“I want to thank our state leaders for recognizing the importance of investing to improve access to innovative cancer care, education and research,” said, University of Louisville President. “Building this new regional site for our Brown Cancer Center extends opportunities to benefit from our expertise, research and innovative clinical trials. Kentuckians, particularly in our rural counties and mid-sized cities, need better access to those resources.”

Kentucky has the highest death rate of cancer in the U.S. (182.8 deaths per 100,000 total population), and almost 10,000 Kentuckians die of cancer each year. Twice as many Kentuckians died of cancer than of COVID-19 during the past three years, and cancer rates are expected to increase by 50% in the next 20 years. Cancer health care costs in Kentucky are $2.74 billion per year, while productivity losses from morbidity and early deaths in Kentucky cost an additional $3.1 billion per year.

“This will make a great addition to the newly opened hospital here in Bullitt County providing cancer research, training and treatment for the whole state,” said Kentucky Sen. Michael J. Nemes. “This location, along the I-65 corridor, will mean much easier access to quality cancer care for thousands of Kentucky residents. This is one of those transformational projects that will lead to better health outcomes, some that could mean the difference in life-or-death treatment.”

“As the new representative for the 26th District, I was extremely proud to vote on this budget which included $25 million for the cancer center on the UofL Health – South Hospital campus,” said Kentucky rep. Peyton Griffee. “Bringing the cancer center here is a game-changer for Bullitt County and so many more rural counties that will now have closer access to cancer treatment and research. The health and well-being of our citizens will continue to be a priority for me and our General Assembly.”

Subspecialty cancer care with comprehensive clinical trials programs and multidisciplinary clinics has been proved to reduce cancer deaths. Currently, there are no comprehensive cancer centers outside of Lexington and Louisville that offer multidisciplinary subspecialist care, clinical trials, access to state-of-the-art screening, and educational and support programs for cancer patients.

“Improving access to health care is our steadfast commitment to the commonwealth, especially in areas that are underserved,” said Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. “I applaud our elected leaders for working with us to reduce barriers to cancer care for patients in our more rural communities.”

Patients from south, central and western Kentucky have relied on the Brown Cancer Center for a long time. In the last year alone, the Brown Cancer Center’s oncologists saw patients from nearly every Kentucky county, including more than 15,000 outpatient encounters from south, central and western Kentucky.

“The Brown Cancer Center has one unifying mission: To make cancer a disease of the past,” said , director of the Brown Cancer Center. “We are getting closer to that goal and this new regional cancer center brings cutting-edge cancer care and lifesaving clinical trials closer to more Kentuckians.”

The new cancer center will serve as a network base for clinical trials, enhanced nursing/physician educational programs, cancer screening and outreach with partnering oncologists throughout the region. These academic pursuits will be integrated with the Brown Cancer Center’s comprehensive and multidisciplinary programs which attract cancer patients come from all over the United States for second opinions and innovative and highly effective treatment options that are not available at any other cancer centers in our region.

“After my diagnosis of a rare form of melanoma, my close-to-home treatment options were very limited,” said patient Chris Sutton, from Eddyville in rural western Kentucky. “My physician in Paducah referred me to Dr. Chesney. I was fortunate to be able to make the 400-mile round trip every three weeks, but other rural Kentuckians are not. This new center is an important first step to bringing the Brown Cancer Center’s world-class care to more Kentuckians. It will truly save lives.”

Initial plans include space for 20 infusion rooms, five exam rooms, oncology pharmacy and a diagnostic imaging suite. An education space will include a lecture hall, video conferencing space and conference rooms; training for oncology nurses and physicians in clinics; and offer rotations with community oncologists from south central and western Kentucky. A research laboratory for specimen processing and research space for data collection will support cancer clinical trials and translational research.

“For more than 30 years, the  has been UofL’s partner, the outreach and community screening arm of the Brown Cancer Center,” said  interim dean of the UofL School of Medicine and UofL Physicians head and neck cancer surgeon. “������Ƶ, screening and outreach have always been an important part of our mission to serve the underserved. This new Center for Rural Cancer ������Ƶ and Research will put us closer to community oncologists and underserved patient populations.”

A patient wellness center, in collaboration with the Kentucky Cancer Program, and a cancer screening program connecting primary care providers to innovative screening technologies will provide additional cancer outreach and education to south, central and western Kentucky.

Final design work is underway on the new cancer center, with a groundbreaking expected in the next 12 months. The anticipated opening will be in early 2026.

For more information on UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center visit, .

The facility will be a full-service acute care hospital with 40 inpatient beds, more providers, enhanced emergency capabilities, an intensive care unit, cardiac/vascular lab, increase surgical and outpatient services, plus more than 100 new jobs.

Bullitt County is Kentucky’s 10^th largest county and the largest without its own inpatient hospital.

“A full-service hospital at this location, with inpatient beds, has been talked about for nearly two decades,” said Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. “Now, under the ownership of UofL Health, we are proud to make it happen. UofL Health-South Hospital is committed to this community, building a facility to meet the health needs of today and into the future.”

The hospital is expected to be completed in Spring 2023.

After a postponed and scaled-back event in 2020, Cruzin’ for Cancer organizer Richard Luce Jr. wanted to do more. The seventh annual Bullitt County fundraising event again will include a car, truck and motorcycle show, a model car show, an arts and crafts show, silent auction and vendors on Saturday, June 12, at Hillview Community Center. As with the previous shows, proceeds will support cancer patients at the and cancer research at the .

An additional car show competition will launch the series on Saturday, April 17, and monthly car cruises through October, all at Gethsemane Baptist Church, also will raise funds for the Brown Cancer Center. Full event details are below.

