vision, the
1. How did DFCI come about?
The Dana-Faber, as it is commonly known, was originally established as the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation in 1947 by Dr. Sidney Farber, then a pathologist at Boston’s Children’s Hospital. In the 1940’s the only treatment for cancer were surgical removal of tumors and radiation therapy. Cancers that had metastasized were regarded as incurable. Dr. Farber’s vision was that children’s cancer, particularly systemic cancers such as leukemia, could be cured if researchers and clinicians worked as a team. He envisioned the union of research laboratories and patient care. As David Nathan, CEO of the Dana- Faber since 1995, explained, “The problems of the patients would be brought up to the labs and ideas from the labs would go down to the patients.”
The history of the Dana-Faber is intimately tied to history of its funding. Initial funding for the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation came from the Variety Club of New England. In 1948, the Variety Club organized a radio broadcast from the bedside of a young patient with lymphoma known as “Jimmy” as he was visited by members of the Boston Braves baseball team. The donations that poured in to buy Jimmy a TV set on which to watch Braves’ games were the beginning of the subsequently became the official charity of the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams and the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. In 1974, the institution’s name was changed to the Sidney Faber Cancer Center to honor its founder, and in 1983, the name was changed to the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute to acknowledge the major contributions made over twenty years by the Charles A. Dana Foundation.
The first Children’s Cancer Research Foundation facility, the Jimmy Fund building, was built in 1951 and housed research laboratories. It was expanded in the 1960s to include outpatient services, mostly for children. According to Dr. Faber’s original vision, the