Make an Impact on the Future of Cancer Care

UK Markey Cancer Center has earned a designation as the Commonwealth’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and is consistently ranked as a top 50 cancer program by U.S. News & World Report. These achievements didn’t happen overnight. It took decades of diligent research and a commitment to outstanding patient care to create the distinguished cancer center we’re so proud of today. Without the support of donors like you, this would not be possible.

And now, we need your help more than ever. Every hour of every day, someone in Kentucky dies from cancer, and our state has the unfortunate distinction of being No. 1 in both cancer cases and deaths. 

Join us in changing the odds for Kentuckians. When you donate to Markey, you help shape the future of cancer care.

Contribute to our success

Donors like you are the cornerstone of Markey’s success. We rely on your support to help us provide life-changing treatment methods, fund research initiatives and develop community programs that directly benefit our patients. A donation of any amount helps provide these services to patients and their families — and literally helps save lives.

At UK HealthCare, two great organizations work together to ensure that Markey has the funds to support its many programs and services. Your donations to the Markey Cancer Foundation and UK HealthCare Philanthropy make it possible for Markey to:

  • Fund strategic capital projects.  
  • Advance cancer research programs and support promising young researchers.
  • Recruit and retain exceptional talent through faculty and program endowments.
  • Foster innovative patient care.
  • Provide funding for major research projects.

Funding our future

In early 2022, UK HealthCare announced a new initiative to fund a $90 million, 260,000-square-foot cancer care and clinical research complex. The campaign was launched with UK HealthCare’s largest gift in its history: a $10 million gift from Central Bank.

Once complete, the complex will consolidate all cancer services so patients can see their physician team and access advanced outpatient clinics, diagnostic and imaging services, lab services, outpatient operating rooms, pharmacy and procedure rooms — all in the same building. Centralizing these services means that patients will no longer have to travel to multiple buildings, often in the same day, to access the care they need.

While the first $10 million for the project has been secured, we still need your help as we raise the funds necessary to make this proposed complex a reality. Your donation of any size will help us improve cancer care in Kentucky. The future of Markey — and the health of your Kentucky friends and neighbors — is in your hands.

Volunteer at UK HealthCare

Just like donors, volunteers help provide critical support for patients and families. If you would like to give back, support patients or learn more about the health care profession, consider volunteering with UK HealthCare at Markey.

Adults 18 and older are encouraged to join us. There’s also a yearly summer program for teens ages 14 to 17. Volunteers commit two hours a week with no maximum. Schedules are flexible and adapted to your lifestyle.

Volunteer support is resuming in select areas, using a phased-in approach. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact UK HealthCare Volunteer Services for more information.

Markey Cancer Center is NCI-designated

The UK Markey Cancer Center was first designated by the National Cancer Institute in 2013 – a distinction that recognizes our extraordinary ability to provide world-class care for our patients. We are the only NCI-Designated Cancer Center in Kentucky and one of only 71 in the nation.

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