Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands physician Dr. Anna Hoppmann named a Hyundai Hope on Wheels Young Investigator for pediatric oncology

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Hyundai Hope on Wheels Program celebrating 25 years

Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands pediatric oncologist Anna Hoppmann, MD, MPH has been named a 2023 Hyundai Hope on Wheels (HHOW) Young Investigator for pediatric oncology.

The HHOW award provides funding for early career principal investigators whose research projects are likely to have a significant impact on improving the understanding of childhood cancer. The award is a $250,000 two-year grant.

Hoppmann, a clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, is a University of South Carolina Medical School-Columbia graduate. She completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB). At UAB, she began research investigating the challenges her oncology patients faced during treatment. This grant will help her continue her research in this area and expand her research questions to a national scale.

She was recruited back to the Midlands by Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands Senior Medical Director and department chair Caughman Taylor, MD. He said, “Our Children’s Hospital team provides excellent care, and we are always focused on how we can improve. Dr. Hoppmann and other physicians who are researching ways to improve care are essential to improving each of our patient’s outcomes. We are so very proud of her being named a HHOW Young Investigator because of her commitment to improving care and the potential her research could have for pediatric oncology patients in our community and nationally.”

The HHOW Young Investigator award is Hoppmann’s second prestigious multi-award grant for her work on health disparities, and the first HHOW grant for Prisma Health. She shares, “Our field continues to advance in pediatric oncology, and the hope with my research is to make sure all children benefit from our advances. Using a national childhood cancer dataset, I will determine how social factors in the communities and neighborhoods children live in impact their ability to get through cancer treatment and beyond.” She plans to use the findings from her ongoing research to pilot interventions for children with cancer across South Carolina to mitigate disparities driven by social determinants of health.

Hyundai Hope On Wheels®, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supported by Hyundai Motor America and its more than 820 U.S. dealers, celebrates its 25th anniversary in its long-standing fight against childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, the organization is one of the longest-running corporate social responsibility efforts in the automotive industry. In honor of this milestone, Hyundai Hope On Wheels announced plans to award $25 million in research grants this year, its largest donation in a single year, bringing its total giving to $225 million since its inception.

“Hyundai Hope On Wheels is honored to have reached this milestone, which humbly started as a local initiative in New England 25 years ago,” said Kevin Reilly, vice chairman of the Hyundai Hope On Wheels Board of Directors, and president of Alexandria Hyundai. “While we are proud of this growth and the significant advancements in pediatric cancer research, we remain as unwaveringly dedicated to our goals of funding research and creating awareness as when we started. The resilience of pediatric cancer fighters, survivors, and their families inspires us to continue this journey and strengthen our commitment to bring hope and put an end to childhood cancer.”

This year, Hyundai Hope On Wheels is set to surpass 1,300 research and programmatic grants to over 175 hospital and research institutions over its 25-year history. Hyundai Hope On Wheels awards grants in three categories to researchers at eligible Children’s Oncology Group (COG) member institutions, which are focused on improving outcomes, treatments, and support for children diagnosed with cancer.

About Prisma Health
Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company and the largest healthcare organization in South Carolina. The company has 29,500 team members, 18 acute and specialty hospitals, 2,947 beds, 300 outpatient sites, and more than 5,100 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Along with this innovative network, Prisma Health serves almost 1.5 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health’s goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. Learn more at PrismaHealth.org.

Hyundai Hope On Wheels
Hyundai Hope On Wheels® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Launched in 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing critical research aimed at improving treatments and saving lives. Hyundai Hope On Wheels is one of the largest nonprofit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country. Primary funding for Hyundai Hope On Wheels comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 820 U.S. dealers. In 2023, Hyundai Hope On Wheels will surpass a lifetime total donation of $225 million in support of more than 1,300 childhood cancer research grants.