Ralph Lauren (left) with Harold Freeman
American fashion designer Ralph Lauren's company in 2010 announced a $5 million donation to establish a cancer care centre in Harlem, New York, where many residents faced difficulties accessing medical treatment.
The centre opened in 2003 through a partnership involving Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and North General Hospital. It was set up to provide cancer screenings, diagnosis, treatment and support to people who had limited access to healthcare.According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the initiative came after Lauren met Dr Harold Freeman, a cancer surgeon who had spent years working with patients from poor and underserved communities.
Freeman had seen many women arrive at hospitals with advanced breast cancer, sometimes after struggling for months to obtain medical help. Their experiences showed him that the problem was not always a lack of willingness to seek treatment, but the difficulties patients faced in reaching it.Some women had been unable to get timely medical attention because of insurance problems, transport difficulties or childcare responsibilities.
Others did not know where to seek help. Freeman discussed these problems with Lauren during a meeting arranged through Memorial Sloan Kettering.Recalling their conversation years later, Freeman said Lauren stood up, shook his hand and told him, "I will help you." A few days later, Freeman received a call informing him that Lauren wanted to contribute $5 million towards establishing a cancer centre in Harlem.
Cancer centre opened in 2003
The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention opened in 2003, with Freeman serving as its first medical director.At the time, Lauren explained why he had decided to support the project. "I am inspired by Dr. Freeman's commitment to improving the healthcare and lives of the poor and underserved, not only in Harlem but across the nation," he said.
Lauren added that Freeman's work had made him more aware of the community's needs and that he hoped the centre could become a model for similar facilities elsewhere in the United States.The centre initially offered cancer education, screening, diagnostic services, treatment and referrals.
Its planned services covered breast, prostate, lung, cervical and colon cancers.An important part of the programme was patient navigation, an approach developed by Freeman to help people move through the healthcare system. Patient navigators assist individuals during their treatment and help them deal with practical problems, including transport, language barriers and difficulties arranging appointments.
Focused on more than treatment
The centre was designed to make cancer care more accessible and comfortable for residents who might otherwise struggle to receive treatment.According to MSK, the facility offered a welcoming environment, with signs in English and Spanish and staff members who could communicate in multiple languages. The aim was to help patients feel comfortable seeking medical assistance.Its services eventually included screenings for breast, prostate, cervical, skin and lung cancers, alongside community health fairs, educational programmes and nutrition counselling.The approach built on Freeman's earlier work at the Breast Examination Center of Harlem, which provided free breast and cervical cancer screening to women who were uninsured or had inadequate insurance.By the time Lauren's donation was announced, that programme had served more than 125,000 women over approximately two decades.The new centre sought to extend this work by combining screening and diagnosis with treatment and continued patient support.The Ralph Lauren Center faced a major change in 2010 when North General Hospital closed. Memorial Sloan Kettering subsequently became its sole institutional partner, while Lauren continued supporting the facility through the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation.In 2019, the centre officially became an ambulatory care centre of MSK, strengthening its connection with the cancer institution.Its partnership with MSK's Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service has helped extend cancer-related services beyond the centr.
A Mobile Health Unit provides screenings, education and counselling in New York City neighbourhoods where access to healthcare and transport is limited.
Further $25 million commitment
Nearly two decades after the centre opened, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation announced another major commitment.In 2022, the foundation pledged $25 million to support the existing Harlem centre and establish four additional centres across the United States.