Couple donate $1 million to provide holistic care at Auburn's MultiCare Regional Cancer Center

A $1 million donation from Norman and Barbara Simon will improve access to holistic care as part of cancer treatment at MultiCare Regional Cancer Center in Auburn and at four other locations throughout the South Sound.

The Norman and Barbara Simon Endowment for Holistic Care will provide healing resources at the MultiCare Regional Cancer Center sites in Auburn, Tacoma, Puyallup, Covington and Gig Harbor.

The donation has personal meaning for the Simons: Norman survived cancer and his brother, Philip, died of lymphoma. The Simons realize that cancer affects not only the patient, but the entire family.

"We believe that holistic medicine treats the mind, the body and the spirit," Barbara Simon said. "When you hear a diagnosis of cancer, the first thing you experience is fear. A holistic approach offers so much comfort and healing. We're excited that MultiCare physicians are open to integrating this as part of their care for patients and their families."

With the endowment, Norman and Barbara emphasized the importance of offering holistic resources as a complement to clinical treatment options and advanced technology, providing a full range of services that are coordinated under one umbrella of care.

"This endowment will provide improved access for people who would like to have complementary holistic services such as acupuncture, massage, or naturopathic consultations as part of their cancer care," said David Nicewonger, oncology administrator for MultiCare Health System. "By bringing together these services, all the practitioners will have an opportunity to coordinate in a way that serves the best overall interests of the patient."

Norman and Barbara Simon, longtime Tacoma residents who now live in Gig Harbor, said they wanted to give back to their community. Norman is a Stadium High School graduate who helped run the third-generation family metal-scrapping business Joseph Simon and Sons on the Tacoma Tideflats. Previously, a $500,000 donation from Norman and Barbara Simon and Philip and Snookey Simon helped fund The Simon Chapel, which opened in March 2010 on MultiCare's Tacoma campus.

"Norman and I believe that when you want to make a difference, you do it in your own backyard," Barbara Simon said. "Our donations are a way of giving back for the blessings we've had. This community has been so good to us, and we're thrilled to be able to help all of the people who are in search of healing at the MultiCare Regional Cancer Center."

With the comprehensive care provided at the MultiCare Regional Cancer Center, people can take advantage of the region's best treatment options that offer reduced treatment times, fewer side effects and improved outcomes. The MultiCare Regional Cancer Center offers leading-edge cancer treatment technologies, such as Tacoma's only CyberKnife Radiosurgery System, the first and only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body.

The MultiCare Regional Cancer Center also is a network affiliate of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, offering patients access to the latest clinical trials without having to drive to Seattle for care.

To learn more about the MultiCare Regional Cancer Center, call 253-403-1167 or visit www.multicare.org/cancer.

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