Massachusetts General Hospital Receives Transformational Gift of $100 Million from Herb Chambers to Revolutionize Cancer Care for Patients and Families

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, has received a transformational gift of $100 million from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and proud Bostonian, Herb Chambers in support of a new state-of-the-art building designed to meet the growing demand for world-class cancer care. The new facility — which will offer integrated, patient-centered care, and streamline the healthcare journey for patients and their families from prevention and early detection to treatment and survivorship — will support new initiatives and innovations, redefine treatment, enhance patient care, and provide much-needed assistance for family members.

In recognition of this visionary gift, MGH will name the East Tower of the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building the Herb Chambers Tower in honor of the Dorchester native. In addition to housing cancer care services and spaces dedicated to the latest treatments, tools, and technologies, the nearly 1 million-square foot Herb Chambers Tower will offer an array of re-imagined indoor and outdoor areas. Patients will have access to a nearly 8,000-square-foot rooftop garden with expansive views of Beacon Hill and a new Center for Urgent Cancer Care that will provide 24/7 highly specialized care for cancer patients. The tower is slated to be complete in 2027.

“Herb’s bold vision and investment in our mission will allow us to offer a diverse array of services — initial consultations, labs, imaging, procedures, infusion, inpatient and ICU care — all under one roof, making it easier for patients who are undergoing treatment for cancer. This incredibly generous gift will enhance collaboration and transform the way our exceptional clinical teams deliver cutting edge research-infused care and train the next generation of leaders in cancer care,” said David F. M. Brown, MD, President, Academic Medical Centers, Mass General Brigham.

“This gift, for me, is intensely personal,” Chambers said. “Patients at Mass General receive the highest level of care, with all departments operating in perfect harmony. Over the years, members of my family, friends and I, have had the good fortune of being cared for by the legendary MGH team. My heart fills with gratitude when I reflect on the dedicated and compassionate professionals that have treated us. It gives me immense pride to be in a position to give back to a city that has given me so much. As we all know too well, most families will be impacted by cancer in some way. My motivation in extending this gift is that the Herb Chambers Tower will shine as a beacon of hope for everyone touched by this awful disease. There can never be enough effort or resources put into finding a cure.”

Care spaces in the Herb Chambers Tower were designed in partnership with patients, family members, and caregivers and will include 228 acute care inpatient beds and 32 intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

“Patients around the world turn to Mass General Brigham for expert, compassionate cancer care and these new, advanced facilities will allow us to meet their needs in a way they expect and deserve. From the moment patients arrive and throughout their treatment and recovery — the Herb Chambers Tower will create a welcoming environment that promotes healing, health, and hope,” said Marcela del Carmen, MD, President, Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, and Executive Vice President of Mass General Brigham. “We are profoundly inspired by Herb and this extraordinary gift.”

In September, Mass General Brigham released its vision for Mass General Brigham Cancer, a newly defined strategy that will extend the frontier for research-driven excellence in cancer care across all patients and all communities. This comprehensive and integrated approach to cancer care leverages leverage the power of the system's strengths in research, innovation, education, and community engagement to deliver integrated cancer care for all in the community, putting health equity at the center to support underserved communities.

“We are deeply grateful to Herb Chambers for his steadfast commitment, visionary leadership, and generous support of our mission,” said Anne Klibanski, MD, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham. “Through this truly transformative gift, we celebrate a shared, enduring legacy that will shape the future of healthcare at Mass General Brigham for generations to come.”

"This generous gift will make the greatest cancer care in the world even greater, giving patients and their families the reassurance that they are in the right place during the hardest times of their lives," said Governor Maura Healey. "I'm deeply grateful to Herb Chambers, his family and the entire Mass General Brigham community for all they do to make Massachusetts the best place in the world for health care."

Herb Chambers, a devoted Bostonian and U.S. Navy veteran, exemplifies the American dream through his remarkable journey from aviation electrician serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain during the Cuban Missile Crisis, to becoming one of New England's most successful entrepreneurs. Herb’s pursuit for excellence led him to establish his first business, A-Copy America, after leaving the service at age 22. Chambers grew that company and, when he sold it almost 20 years later, it was the largest business equipment dealer in the United States. Now, as Founder and President of The Herb Chambers Companies, he has built the largest veteran-owned business in Massachusetts, encompassing 60 automobile dealerships and employing over 2,400 people throughout New England. His company has often been recognized as a Best Place to Work by industry and media award programs. Chambers began the company in 1985 with the purchase of a single dealership in New London, Connecticut.

Before embarking on his long and successful career, Chambers attended Boston’s English High School although he withdrew before graduating to enroll in the US Navy at 17 years of age. While serving from 1959-63, as an enlisted man, he enrolled in the United States Armed Forces Institute, after realizing education was separating him from true success. It was there that he earned his high school and college equivalency credentials. Years later, when Chambers returned to English High School as the keynote speaker at graduation, the administration had a surprise in store and presented him with a diploma during the ceremony. Subsequently, he received an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of New Haven in 2016.

Chambers is a longtime benefactor of Mass General for Children’s annual Storybook Ball, which, since its inception in 2000, has raised nearly $40 million for pediatric care and research. Additionally, Chambers has been a steadfast supporter of Mass Eye and Ear, an internationally renowned center for treatment and research of vision and hearing problems. In 2018, the building’s lobby was named in his honor. Other beneficiaries of Chambers’ philanthropy include the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, the Boston Foundation, and Camp Harbor View to name just a few.