UCLA Endocrine Surgery Program Receives Grant from Christopher Murphy Foundation for Treatment of Uninsured Patients with Thyroid Cancer

LOS ANGELES, California (February 10, 2012) The UCLA Endocrine Surgery Program has received a $25,000 grant from the Christopher Murphy Foundation to establish a fund which will provide need-based financial assistance to patients being treated for thyroid cancer.

"Rates of thyroid cancer have tripled in the United States since the 1970’s. Furthermore, at this time our nation’s health care system does not have a solution in place for uninsured patients with this disease.” said Dr. Michael Yeh, Section Chief of Endocrine Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Given the current economic conditions, we are talking about a significant number of people who could be helped by this collaboration. We are honored to receive this grant and it will help us expand our services to the uninsured patients in our community."

The UCLA Endocrine Surgery Program is nationally and internationally recognized for expert, multidisciplinary care of patients with thyroid cancer. Using the very latest technology and medical science, UCLA Endocrine Surgery delivers curative initial treatment in greater than 90% of cases. The Program is also dedicated to managing complex patients with aggressive and/or recurrent thyroid cancer.

The Christopher Murphy Foundation was established in 2009 as a result of Christopher Murphy’s own bout with thyroid cancer at the age of 27. “Since the treatment of thyroid cancer has such a very high success rate, we decided to focus the foundation on treatment rather than long-term research,” said Murphy. “It gives us the opportunity to have an immediate positive impact on patients and their families.”

About The Christopher Murphy Foundation

The Christopher Murphy Foundation is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization, whose mission is to provide need-based financial assistance to patients being treated for thyroid cancer. For more information please visit www.christophermurphyfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About UCLA Health System

The UCLA Health System has for more than half a century provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology and research to the people of Los Angeles and the world. The UCLA Health System is among the most comprehensive and advanced health systems in the world, comprising Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica; the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA; Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA; and the UCLA Medical Group, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region.

Contacts:

Liz Murphy
Christopher Murphy Foundation
(818) 618-0903
press@christophermurphyfoundation.org

Kathleen Lago
UCLA Health Sciences Development
(310) 206-3079
klago@support.ucla.edu