Historic $25 Million Gift Propels AHN Cancer Center into New Era of Cancer Care and Innovation

PITTSBURGH - Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced a historic $25 million gift from James R. "Jim" Fitterling, executive chairman and former president and CEO of Dow Inc., to propel the AHN Cancer Center into a new era of cancer research, clinical innovation and patient care excellence. In recognition of this tremendous generosity, the AHN Cancer Center, including its more than 35 clinical locations, will be officially rebranded as the AHN James R. Fitterling Cancer Center.  

The transformational personal commitment is the largest philanthropic investment in AHN's history and will support eight high-priority initiatives to accelerate cancer discoveries, advance emerging therapies and improve care for patients across the cancer continuum. The gift will also establish an endowed chair in oncology to help AHN recruit and retain leading cancer expertise. The AHN Cancer Center serves over 11,000 patients each year.  

"Jim's extraordinary generosity is a powerful investment in the future of cancer care at AHN and in the patients and families who turn to us for hope when they receive a cancer diagnosis," said Mark Sevco, president of AHN. "This historic gift will give our clinicians and researchers additional resources to pursue new discoveries, expand innovative treatment options and build upon our commitment to providing exceptional cancer care, particularly for patients facing complex diagnoses." 

"Exceptional cancer care requires more than treating a disease. It means caring for the whole person and bringing together the right physicians, scientists, nurses and support teams around each patient," said Bethany Casagranda, DO, MBA, chief medical officer of AHN. "Jim's remarkable gift will strengthen our ability to do that by helping us attract and retain exceptional clinicians and researchers while advancing the innovative care they provide. Ultimately, investments like this allow us to build stronger teams, create new possibilities for patients and deliver better experiences and outcomes for the people and families we serve." 

A gift inspired by lifesaving cancer care

For Fitterling, the commitment is rooted in his own experience with cancer and the care he received from David L. Bartlett, MD, surgical oncologist and director of the AHN Cancer Center. 

Nearly two decades ago, Fitterling was diagnosed with stage IV appendiceal cancer, a rare disease that can spread throughout the abdominal cavity. He became a patient of Dr. Bartlett in 2008 and has since received care in one of Dr. Bartlett's principal areas of clinical expertise. 

As part of his treatment, Fitterling underwent two cytoreductive surgeries with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a complex procedure that removes visible tumors before circulating heated chemotherapy through the abdomen to target remaining cancer cells. 

"When you're facing a cancer diagnosis, having the right physician, the right treatment and a reason to hope can make all the difference. I know that firsthand because of the extraordinary care I received from Dr. Bartlett," said Jim Fitterling. "My hope is that this gift will help accelerate research and discovery so that more patients have access to innovative treatment options and the best chance of a successful outcome." 

Fitterling has also supported the Susan J. and David L. Bartlett, MD Cancer Research Fund, which advances research into new and more effective cancer treatments. 

"Jim understands the stakes and knows that the greatest advances in cancer care happen when we have the ability to turn promising ideas into meaningful treatment options for patients," said Dr. Bartlett. "His incredible generosity will give our physicians and researchers the resources to pursue bold new approaches, accelerate discoveries and develop treatments that could change what's possible for patients and families facing cancer." 

Eight investments in the future of cancer medicine

The $25 million gift will support eight clinical, research and patient-care priorities: 

• Endowed Chair in Oncology: Recruit and retain leading academic talent in cancer medicine and research.  
• Biomarker Moonshot expansion: Enroll an additional 10,000 patients in AHN's cancer data and biospecimen research initiative.  
• Multi-omics research: Conduct AI-supported multi-omics analysis involving 1,000 patients to better understand individual cancers and identify potential treatment targets.  
• Cell therapy clinical trials: Launch five novel cell therapy trials involving 100 patients over five years.  
• Appendix and peritoneal cancer trials: Support five novel trials over five years investigating new treatment options for these complex cancers.  
• Personalized cancer vaccine discovery: Develop a novel personalized cancer vaccine from early research through clinical trial.  
• T-cell immunotherapy discovery: Develop a novel T-cell immunotherapy from initial engineering through human clinical trial.  
• Cancer patient ambassadors and navigation: Expand AHN's Community Cancer Patient Ambassador Program and related navigation services to reach more patients.  

About Jim Fitterling

James R. "Jim" Fitterling, of Midland, Michigan, is executive chairman of Dow Inc., where he previously served as CEO from 2018 to 2026 and was elected board chair in 2020. He joined Dow in 1984 after earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia and held numerous U.S. and international leadership positions during his more than 40-year career with the company.