(WILMINGTON, Del. – August 31, 2023)

A $1 million gift from the Bacchieri Family to ChristianaCare will support the purchase of a state-of-the-art radiography system to analyze breast cancer specimens at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and expand a fellowship program to reduce disparities in breast and lung cancer.

In Delaware breast and lung cancer are among the most frequently diagnosed cancers. The First State has the highest incidence nationally of triple negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of breast cancer, among the Black population. And lung cancer is responsible for 33% of cancer deaths in Delaware.

“ChristianaCare extends our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Bacchieri family for their philanthropic leadership,” said Dia Williams Adams, MPA, vice president of philanthropy at ChristianaCare. “Making this lifesaving technology available for breast cancer patients and expanding this fellowship program for both breast and lung cancer are critical components to building strong and healthy communities.”

“As long-time supporters of the Graham Cancer Center, we know our investment in the very latest technology to examine pathology specimens and expand the fellowship program in population health/science will advance cancer care, reduce disparities and improve outcomes in Delaware and surrounding communities,” said Stacey Bacchieri. “We hope our support of the Graham Cancer Center, made in honor of Dr. Nicholas Petrelli, will inspire many others to join us in the fight against cancer and to support the underserved populations in our state.”

New radiology system will expand access to care for breast cancer

The Kubtec XPERT 80 Specimen Radiography System is portable and provides high-resolution X-ray images of breast specimens of all sizes. It will enable pathologists at the Graham Cancer Center to process approximately 2,000 breast cases per year, an increase of 500 cases.

“ChristianaCare is deeply grateful to Stacey Bacchieri and her family for their generous gift and continued support of our cancer program,” said Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America Endowed Medical Director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “This new radiography system will be transformational and provide a number of benefits for our breast cancer patients, such as enabling providers to see the finest details in the widest range of specimens while reducing turnaround time.”

Fellowship will advance work to eliminate cancer disparities

The Caspar Wistar Bacchieri Disparities Fellowship in Cancer Population Health will support the next generation of population health cancer researchers and focus on cancer control and prevention activities that have the potential to significantly decrease cancer disparities, especially in breast and lung cancer. The researchers will have access to resources at both the Wistar Institute and the Graham Cancer Center.

“The Caspar Wistar Bacchieri Disparities Fellowship will offer exceptional autonomy and resources to qualified candidates who will join the next generation of scientific leaders,” Petrelli said.

Candidates for the Fellowship must:

• Have earned a doctorate in biomedical sciences, medicine, epidemiology, behavioral science, public health or a related field.
• Show evidence of outstanding academic achievement and the potential to work collaboratively across translational and clinical cancer research disciplines.
• Support ChristianaCare values of diversity, inclusion, scientific/clinical innovation and health equity.

Candidates of all races, nationalities, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status and economic background are strongly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates will find more information about how to apply at The Wistar Institute and the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute websites later this fall.

ChristianaCare is a not-for-profit organization and donations of any size help support our mission of service to those we care for. Donations can be made by visiting here.

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About ChristianaCare

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,430 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute.

ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

About the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, a National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program, is part of the ChristianaCare, one of the country’s most dynamic health systems, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. With more than 245,000 patient visits last year, the Graham Cancer Center is recognized as a national model for multidisciplinary cancer care and a top enroller in U.S. clinical research trials. In conjunction with the Gene Editing Institute, the Center for Translational Cancer Research, the Tissue Procurement Center, statewide High-Risk Family Cancer Registry and collaborations with world-renowned scientists at facilities such as The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia scientists are opening new avenues to more quickly translate cancer science into cancer medicine. For more information, visit christianacare.org/cancer.

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