“I have been wanting to do more for the cancer center, and this year we were given the opportunity to add the event in April,” Luce said. “And people love to show off their cars, so we added day cruises through the summer. We want to keep up the momentum and continue to increase awareness of cancer prevention and treatment and to support the work being done at UofL.”

Luce began the annual Cruzin’ for Cancer events after his father died from cancer in 2013.

The April 17 show at Gethsemane Baptist Church will commemorate the church’s 75^th anniversary. The show has a rain date of April 24.

The June 12 highlight event will feature the car, truck, motorcycle, model and craft show, along with UofL cancer researcher , who will discuss his work to beat cancer. The Kentucky Cancer Program mobile mammography unit also will be on site and conduct mammograms from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In May, July, August, September and October, day cruises will allow owners to display their vehicles and include 50/50 raffles and food trucks.

Proceeds from all events will benefit cancer research at UofL, patient support at the  at the UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center and the , which provides cancer education and prevention services. Admission to all events is free, but donations are appreciated.

Register or support the events with sponsorships or donations at .��

The full schedule for this year’s Cruzin’ for Cancer events includes: 

Gethsemane Baptist Church 75^th Anniversary Car Show: Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Rain date: Saturday, April 24); Gethsemane Baptist Church, 10400 Blue Lick Rd.��Trophies, food truck, 50/50 raffle.

Cruzin’ for Cancer: Saturday, June 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hillview Community Center, 298 Prairie Dr. Seventh annual car, truck, motorcycle and models show, plus crafts, vendors, silent auction, food truck and mammogram screening, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Insurance is accepted. To schedule an appointment for a mammogram at the show, call 502-852-6318.

Day Cruzin’: May 15, July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Gethsemane Baptist Church, 10400 Blue Lick Rd. Car exhibit, 50/50 raffles and food trucks.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the day’s activities will benefit patient support, community outreach and research programs of the at the University of Louisville.

“In the past three years we have gone from 12 vendors to 50 last year,” said show organizer Richard Luce Jr. “Last year in our additional shows we had more than 70 cars and 80 model cars. We plan to continue to grow and make this a very well-known show throughout not only Bullitt County but throughout the Ohio Valley.”

The event is composed of two shows-within-the-show: an arts and crafts show and “Cruizin’ for Cancer,” a car, truck, motorcycle and model car show. Also included are food and other vendor booths, live entertainment, demonstrations by Metro Louisville EMS and Police and prize and cash raffles. More than 50 vendors have been approached to participate thus far.

Levi Beverly, PhD, a Brown Cancer Center research scientist who examines the mechanisms of tumor initiation, progression and regression after treatment, will be on hand to discuss his work and provide a general overview of the progress made in recent years in successfully beating cancer. Proceeds from the show help fund Beverly’s laboratory along with services provided by the M. Krista Loyd Resource Center and the Kentucky Cancer Program, both initiatives at the Brown Cancer Center.

Admission is free but donations to the James Graham Brown Cancer Center are welcomed.

Luce’s passion in organizing the show stems from personal experience. Like virtually every American, he has a connection to cancer: His father died from the disease in June 2013.

“Since my father’s passing, I have striven to improve cancer awareness,” Luce said. “We must bring awareness about the different types of cancer. Testing is necessary as a preventive procedure.��We want support groups to come out to the Bullitt County area and be known.��We eventually want to bring the doctors to the area for routine checkups and screening.�� 

“The James Graham Brown Cancer Center is both a local and regional center that does wonderful things by helping not only in research but making sure the patients get the proper care and treatment that they need. It is important to me that the donations and proceeds not only stay local but go where they belong.”

Vendor spaces are still available. Arts and crafts, food and entertainment vendors should contact Theresa Nelson via email. Car, truck, motorcycle and model car exhibitors should contact Luce via email or by voice or text at 502-802-8308.

“Think Pink: An Evening to Educate and Celebrate” will be held Oct. 18, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Paroquet Springs Conference Centre, 395 Paroquet Springs Drive, Shepherdsville. Admission is free.

Emcee Bryan Shaw of WHAS11-TV will introduce three survivors who will share their individual journeys and accomplishments since being diagnosed: Lara McGregor, Mary Lee Edwards and Alana Auslander Price, all of Louisville.

Both McGregor and Edwards became activists as a result of their experience with breast cancer. McGregor is founder of Hope Scarves, a non-profit organization based in Louisville that raises funds for research and provides scarves to patients with breast cancer as a way to show support. Edwards is an instructor of LIVESTRONG classes at the Louisville YMCA. LIVESTRONG is a non-profit organization, based in Austin, Texas, that provides services, raises funds and advocates for patients and families.

Participants at “Think Pink” are invited to wear pink to show support for survivors and in recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Only 200 seats are available for the event so reservations in advance are required by calling 502-955-5355.

Breast cancer continues to plague the United States: One in eight American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.��Great strides in fighting the disease have been made, however. In 1980, the 5-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer — cancer confined to the breast — was 74 percent. Today, that number is 99 percent.

“Think Pink” is sponsored by the Kentucky Cancer Program at the University of Louisville, Bullitt County Health Department and Bullitt County Cooperative Extension Service.

For information, contact Pam Temple-Jennings of the Kentucky Cancer Program, 502-852-6318.

Luce organized the event in memory of his father, Richard Luce Sr., a model train enthusiast who died from cancer in 2013.

“Since my father’s passing, I have striven to improve cancer awareness,” Luce said. “I am motivated to honor the memory of my father and to hopefully prevent others from enduring the pain of losing a loved one to cancer.”

Plans are already underway for the 2017 show, he said. Photos from the check presentation can be viewed .