The hard, visionary work of Irene Thompson, the former Irene Cumming and former president and CEO of Kansas University Hospital; Bob Page, the current hospital president and CEO; Dr. George Farha, former chairman of the KU Hospital board; and Robert Honse, the current hospital board chairman; is paying off for the hospital and its patients in many ways.

This week, Kansas City civic leader Annette Bloch announced a $20 million donation to the KU Hospital. Hospital officials said they would rename the outpatient cancer facility at its Westwood campus the “Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion.” The name also will go on the radiation oncology building at the hospital’s main building south of 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard in Kansas City, Kan.

It is very doubtful Annette Bloch would have considered making a $20 million commitment to KU Hospital 10 years ago. The hospital was in bad shape. Patient numbers were low, morale among the doctors was low, the financial condition of the hospital was at a dangerous level, various national rating bodies gave low rankings to the KU Hospital staff in numerous specialties, patient satisfaction was low and the hospital didn’t stack up well against other major hospitals in greater Kansas City.

Thompson (Cumming) arrived on the scene, and improvements were almost instantaneous. She, along with Page and others, with the support of Farha and the board, made a commitment to make major changes and improvements.

Today, many say KU Hospital is Kansas City’s leading hospital. Today, various bodies and organizations not only rank KU Hospital as the best in Kansas City but give it high rankings compared to hospitals across the nation.

This rise in excellence wasn’t easy. As KU Hospital started its climb, patient numbers started to increase and it saw growth in the numbers and excellence of its doctors.

This got the attention of other hospitals, particularly St. Luke’s Hospital, and officials of this well-known Kansas City medical fixture suddenly woke up to the fact it was losing patients and doctors to KU Hospital. A massive campaign was put together by a small group of Kansas City, Mo., leaders seeking to strengthen St. Luke’s at the expense of KU Hospital and even the KU medical school. It continues to be puzzling that several of KU’s senior administrators, both in Lawrence and at the Medical Center, favored the giveaway to St. Luke’s.

However, Thompson and her core associates remained firm and would not be plowed under or sacrifice KU Hospital.

Other Kansas City hospitals would have liked to receive the Bloch gift, but the excellence of KU Hospital gave Bloch the confidence that her contribution would be used wisely and effectively to boost the hospital’s cancer services.

This gift reflects the best verification of the efforts and dreams of Thompson and her associates – and it is a magnificent endorsement of the excellence of the Hospital by Bloch.

The combination of Bloch’s gift and the superior work of KU Hospital doctors and researchers is sure to pay dividends in many ways for thousands of cancer patients in the years to come.