The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to Open Fourth Center in the US with the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
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The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to Open Fourth Center in the US with the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
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UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center to provide greater access to high-quality cancer care and preventative services for Chicago’s South Side and Southland communities
NEW YORK, January 21, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation today announced it has awarded a grant to the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center to establish the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center, building on the Foundation’s commitment to expand or open five cancer centers across the United States. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will enhance access to high-quality cancer screening, comprehensive cancer care and support services, serving a catchment area of more than 900,000 community members in Chicago’s South Side and Southland communities.
The new UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center – the fourth Ralph Lauren-named center in the U.S. and first in the Midwest – will comprise two locations. The first, located within the outpatient cancer facility at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, is expected to open in 2026. A second location will be inside UChicago Medicine’s new AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, which will be Illinois’ first freestanding cancer care and research facility when it opens in April 2027. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will also be supported by a mobile medical unit that will partner with community members and organizations to help bring services such as education and personalized navigation to care for cancer screenings, prevention and risk reduction, helping increase access and remove barriers to care.
“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.”
Cancer is a leading cause of death in Chicago’s South Side and Southland areas. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will focus on the cancers that UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified as significantly impacting these communities, including breast, cervical, lung, colorectal and prostate cancers. It will help to create a more integrated cancer care delivery system through a personalized and comprehensive approach to patient navigation and prevention services. The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center will address delivery gaps along the cancer care continuum, from early detection to connecting patients with treatment, to survivorship and supportive services such as transportation, nutrition, financial counseling and integrative therapies.
“The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center allows us to build a truly integrated ecosystem of cancer care – one that brings together patient navigation, individualized prevention strategies and seamless access to treatment and supportive services,” said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Director of the UChicago Medicine’s NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. “By supporting patients at every stage, from early detection through treatment and survivorship, we can improve outcomes while addressing the disparities that persist in the communities we serve.”
The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center at Ingalls Memorial will provide community-centered patient navigation that guides individuals through every stage of their journey. The second location in Hyde Park, which will be situated within the new AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion currently under construction, will serve as a central hub for patients across the UChicago Medicine network. It will provide access to the Pavilion’s advanced services – including the Carole Bransky Breast Center, a specialized rapid assessment clinic for immunocompromised patients, cancer imaging equipment, expanded inpatient accommodations with family spaces, consultation and outpatient exam rooms and infusion therapy areas to ensure timely treatment. Nita Lee, MD, Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and Associate Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Gynecologic Oncology), will serve as program director of the UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center.
For more than 30 years, Ralph Lauren has been committed to raising awareness in the fight against cancer through the Pink Pony initiative, supporting programs for research, screenings, early diagnosis, treatment, education and patient navigation. To deepen this commitment, The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation established the Pink Pony Fund in 2001 to expand access to quality cancer care and advance research. Through annual marketing campaigns, dedicated product collections, employee volunteering and fundraising, Pink Pony supports 36 beneficiaries across 20 countries.
In 2022, The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation made a $25 million commitment to expand or establish five Ralph Lauren-named cancer centers in communities across the United States. The funding is designed to benefit institutions that have a National Cancer Institute designation and are dedicated to improving access to care in their communities. 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, NY, 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.
ABOUT THE RALPH LAUREN CORPORATE FOUNDATION
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation works to make the dream of a better life a reality by championing equity and empowering communities around the world. Established in 2001, The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation is committed to making a difference across its core areas of focus: supporting cancer care and prevention, protecting the environment and strengthening community resilience. It hopes to deliver meaningful change in its communities through its nonprofit collaborations, grant funding and volunteering programs. For more information, please visit: https://corporate.ralphlauren.com/Foundation.
