Special Feature

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
“Conferences, Meetings, & Special Events here at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center”


M. D. Anderson employs more than 17,000 people with an addition of a volunteer work force of about 1,400 that contributes to more than 227,000 hours of service annually, equal to 109 full-time employees. Together they work toward fulfilling the M. D. Anderson mission of eliminating cancer as a major health threat. With faculty and staff working in more than 25 buildings in Houston and central Texas, M. D. Anderson is one of the largest cancer centers in the world. The physical plant includes an inpatient pavilion with 507 beds, five research buildings, three outpatient clinic buildings, two faculty office buildings, a proton radiation clinic building and a patient-family hotel.
The mission of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.
In addition to the workforce, thousands of people participate in continuing education and distance-learning opportunities here at the institution. M. D. Anderson also provides education programs for healthy individuals, those at risk of cancer, patients, survivors and caregivers. Within the past 3 years, there are an estimated number of 1500 -1700 meetings per month here at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. This would include conferences, meetings, seminars, workshops, special events, and training classes. The Conference Support Services (CSS) department manages more than 90 meeting rooms throughout M. D. Anderson including room scheduling, audio visual equipments, meeting space set up, and event coordination. Conference Support Services also oversees 3 stadium seating auditoriums that can accommodate more than 220 attendees, 3 ballrooms, 2 of which can accommodate 300 + attendees and also be partitioned into 8 smaller rooms. Additionally, Conference Support Services has over 1.3 million dollars of state-of-the art audiovisual equipment for events within the institution.
Any event that utilizes the meeting spaces here at the institutional must be sponsored and initiated by M. D. Anderson. A meeting area must follow the American Medical Association Guidelines and Standards and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Guidelines and Standards. The meeting should be exclusively reserved for the educational activity. This space can include meeting coordination needs such as registration, evaluation, certificate awarding, and required record keeping duties. No commercial displays, signs, logos, banners, or other forms of commercial presence should be in the meeting space itself. M. D. Anderson-sponsored conferences are booked via the Director of Conference Support Services only to ensure that institutional policies are followed. 
With all that have been mentioned, it’s no wonder that in 2009, U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” survey ranked M. D. Anderson as the top hospital in the nation for cancer care. M. D. Anderson has achieved the top ranking six times in the past eight years and has ranked as one of the top two hospitals for cancer care for 20 years, since the magazine began its annual survey in 1990.


Note: The publication of this article is for informational purposes only. This is not an advertisement and/or is not in any way, shape or form a marketing contrivance.

Written by:

John Phi Huynh
Event Coordinator 
University of Texas - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center