BOSTON, Mass. — Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has announced the largest single gift in its history, a historic joint commitment from Jonathan and Jeannie Lavine and Josh and Anita Bekenstein that will accelerate plans for a new inpatient cancer hospital serving New England.
The transformational gift will support the development of the region’s only inpatient hospital dedicated exclusively to cancer care, which will be named in recognition of the Lavine and Bekenstein families. Longtime friends and business partners, Josh Bekenstein and Jonathan Lavine first worked together more than three decades ago at Bain Capital, where Bekenstein was a founding partner and former co-chair and Lavine later founded Bain Capital Credit and Bain Capital Special Situations.
Designed entirely around the needs of oncology patients and their families, the planned 300-bed hospital will expand access to highly specialized, fully integrated cancer care and support a seamless experience across diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
“We are deeply grateful for this exceptional, shared commitment from two families who have been profoundly devoted to Dana-Farber,” said Benjamin L. Ebert, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “By helping make the future cancer hospital possible, the Bekensteins and Lavines are investing in a fully integrated model of cancer care — one designed around patients and families, powered by scientific innovation, and delivered by teams whose sole focus is cancer.”
The Bekenstein family’s relationship with Dana-Farber began in 1993 through the Pan-Mass Challenge, when Josh and Anita Bekenstein first participated in the annual fundraising ride. Josh Bekenstein has now ridden 33 times, and together with their five children, the family has participated 100 times. Bekenstein has served on the Dana-Farber Board of Trustees since 1997 and is currently its chair.
“Dana-Farber has been part of our lives for decades, and we have seen firsthand what’s possible when world-class research and patient care come together,” Josh and Anita Bekenstein said in a joint statement. “We are proud to support the future cancer hospital and the remarkable teams who care for patients every day while pushing the frontiers of science. We believe this hospital will bring new hope to patients and families for generations.”
The Lavine family’s involvement with Dana-Farber began in 1996 with an unrestricted gift of $100, marking the start of a long philanthropic partnership. Jonathan Lavine has served as a trustee since 2011, and he and Jeannie Lavine both served on the campaign cabinet for The Dana-Farber Campaign.
“Cancer affects everyone — patients and the people who love and care for them,” Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine what inpatient cancer care can be. Our support reflects our belief in the people of Dana-Farber and in a model of care that truly puts patients first.”
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and First Lady Joanna Lydgate said the gift reinforces the state’s leadership in health care innovation and medical research, while Boston Mayor Michelle Wu called it a landmark investment in the city’s future and a symbol of hope for cancer patients worldwide.
The planned hospital will be located on the current site of the Joslin Diabetes Center along Brookline Avenue and will be one of only 14 inpatient cancer hospitals in the United States. The facility will be supported through a clinical collaboration among Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, creating an interconnected campus designed to foster multidisciplinary care. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2026.
