For 50 years, from its founding in 1974 through today, Fox Chase Cancer Center has committed itself to clinical excellence, research expertise, and community health. To celebrate, Fox Chase hosted a courtyard party on June 18 featuring music, food, lawn games, and special guest appearances.
Fox Chase employees showed their pride by donning 50th anniversary T-shirts and enjoyed the afternoon by taking part in lawn games like cornhole and catching up with colleagues. Between photo opportunities with the Phillie Phanatic and dancing to music provided by a DJ, staff could enjoy a catered lunch underneath the tented seating area.
“Today is actually my six-year Fox Chase anniversary,” said Evelyn Francis, Executive Assistant for the Office of the President and CEO. “I love Fox Chase, I love my job, my boss, and I love the team. I’m having a great time here today and I’m happy to be part of it.”
During the celebration, Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, President and CEO of Fox Chase, and Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD, Cancer Center Director, spoke to faculty and staff about the significance of 50 years as an institution and the excitement of 50 more years of possibilities.
“So many great things have happened in these 50 years. We have two Nobel prizes, hundreds of thousands of patients who were treated or cured, and we have been a tremendous force for good in the cancer world and in our community,” said Chernoff. “I’m pretty sure I won’t be here for the 100th anniversary but I’m here today and you’re all here for what’s going to end up being a historic day just like the founding was in 1974.”
Uzzo echoed those sentiments, adding that Fox Chase’s legacy as more than just a cancer center is made possible by the tireless work of faculty and staff who make up its community.
“This has been more than just 50 years in the making. We are standing on the shoulders of people who came before us, and those people gave us a very strong foundation of discovery and delivery,” said Uzzo. “The kind of care, quality of care, and compassion of care that you all deliver every single day echoes through this organization and well beyond into the communities that we serve.”
Following their remarks, both Chernoff and Uzzo were presented with plaques from the American Hospital Association in recognition of the Center’s 50 years of compassionate care.
The AHA, which was founded in 1899, represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, healthcare systems, networks, and other providers of care with a mission to advance the health of all individuals and communities.
“Fox Chase was formed out of two great institutions — the American Oncologic Hospital and the Institute for Cancer Research,” said Michael Draine, Regional Executive for the AHA. “When I think about Fox Chase and all that you’ve done using cancer research to develop life-changing drugs and advancing technology to help patients, it is simply amazing. We are very proud of our 50-year relationship with Fox Chase, and we know you will continue to do great things.”
The event also featured the official launch of Temple Talk, the new mobile app for Temple Health that allows employees to access payroll, exclusive giveaways, news stories on The Hub, upcoming events, and more. Since the app launched, it has accumulated over 2,500 users (more than 20% of the Temple Health workforce). To stay informed about upcoming events in celebration of the 50th anniversary and other health system happenings, download and log into the app here.
Visit the Flickr album to experience (or relive) the excitement of Fox Chase's 50th anniversary courtyard celebration.