St. Jude to undertake $7B expansion, add jobs: 8 things to know

Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has confirmed a $7 billion expansion plan that will add jobs, expand its research into sickle cell anemia and help boost its efforts to fight childhood cancer, according to a Memphis Business Journal report.

Here are eight things to know about the expansion plan.

1. Expansion plans have been in the works for more than a year, since St. Jude President and CEO James Downing, MD, brought together 180 individuals from across the institution, according to the hospital. The individuals, who were organized into 15 working groups, ultimately came up with a plan for success in the clinic, the laboratory and worldwide.

2. St. Jude expects to add more than 1,000 new positions for faculty and staff through the initiative.

3. St. Jude's goals for clinical care, as listed by the organization, include:

• Have more patients participating in St. Jude–led clinical trials
• Set the standard for pediatric cancer care delivery
• Advance clinical care programs for children with non-malignant blood diseases

4. St. Jude's goals for research, as listed by the organization, include:

• Strengthen basic lab and clinical research programs
• Continue to create and run high-complexity clinical trials
• Establish the benchmark for precision medicine
• Determine the optimal use of proton therapy for brain tumor, solid tumor and Hodgkin lymphoma
• Develop a world-class program to harness the immune system to treat childhood cancers

5. St. Jude's goals for success around the world, as listed by the organization, include:

• Expand the International Outreach Program, which works with institutions in low- and middle-income countries to sustainably improve local pediatric cancer care
• Develop a St. Jude–funded global Clinical Research Consortium
• Organize global teams of scientists to collaboratively address high-priority scientific question

6. As far as sickle cell patients, St. Jude's goal with the expansion is to improve on current treatments to help patients manage the disease, Dr. Downing said, according to the Memphis Business Journal. The report notes Dr. Downing anticipates bringing more sickle cell patients to the campus.

7. Of the expansion plans, Dr. Downing said, "We're at a point in our hospital's history where it's clear we can do more. Because of our success, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to establish an agenda that will accelerate progress toward advancing cures for pediatric catastrophic diseases. We must do what others cannot do," according to the report.

8. The project will come to fruition over the next six years.