Annette Bloch and Bob Page, president and CEO of Kansas University Hospital, smile following Bloch's announcement of a 0 million donation to the hospital's cancer services.

Westwood ? Civic leader and philanthropist Annette Bloch announced a $20 million donation to Kansas University Hospital’s cancer services on Tuesday.

The funds for the gift had been earmarked by her late husband, Richard Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block.

Bloch said she hoped her gift would allow KU’s Cancer Center to move closer to National Cancer Institute designation.

“People should not have to go elsewhere,” for the best cancer treatments, said Bloch, who herself was a breast cancer patient at the hospital earlier this year. “You have everything you need right here. Maybe this gift will expedite things.”

Bloch and other hospital and university officials spoke at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon in front of employees at the KU Hospital Cancer Center and Medical Pavilion in Westwood.

The hospital immediately renamed its outpatient cancer area at its Westwood campus the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion. The name will also go on the radiation oncology building on the main campus south of 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard.

The $20 million will go toward improving blood and marrow transplant, radiation oncology and breast cancer imaging.

Tammy Peterman, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for KU Hospital, said the money would primarily purchase additional technology and new equipment in those areas.

The funds would also allow for the renovation of an existing space on the Westwood campus for the blood and marrow program.

That 7,500-square-foot space would be built for patients whose immune systems would be compromised while undergoing blood and marrow treatments, with a cleaner airflow system and overall environment, said Dennis McCulloch, a hospital spokesman.

Bob Page, CEO and president of the Kansas University Hospital, thanked Bloch for her generosity.

“This gift will live on and it will be the talk of this town for decades,” Page said.

There was more praise from other officials as they hoped the donation would spark additional funds to achieve designation from the National Cancer Institute.

“Annette Bloch has sent a clear message to the philanthropic world that there’s something special going on,” said Roy Jensen, director of the Kansas University Cancer Center.

Erica Brown, a spokeswoman for the cancer center, said the center did not have a specific dollar amount specified for donations needed to achieve the designation.

She said the center is aiming for an application to the institute by 2011 if they meet the prerequisites.