UChicago Medicine to open Ralph Lauren Center to expand access to cancer care and support for South Side and Southland
The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will offer cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support services across two locations — one at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey and another within the health system's forthcoming cancer pavilion in Hyde Park.
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation has awarded a grant to the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center to establish the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center, reflecting a joint commitment to bridging gaps in cancer health and expanding cancer care in the city’s vulnerable communities.
The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will offer cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support services at two of the academic health system’s locations, serving patients and the communities on the city's South Side and in the Southland.
The first site will be at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial in Harvey and launch in 2026. The other will be at the health system’s main campus on the South Side within the new cancer pavilion, scheduled to open as the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion in April 2027. The 575,000-square-foot tower will serve as UChicago Medicine’s central hub for cancer care and research, providing access to advanced services such as the Carole Bransky Breast Center, a rapid assessment clinic for immunocompromised patients, as well as community spaces offering cooking and fitness classes, support groups and music therapy.
“We are honored that The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation selected UChicago Medicine to open the first Ralph Lauren Center in the Midwest and the fourth in the nation,” said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Director of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only two institutions in Illinois with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, the highest federal rating a cancer program can achieve. “The award speaks to our shared mission to improving access to cancer care in the community.”
The grant is part of a $25 million commitment by The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to expand or establish five Ralph Lauren-named centers in communities across the United States. The funding is designed to benefit organizations that have an NCI cancer center designation, which recognizes their innovative research, leading-edge treatments, education and community-outreach programs. UChicago Medicine has been home to such a designated center since 1973.
“Over the last 30 years, our mission to support communities around the world in the fight against cancer has grown into something greater than I could have ever imagined. From New York to Washington, Los Angeles and now Chicago, we are making a real impact on this disease, helping to raise awareness, improve outcomes and provide support — all thanks to the tireless work of the dedicated caregivers at our cancer centers,” said Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation and Chair of The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation. “The University of Chicago Medicine’s new state-of-the-art center will change lives by making high-quality care more available to those who need it most throughout the Chicago community.”
“The establishment of the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center represents a significant step forward for the communities and patients we serve,” said Lee. “By focusing on cancers that disproportionately affect our neighbors, we are advancing an approach to care that emphasizes prevention, early detection and coordinated support. The center will allow us to better ensure all patients can get the seamless care across the network and benefit from screening, treatment and holistic supportive services.”
Cancer is a leading cause of death in Chicago’s South Side and Southland, where social determinants of health lead to higher cancer burdens. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will help the academic health system bridge gaps along the entire cancer care continuum — from education and prevention to early detection and diagnosis to connecting patients with timely treatment and survivorship support. The center’s approach will extend beyond medical care to include supportive services such as transportation, nutrition, financial counseling and integrative therapies.
The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center at Ingalls Memorial will provide community-centered patient navigation, utilizing community health workers and a partnership with Equal Hope to guide individuals through every stage of their journey. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center at Hyde Park will use this model to serve not only the South Side community but also patients across the UChicago Medicine network. It will be supported by a mobile medical unit to help bring services such as preventive services and education about personalized screenings genetic testing and cancer risk reduction to the community, helping to increase access and remove barriers to care.
The new UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center is the fourth center, following the establishment of The Ralph Lauren Center at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, CA, opened in 2024; The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., opened in 2023; and The Memorial Sloan Kettering Ralph Lauren Center in Harlem, New York, opened in 2003. Outside of the U.S., Ralph Lauren Corporation supports The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, funding initiatives at The Royal Marsden such as The Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research in London, U.K., opened in 2016, and the Ralph Lauren Research Wing at the Oak Cancer Centre in Sutton, U.K., opened in 2023.
The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will offer cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and support services at two of the academic health system’s locations, serving patients and the communities on the city's South Side and in the Southland.
The first site will be at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial in Harvey and launch in 2026. The other will be at the health system’s main campus on the South Side within the new cancer pavilion, scheduled to open as the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion in April 2027. The 575,000-square-foot tower will serve as UChicago Medicine’s central hub for cancer care and research, providing access to advanced services such as the Carole Bransky Breast Center, a rapid assessment clinic for immunocompromised patients, as well as community spaces offering cooking and fitness classes, support groups and music therapy.
“We are honored that The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation selected UChicago Medicine to open the first Ralph Lauren Center in the Midwest and the fourth in the nation,” said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Director of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only two institutions in Illinois with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, the highest federal rating a cancer program can achieve. “The award speaks to our shared mission to improving access to cancer care in the community.”
The grant is part of a $25 million commitment by The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to expand or establish five Ralph Lauren-named centers in communities across the United States. The funding is designed to benefit organizations that have an NCI cancer center designation, which recognizes their innovative research, leading-edge treatments, education and community-outreach programs. UChicago Medicine has been home to such a designated center since 1973.
“Over the last 30 years, our mission to support communities around the world in the fight against cancer has grown into something greater than I could have ever imagined. From New York to Washington, Los Angeles and now Chicago, we are making a real impact on this disease, helping to raise awareness, improve outcomes and provide support — all thanks to the tireless work of the dedicated caregivers at our cancer centers,” said Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation and Chair of The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation. “The University of Chicago Medicine’s new state-of-the-art center will change lives by making high-quality care more available to those who need it most throughout the Chicago community.”
Dr. Nita Lee to Serve as Program Director
Nita Lee, MD, Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement at UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, will serve as program director of the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center at both locations. To launch the program, she will work closely with UChicago Medicine’s Urban Health Initiative, led by Chief Community Health Transformation Officer Catina Latham, PhD, and Ingalls Memorial oncology team, led by Ingalls Memorial Oncology Program Director James Wallace, MD.“The establishment of the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center represents a significant step forward for the communities and patients we serve,” said Lee. “By focusing on cancers that disproportionately affect our neighbors, we are advancing an approach to care that emphasizes prevention, early detection and coordinated support. The center will allow us to better ensure all patients can get the seamless care across the network and benefit from screening, treatment and holistic supportive services.”
Cancer is a leading cause of death in Chicago’s South Side and Southland, where social determinants of health lead to higher cancer burdens. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will help the academic health system bridge gaps along the entire cancer care continuum — from education and prevention to early detection and diagnosis to connecting patients with timely treatment and survivorship support. The center’s approach will extend beyond medical care to include supportive services such as transportation, nutrition, financial counseling and integrative therapies.
The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center at Ingalls Memorial will provide community-centered patient navigation, utilizing community health workers and a partnership with Equal Hope to guide individuals through every stage of their journey. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center at Hyde Park will use this model to serve not only the South Side community but also patients across the UChicago Medicine network. It will be supported by a mobile medical unit to help bring services such as preventive services and education about personalized screenings genetic testing and cancer risk reduction to the community, helping to increase access and remove barriers to care.
The new UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center is the fourth center, following the establishment of The Ralph Lauren Center at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles, CA, opened in 2024; The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., opened in 2023; and The Memorial Sloan Kettering Ralph Lauren Center in Harlem, New York, opened in 2003. Outside of the U.S., Ralph Lauren Corporation supports The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, funding initiatives at The Royal Marsden such as The Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research in London, U.K., opened in 2016, and the Ralph Lauren Research Wing at the Oak Cancer Centre in Sutton, U.K., opened in 2023.
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