Steve Fox, President and CEO of Fox Auto Group, was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue and throat cancer more than 20 years ago. He spent countless hours traveling back and forth to the other side of the state to get the treatment he needed. “I made a vow that if God permitted me to survive, I would spend the rest of my life helping others who followed me with cancer,” he recalled. And that is exactly what he did.

On Aug. 8, 2023, Steve, his wife, Nancy, and their daughters Paige and Ashley announced a historic $25 million investment that will support a future comprehensive cancer center to be constructed on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso campus.

The generous gift, along with the $65 million appropriation that the Texas Legislature approved in the 2024-25 state budget will help in planning and building the center, which will be known as the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center. The 90,000-square-foot facility is projected to begin next summer, possibly opening in the next two to three years.

“When you have the diagnosis of cancer, what you want is the best possible outcome, which is to be cured,” Steve said. “You know in your mind, in your heart, that often times the best treatment option is not in El Paso. You end up having to travel, which is very difficult. Sometimes your work doesn’t allow you to go. You have a wife at home with small children. It compounds the stress of fighting cancer. What you want to know is that you’re receiving world-class care. We’re working on that with the new cancer center in El Paso, and I’m optimistic that we’ll deliver, for the vast majority of cancer patients, world-class care. I truly believe that.”

Steve has relentlessly advocated for comprehensive cancer care in his community. He’s served on the board of the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation and MD Anderson’s Board of Visitors and Advance Team.

According to a press release, the new cancer center will consolidate outpatient services such as cancer imaging, treatment, research and clinical trials, and outreach programs under one umbrella.

By establishing a comprehensive cancer treatment center, patient outcomes will be better as this level of specialized care is currently unavailable in the area. Additionally, it will allow more people in the El Paso region to receive many types of cancer treatments at home rather than traveling far and difficult distances. Traveling out of town for cancer treatments is physically and mentally taxing, making the battle against cancer more challenging.

According to the National Cancer Institute, Hispanics have higher rates of cancer with an annual average of 395 cancer cases per 100,000 — the state of Texas averages 346 cases per 100,000. With El Paso having an 83% Hispanic population, addressing healthcare disparities in this area is critical, particularly when it comes to research.

To learn more about Steve Fox, his family and the generous donation, please visit the following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEsCcmVZg0w