Jean Shafiroff Celebrates Announcement Of Southampton Hospital’s Phillips Family Cancer Center

At this moment, there is nowhere in the Hamptons for cancer patients to undergo treatment. But, thanks to Barbara Phillips and her family, that will change. To celebrate the announcement of Southampton Hospital’s Phillips Family Cancer Center, Jean and Martin Shafiroff hosted a cocktail party at their Park Avenue floorthrough.

Chuck Scarborough, Ann Rapp, Cornelia Sharpe Bregman, Janna Bullock, Alex Donner, Nancy Chemtob, Liliana Cavendish, Blaze Makoid, Cliff Knight and Steve Bernstein, President of the Southampton Hospital Foundation, were among the guests. Stony Brook Medicine Doctors Samuel Ryu, Yusuf Hannun, and Kenneth Kaushansky, and Dr. Fredric Weinbaum of Southampton Hospital spoke about their individual role in the creation and development of the Center.

The planned Center resonated with all. As Chaloner put it, “Often as you are treated with these chemicals and radiation, you’re getting sicker and sicker and sicker, more and more debilitated. The closest radiation centers are in Riverhead and further up the Island. To subject people to that kind pf travel, we think, is cruel and inhuman punishment. I’ve literally had people in the community writing letters and saying, ‘Why can’t we do this at Southampton Hospital?'”

Barbara Phillips spoke humbly of her family’s nine million dollar contribution to create the Center. “All of us worked very, very hard to get the money here,” she told the room. “My father-in-law left the money to my husband to invest. My husband took advantage of a fine mind and a good bull market. He made it grow and it gives us great pleasure. Southampton Hospital saved his mother’s life, so it’s really an honor to work with you to do this.”

“There’s an interesting historical twist,” Bob Chaloner told the room. “At one time, Southampton Hospital had a radiation center in the basement. Barbara’s family paid for that.”

Chuck Scarborough, who has emceed the Hospital Summer Party so, so long, even he can’t remember, came straight from his evening newscast to show support. “I just came out of being immersed in all the dreadful news we have, mass killings,” he said. “So this is like coming up for air for me: coming to a place in Park Avenue where people are gathering to do what is certainly needed and to watch Southampton Hospital continue to grow.”

For more information about Southampton Hospital, visit www.southamptonhospital.org.