Hospital still searching for more donors

The new N.C. Cancer Hospital has high-tech equipment and state-of-the-art facilities, but administrators are looking for one more thing — a multimillion-dollar name.

The hospital, which had its opening ceremony in September, is looking to sell naming rights to the building, which carries a price tag of $25 million to $30 million.

In the meantime, the hospital is selling naming rights to rooms within the building. The money raised through the sale of these rooms will support patient program enhancements rather than research.

The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, located in the hospital, has secured a total of $1.7 million in commitments from 17 different donors. In return for the donations, the hospital will name a room after each of the 17 individuals or companies, said Debbie Dibbert, director of external affairs at the Lineberger Center.

The cost of an individual room starts at $25,000 and increases from there depending on the amount the donor wants to contribute.

“It’s a nice opportunity for families to do something that really supports something that’s important to them and allow them a way to keep their family name or a loved one’s name in perpetuity,” Dibbert said.

For Harriet Livingston, this was just the case. After she developed her second bout of breast cancer in 2007 and received treatment at the Lineberger Center, she and her husband made a donation to the new hospital.

“We started our lives at UNC together and hopefully the cancer hospital will continue to make sure we can live as long as we can,” she said.

The couple decided to donate to the gowned waiting room to spruce up the mammogram diagnostic venue.

The donations are endowment gifts maintained in an investment fund, Dibbert said. The hospital will spend the interest the fund generates on programming.

“We can never spend the amount that is given, but only the amount it earns,” Dibbert said.

The donations also cannot be used for operation shortfalls or to pay staff wages.

And since the $180 million building is completely paid for, donations won’t be used for construction and furnishings.

“The advantage to donors is that they are endowing programs rather than endowing concrete,” said Richard Goldberg, the hospital’s physician-in-chief.

The seven-story, 315,000-square-foot building still has numerous rooms to name.

A room is not officially named until the $25,000 gift is paid in full. On Nov. 8, the hospital will honor nine donors at the first dedication event.

“Spaces that went first were the Family Support Center because that’s the place that provides direct support to people going through cancer,” Dibbert said.

Goldberg said the dedication ceremony will memorialize the fight against cancer.

“I think people are proud of the way the new hospital looks and what it offers to patients and want to be a part of it.”


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