Belz Foundation commits $2 million donation to advance the future of sickle cell disease care in the Mid-South

In October the Belz Foundation gave a $2 million donation to Methodist Healthcare’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center to improve outcomes and the lives of individuals with sickle cell disease in the Mid-South.

As Memphis and the Mid-South maintains one of the largest populations of individuals living with sickle cell disease in the United States, this gift and the program it benefits are incredibly meaningful.

“Our family has a long history of giving back to our Memphis community. Partnering with the Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center is a natural fit to further our commitment to enhancing the lives of our neighbors through high-quality care,” said Ron Belz, Chairman of The Belz Foundation.

“With this donation, we hope to assist healthcare leaders at Methodist, St. Jude, and University of Tennessee Health Science Center in developing advanced care for patients with sickle cell disease where it is needed most – in Memphis and the Mid-South – with the Transition Clinic program to include everyone who needs these services.”

The Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center is a collaborative partnership of healthcare allies in the community, including St. Jude and University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).

To address the challenge of care breakdown for young adult patients, Methodist established a strong and ongoing partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As a result, more than 90% of St. Jude patients with sickle cell transition to Methodist’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center for treatment.

Dr. Kenneth Ataga was recruited as Director of the Center for Sickle Cell Disease at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Methodist Plough Endowed Chair of Hematology to sets evidence-based care models while overseeing collaborative research among the institutions.

The goal of this collaboration is to develop a cohesive, quality, community-wide approach to sickle cell care and curative treatments for one of the largest and most complex patient populations in the country.

The Belz Foundation’s donation will further this goal by funding clinical research studies to develop better treatments options, expand resources to address the patients’ social needs, and enhance education and outreach resources to increase the number of physicians and scientists specializing in sickle cell disease.

“Our Foundation and Methodist Healthcare are so excited for this donation and what it means for our patients. Philanthropy really has been the driving force of advancing our Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center since it was created in 2012 to provide a dedicated and compassionate care home for adult patients with sickle cell disease in the Memphis and Mid-South community,” Zach Pretzer, President of the Methodist Healthcare Foundation said.

We’ve received support from many generous individuals, foundations, and corporate partners, including significant support from Mike and Mary Conley, Orion Federal Credit Union, Jim McGehee, and the Plough Foundation, and now the Belz Foundation’s gift will greatly advance the level of care for patients living with sickle cell disease to not only improve their quality of life but also their life expectancy.”

Methodist will recognize this transformational gift by creating the Belz Foundation Sickle Cell Fund at the Methodist Healthcare Foundation. In addition, the Center’s Infusion and Emergency Care Program and its Medical Directorship will be named in the Belz Foundation’s honor.

Zach added, “The Belz Foundation’s donation will enable us to significantly elevate sickle cell research efforts, patient support services, transitional care navigation, and educational and community outreach over the next 5 years. This gift was also made with the intention to further our strategic efforts to address the challenges around the transition of sickle cell patients from pediatric to adult care, which when not addressed can result in increased emergency department visits and hospital admissions.”

To sustain this important program and the impact of the Belz Foundation’s gift, the Methodist Healthcare Foundation will continue to drive increased support through philanthropy and partnerships.

To learn more and to make a gift to the Belz Foundation Sickle Cell Fund, visit, www.methodisthealth.org/sicklecell or call 901.478.0704.