Mayo Clinic gifted $100M to expand proton beam therapy services

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Mayo Clinic’s proton beam facility in Rochester is being gifted $100,000,000 to expand its services.

According to the announcement, the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation of Bayport, Minnesota made a $100,000,000 multiyear commitment to support the expansion that will nearly double appointment access for patients in need.

In recognition of this gift, Mayo Clinic will name this new facility the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Building.

“This gift marks a significant milestone in Mayo Clinic’s decades-long relationship with Fred and Katherine Andersen and the foundation that executes on their vision for healthy, strong communities,” Mayo Clinic’s president and CEO Gianrico Farrugia, M.D. said. “The Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation’s generosity will bring proton beam therapy to more patients who need it and will help Mayo Clinic advance Category of One cancer care.”

“The Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation is honored to partner with Mayo Clinic on a new facility that will expand patient access to unique cancer treatments,” President of the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation Peter Clements said. “This gift amplifies the quiet, yet significant philanthropy the Andersens and the foundation have provided to Mayo Clinic over many years and exemplifies the Andersens’ ‘All Together’ spirit by matching the foundation’s resources with Mayo’s innovative medical care to improve the lives of individuals and communities.”

According to Mayo Clinic, its Proton Beam Therapy Program uses pencil beam scanning to deliver precise radiotherapy to cancerous tumors while minimizing radiation of surrounding healthy tissue. This highly targeted therapy is ideal for people with tumors close to, or in, vital organs and for young people whose organs are still developing.

Extensive research has proven the benefits of proton beam therapy for patients with certain types of cancer. Mayo Clinic researchers have been involved in more than 300 papers published on proton therapy, and research is ongoing.

Fred and Katherine Andersen were longtime Mayo Clinic benefactors through their personal philanthropy and charitable foundation. Fred was the president and chairman of Andersen Corp., America’s largest manufacturer of windows and patio doors, from 1914 until he retired in 1972. He served the company for more than 75 years. Katherine also devoted much of her time to the company, serving on the board of directors for 50 years. In 1959, the couple created the Andersen Foundation, now called the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation.

For more than 60 years, the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation has carried on the couple’s tradition of philanthropy, supporting medical facilities and research, affordable housing and care for the elderly, opportunities for young people, and a wide variety of local needs. 

Mayo Clinic recognizes the foundation as a Philanthropic Partner, the highest level of distinction among Mayo Clinic benefactors.

The Andersen Building will be in downtown Rochester on the east side of the Eisenberg Building. It will be connected to the Jacobson Building.

The expansion will include two floors below ground, a lobby level and a first level, and be constructed to allow for future expansion.

Building construction is scheduled to begin in 2023, with a goal to begin treating patients in 2026.

Existing proton beam therapy services will continue to be available during construction.

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