Sunday, June 4, marks National Cancer Survivors Day, a day to recognize those living with a history of cancer. It is also a day to celebrate life and spread awareness of the challenges faced by cancer survivors. Kettering Health also acknowledges former patient Kent Kumbroch’s generous gift in support of compassionate care, which will fund research and equipment to advance the care provided at Kettering Health Cancer Center.

This gift was made possible through the stewardship of the Kettering Health Foundation, which helped Kumbroch select projects to fund, focusing on his desire to increase community access to care.

Kumbroch was diagnosed with cancer shortly after selling his business to retire to Hawaii. He began his cancer treatment with Kettering Health and then moved to Hawaii as planned to begin his retirement. Unsatisfied with the level of care he could receive in Hawaii, Kumbroch eventually moved back to Ohio to finish his treatment at the Kettering Health Cancer Center.  

In reflection on his gift to the Oncology Department, community access to advanced, compassionate care was of primary concern for Kumbroch. He said, “One really important aspect of a community is healthcare and access to good healthcare. And I’ve learned that more in the last five years than I’ve ever thought about it in my lifetime.” 

Kettering Health Foundation President Rick Thie explained, “Working with Kent Kumbroch to achieve his dream of ‘doing the greatest good for the greatest number of our neighbors’ has truly been an honor and inspiration. We are pleased to have assisted Kent in turning his generous desires into reality.”

The fifth floor of the Kettering Health Cancer Center and a new Kent Kumbroch Theranostic Treatment Suite are named in Kumbroch’s honor. 

Teams from Kettering Health Cancer Center’s Oncology and Imaging departments designated several initiatives and equipment needs to fund through Kumbroch’s gift, emphasizing areas of need resulting in the greatest benefit to the community: 

• A molecular sequencer for in-house genetic testing, cutting turn-around time by 50%. 
• Molecular imaging research for glioblastoma brain tumors. 
• Expansion of radiopharmaceutical synthesis capabilities. 
• Dispensing hot cell upgrades to improve patient and staff safety. 
• Software to reduce scheduling bottlenecks, allow providers to see more patients, improve and organize data, and improve patient satisfaction. 

“The role of the Kettering Health Foundation is to assist our grateful patients, families, and community donors in fulfilling their charitable desires. Gifts of any size are welcome and are vital to our sacred mission to support the combination of compassionate care with innovative technology,” Thie added.