ExxonMobil Donates $18 Million to World-Renowned Houston Health Institutions
- Grants made to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Heart Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital
- Contributions to fund new medical research, prevention programs and patient care
- ExxonMobil expanding its long-standing presence in the Houston area
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ExxonMobil today announced $18 million in grants to Houston health care facilities to support cancer prevention and cardiovascular research, expand pediatric care for children with autism and enhance pediatric liver disease research and clinical services.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will receive $10 million; $5 million will go to the Texas Heart Institute and $3 million to Texas Children’s Hospital.
“ExxonMobil has had a long and deep involvement with Houston and Texas,” said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation. “These world-renowned institutions are helping improve the health and lives of families in the greater Houston area and around the world, and we’re proud to support their important mission.”
ExxonMobil’s $10 million grant to MD Anderson will support the Healthy Community Initiative, which will implement strategies to reduce the risk of developing cancer and other chronic disease in a community to be selected in the Houston area. MD Anderson will team with local officials to support comprehensive health policies, education campaigns and wellness and prevention services at workplaces, schools and throughout the community. Practices that show health improvements in the community can then serve as a model for other organizations to implement locally and nationally.
“With this leadership gift we have the opportunity to make the vision of a healthy Texas a reality,” said Dr. Ron DePinho, president of MD Anderson. “We’re grateful for ExxonMobil’s generosity, its commitment to our community and its partnership in our mission to end cancer.”
The $5 million pledge to the Texas Heart Institute will be directed to ground-breaking cardiovascular research and new medical discoveries to address heart disease -- the leading cause of death in the nation. From the engineering of artificial hearts to advancements in regenerative medicine, which uses patients’ own adult stem cells to create whole hearts, the Texas Heart Institute is offering new hope to thousands of patients worldwide who are not candidates for a heart transplant.
“We are very grateful to ExxonMobil for the impact this generous gift will have,” said Dr. James T. Willerson, president of Texas Heart Institute. “Cardiovascular disease is the number one threat to the health of all Americans and this transformational gift will help us break even more new ground in the fight against it.”
ExxonMobil’s $3 million grant to Texas Children’s Hospital will support pioneering research and clinical services for children, including care and treatment of life-threatening liver disease. The grant will also expand services in development and behavior pediatrics for a large and growing number of children with autism, developmental disabilities and behavioral conditions, and support nurses working to earn baccalaureate degrees. In addition, the grant will support evaluation of cases of survivors treated in critical care, with a focus on long-term effects from treatment.
“Physicians and researchers across every pediatric specialty and subspecialty are making incredible advances at Texas Children’s every day,” said Dr. Mark Kline, physician-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital. “All of us are delighted about ExxonMobil’s commitment to support the hospital.”
ExxonMobil has 13,000 employees in the Houston area and thousands more work for companies providing goods and services to the company. ExxonMobil is expanding its presence in the Houston area with the construction of a new campus and a new multi-billion dollar chemical plant expansion at Baytown. About 15,000 construction jobs are being created by the two projects and when completed, the projects will support tens of thousands of permanent jobs in the greater Houston area.
ExxonMobil contributes to health and human services, education, the arts and promotes employee volunteerism for charitable nonprofit organizations, including a record $13.4 million raised for the United Way of Greater Houston in 2013. During the past decade, ExxonMobil employees, retirees and their families donated more than 2 million volunteer hours to more than 1,100 organizations in the greater Houston area. During that time, ExxonMobil and employees and retirees contributed more than $200 million to Houston-area organizations focused primarily on health, education and the arts.
About ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. ExxonMobil engages in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where the company has significant operations. In 2013, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $269 million in contributions worldwide. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.
About The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For the past 25 years, MD Anderson has ranked as one of the nation's top two cancer centers in U.S. News & World Report's annual “Best Hospitals” survey. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. www.mdanderson.org.
About The Texas Heart Institute
The Texas Heart Institute, founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative and progressive programs in research, education and improved patient care. Together with its clinical partner, CHI St. Luke’s Health-Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, it has been ranked among the top cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report’s annual guide to “America’s Best Hospitals” for the past 24 years. The Texas Heart Institute is also affiliated with the University of Texas System, which promotes collaboration in cardiovascular research and education among University of Texas and Texas Heart Institute faculty at the Texas Heart Institute and other University of Texas components. www.texasheart.org
About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the U.S., Texas Children’s has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates one of the largest primary pediatric care networks in the world. www.texaschildrens.org
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Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation
Released October 2, 2014