In recognition of a transformative commitment to WashU Medicine from St. Louisan Richard Frimel and his late husband, Gary C. Werths, Siteman Cancer Center’s new building for outpatient care will be named the Gary C. Werths Building. The historic pledge will fund groundbreaking cancer research and medical student scholarships to support aspiring physicians.
The nine-story building opened in September on the Washington University Medical Campus and exemplifies the collaborative strength of BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine in providing innovative cancer care. Patients receive the most advanced, lifesaving therapies informed by the latest research discoveries, many of them made by WashU Medicine faculty who are leaders in their fields.
“We are honored to name Siteman’s new building after Gary, forever linking his name with world-class, compassionate cancer care,” Chancellor Andrew D. Martin said. “Gary and Richard’s extraordinary commitment will advance WashU Medicine’s innovative cancer research and provide enduring scholarship support for future generations of physicians. Their philanthropy offers hope to cancer patients and their families and will help alleviate the financial burden of attending medical school for students aspiring to become physicians.”
The pledge is the largest single philanthropic investment in Siteman Cancer Center since Alvin J. and Ruth Siteman’s founding gift 25 years ago.
Siteman — based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine — is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri and southern Illinois and draws patients from across the U.S. and beyond who seek access to the latest treatments and technologies as well as innovative clinical trials.
“At WashU Medicine, we fully recognize that investing in pioneering research is essential to advancing cancer care and improving outcomes for patients,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of WashU Medicine, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. “Gary Werths’ legacy will live on through the excellent patient care delivered every day in this beautiful new building and the scholarships that will change the future for generations of medical students.”
The Gary C. Werths Building is thoughtfully designed, with cancer patients’ needs at its core. An innovative model of care enables many patients to see a multidisciplinary team of WashU Medicine cancer specialists at Siteman and receive chemotherapy and other services in collaboration with BJC caregivers, all coordinated during a single visit. This patient-centered approach focuses on their comfort and convenience and reduces the need to return for multiple appointments.
Frimel and Werths’ commitment will advance discoveries by WashU Medicine researchers at Siteman that shape the future of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics and redefine excellence in cancer research and patient care. It will bolster efforts to better understand cancer, pioneer new therapies, conduct leading-edge clinical trials and enhance patient care.
Their pledge also will support medical student scholarships in perpetuity. Such support will enable WashU Medicine to attract the best and brightest students who can pursue their dreams of becoming physicians without having to take on overwhelming financial debt.
Additionally, the gift will benefit cancer patients in St. Louis and beyond.
“Much of our research and medical training emphasizes the importance of community outreach and cancer prevention,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and senior associate dean for cancer programs at WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare. “This transformational gift will help assure that Siteman continues to provide the most innovative and impactful treatments to our patients in the most supportive, compassionate environment possible.”
Dedicated to giving back
Werths died from Alzheimer’s disease in February 2021 at age 83. He achieved prominence within the St. Louis and international art communities as owner of Gary’s Antiques & Imports in the Central West End neighborhood that borders the Washington University Medical Campus. Werths and Frimel also were business partners, working to supply fine art to decorators, designers and architects throughout the Midwest. An avid art collector and travel enthusiast, Werths served as a trustee of the Saint Louis Art Museum, a charter member of the Central West End Savings & Loan and a board member of Harvest Bank in Dubuque, Iowa.
Through his estate, Werths previously made a gift to WashU that was designated for undergraduate scholarships and Alzheimer’s disease research.
“Gary referred to WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital as our best neighbors,” Frimel said. “He always had a fondness and deep respect for the physicians and caregivers on the Medical Campus. He believed in them and would be proud to support research to improve cancer care and treatment, and scholarships to support future physicians on their journeys to becoming doctors.”
Frimel noted that Werths would have loved the design of the new building named in his honor.
“It’s fabulous on many levels,” Frimel said. “It’s contemporary, and the layout is wonderful. The expanse of windows makes the building light and airy. From one direction, you look out at the whole Central West End, and from the other direction, you can see the Arch.”
Through his business, Werths provided art to decorate buildings and physician offices. Frimel said Werths believed art could have a positive effect and act as a source of comfort — a belief carried forward in the inspirational art in his namesake building. “The art is colorful, bright and cheerful,” Frimel said. “It’s just wonderful.”
About Siteman Cancer Center
Siteman Cancer Center is one of only a few cancer centers to receive the highest rating of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) – “exceptional.” Comprising the cancer research, prevention and treatment programs of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Siteman treats adults at six locations, including an inpatient hospital, and partners with St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the treatment of pediatric patients at Siteman Kids. Siteman is Missouri and southern Illinois’ only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and only member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Through the Siteman Cancer Network, Siteman Cancer Center works with regional health systems and hospitals to improve access to highly specialized cancer care and reduce the incidence of cancer through initiatives in cancer prevention, treatment and research.
About Washington University School of Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.
About BJC Health System
BJC Health System is one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States and the largest in the state of Missouri, serving urban, suburban and rural communities in Missouri, southern Illinois and eastern Kansas. One of the largest employers in Missouri, BJC operates in two distinct regions as Saint Luke’s in the west and BJC HealthCare in the east. BJC is comprised of 24 hospitals and hundreds of clinics and service organizations, all committed to providing extraordinary patient care and advancing medical breakthroughs. BJC’s nationally recognized academic hospitals, Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, are affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.
Originally published on the WashU Medicine website
