Herb Chambers donates $100 million to Mass General Hospital

Dorchester native and Boston-area philanthropist Herb Chambers has donated $100 million to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to an announcement Monday.

Chambers’ gift will help fund a new, state-of-the-art building focused on cancer care, which he said touches him personally.

“This gift is very personal to me,” Chambers said. “Patients at Mass General receive the highest level of care, with all departments working in perfect harmony. Over the years, my family members, friends and I have been fortunate to receive care from the legendary MGH team. My heart fills with gratitude as I think of the dedicated and compassionate professionals who treated us.”

In recognition of Chambers’ donation, the hospital will name the east tower of the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building the Herb Chambers Tower, which will include nearly one million square feet of nursing space and technology and feature a rooftop garden for patients.

“Herb’s bold vision and investment in our mission will allow us to offer a diverse range of services – initial consultations, labs, imaging, procedures, infusion, inpatient and critical care – all under one roof, enabling patients seeking treatment are easier for cancer. “This incredibly generous gift will enhance collaboration and transform the way our exceptional clinical teams deliver cutting-edge, research-based care and train the next generation of leaders in cancer care,” said David FM Brown, MD, president, Academic Medical Centers , Mass. Gen. Brigham in a statement announcing the gift.

Governor Maura Healey has an event at the hospital on her calendar today. This event is listed as closed to printing.

“This generous donation will make the largest cancer center in the world even greater and give patients and their families peace of mind that they are in the right place during the most difficult times in their lives,” Healey said. “I am deeply grateful to Herb Chambers, his family and the entire Mass General Brigham community for all they are doing to make Massachusetts the best place in the world for health care.”

Chambers, a Dorchester native, said the gift is part of his ongoing efforts to give back to the city.

“It fills me with great pride to be able to give something back to a city that has given me so much. As we all know too well, most families are affected by cancer in some way. My motivation for passing on this gift is so that the Herb Chambers Tower will shine as a beacon of hope for all affected by this terrible disease. There can never be enough effort and resources put into finding a cure.”

The care rooms in the new facility were designed in collaboration with hospital patients and families. The Herb Chambers Tower will include 228 acute inpatient beds and 32 intensive care beds.

“From the moment patients arrive, through their treatment and recovery, the Herb Chambers Tower will create a welcoming environment that promotes healing, health and hope,” said Dr. Marcela del Carmen, president of Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. and Executive Vice President of Mass General Brigham. “We are deeply inspired by Herb and this extraordinary gift.”

Chambers’ $100 million donation is in line with the Mass General Brigham Cancer Initiative announced in September, which “extends research-based excellence in cancer care to all patients and all communities.”

– Development

Originally published: December 11, 2024 at 9:14 am EST