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KU Hospital Receives $10 Million Donation For New Medical Tower

The University of Kansas Health System
The University of Kansas Health System received a $10 million dollar to support the construction of a new medical building.

The University of Kansas Health System has received a major boost in achieving its goal of raising $100 million to complete a new hospital tower.

Hospital officials announced Monday morning it was receiving a gift of $10 million from Cheryl Lockton Williams.

The gift is to support the construction of Cambridge Tower A, a new hospital building on the northwest corner of Stateline Road and 39th Street in Kansas City, Kansas.

William’s husband, Jack Lockton, who founded Lockton Companies, died of pancreatic cancer in 2004. Williams says she wants the most advanced cancer care available to patients in Kansas City.

“Twenty years ago, you had to leave Kansas City to find the most advanced cancer care. We were able to travel to M.D. Anderson for the latest treatment options for Jack, but unfortunately most people didn’t have that option,” Cheryl Lockton Williams said. “Today is much different. The very best care is available right here at The University of Kansas Health System.”

The first phase of the 11-story tower is scheduled to open in November with 92 beds. Thirty-two additional beds will be added in Spring 2018. The completed tower will include more beds, 11 operating suites and an interoperative MRI system.

With Williams’ gift, the hospital has raised a total of $57.7 million so far.

The tower’s fifth level will be named the Jack and Cheryl Lockton Intensive Care Patient Unit.

Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @AlexSmithKCUR

As a health care reporter, I aim to empower my audience to take steps to improve health care and make informed decisions as consumers and voters. I tell human stories augmented with research and data to explain how our health care system works and sometimes fails us. Email me at alexs@kcur.org.
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