The James M. Cox Foundation Announces $5 Million Gift to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

Cox Center for Integrative Oncology to be established in Arizona

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Dec 19, 2012, 09:00 ET

ATLANTA, Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Enterprises announced a $5 million gift to Arizona's Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center from The James M. Cox Foundation. The gift will be used to establish the Cox Center for Integrative Oncology, which will offer individualized prevention, screening and diagnosis programs, rehabilitation and community outreach programs in the Greater Phoenix area.

"As we celebrate our one-year anniversary, we look forward to future growth and continuing to be the epicenter for personalized cancer care in Arizona," said Todd Werner, CEO of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center and neighboring Banner Gateway Medical Center. "The Cox Foundation gift will make a tremendous difference in helping our patients."

Named after the company's founder, the James M. Cox Foundation provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where Cox Enterprises does business. Cox Enterprises' subsidiaries - Cox Communications and Manheim – operate in the Phoenix Metro area, Pinal County, Tucson and Southern Arizona.

"Through this gift, our employees and customers in Arizona and throughout the West, will have access to world-class healthcare," said Alex Taylor, senior vice president of field operations for Cox Communications and great-grandson of James M. Cox, the company's founder. "Both of our organizations have been part of the community for many years, and we're proud to be partnering with them on such an important part of the future."

Banner MD Anderson's robust team of medical experts includes 50 highly-specialized physicians from renowned cancer centers and medical institutions across the country, each specializing in various cancer types and treatments. In its first year, Banner MD Anderson has served more than 3,500 patients.

"This gift continues the philanthropic commitment to 'support the communities in which we serve' that our company founder James M. Cox began and which is embraced by the employees of Cox Communications," said Steve Rizley, senior vice president and general manager, Cox Communications-Southwest region. "This facility will bring life and comfort to our customers and neighbors in Arizona, and in communities across the West, where we live and work."

About The James M. Cox Foundation
The James M. Cox Foundation provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where Cox Enterprises does business. The Foundation is concentrating its community support in several priority areas: Conservation and Environment; Early Childhood Education; Empowering Families and Individuals for Success; and Health.

About Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
The Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center on the Banner Gateway Campus delivers an unprecedented level of cancer care to patients in Arizona through the collaboration of Banner Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution. Patients receive care in a three-story, 133,000 square-foot outpatient center supported by 76 beds on two floors inside Banner Gateway Medical Center. The outpatient center houses physician clinics, medical imaging, radiation oncology, infusion therapy and many support services.

About Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is a leading communications, media and automotive services company. With revenues of nearly $15 billion and more than 50,000 employees, the company's major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications, Inc. (cable television distribution, telephone, high-speed Internet access, commercial telecommunications and advertising solutions); Manheim, Inc. (vehicle auctions, repair and certification services and web-based technology products); Cox Media Group, Inc. (television and radio stations, digital media, newspapers, advertising sales rep firms, Valpak and Cox Digital Solutions); and AutoTrader.com (online automotive advertising and Kelley Blue Book, vAuto and HomeNet Automotive subsidiaries). Additionally, Cox operates Kudzu.com.

SOURCE Cox Enterprises