City of Hope’s creation of a not-for-profit medical foundation will lead to improved patient care and advance its nearly 100-year legacy as a leading center for biomedical research and compassionate patient care.

A foundation will allow City of Hope to work more closely and effectively with physicians to seamlessly meet the needs of patients.  This evolution better positions the organization to respond to anticipated changes brought on by health care reform by creating a single entity to coordinate functions such as billing, contracting with health plans and medical records.

City of Hope's move to a medical foundation will increase physician leadership not only in the clinical setting but throughout the entire organization, offering a level of physician involvement in governance that generally exceeds what is found in university settings and other established medical foundations in California.

Medical foundations are a common, legally acceptable and increasingly prevalent structure that has proven successful at top medical centers in California including Cedars-Sinai, Scripps and many others.  A foundation model is especially appropriate for City of Hope as an academic medical center with a non-profit mission.

The current contract between City of Hope and the for-profit medical group corporation, California Cancer Specialists Medical Group (City of Hope Medical Group), expires January 31, 2011. Patient care, including clinical research, will continue uninterrupted both prior to and after the contract’s expiration. Our current doctors will be able to care for patients now and in the future.

City of Hope has a truly exceptional medical staff and a precious legacy of providing world-class, compassionate care to patients and serving the community.  Our foundation will protect and strengthen that legacy as we begin our second century.  

Patients or family members with questions about the Medical Foundation Initiative should call City of Hope at 626-301-8356. Those who would like to register as patients at City of Hope may call 800-826-HOPE (4673).