Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) Chairman and Founder Richard J Stephenson will be recognized by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. on March 30.

For the last 70 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon admirable leaders who have succeeded despite facing adversity, and who are committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their local communities.

Mr. Stephenson’s entrepreneurial spirit began at a young age and inspired him in many of his business endeavors, including the one he embarked on in 1988 following his mother’s battle with cancer, when he opened his first Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) hospital. He was committed to delivering cancer patients and their families what he aptly coined the Mother Standard® of care; the kind of care you would want for your loved one. Today, CTCA is a nationally recognized network of five regional medical centers, including CTCA at Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Newnan, Ga. Each hospital provides a personalized, clinically outstanding, patient-centered Mother Standard® of care throughout the United States.

Additionally, in 1991, Mr. Stephenson created the Gateway for Cancer Research, setting out on a personal quest to transform cancer research and care by empowering patients with integrative therapies and innovative treatment options. Twenty five years, 3,000 patients, 140 breakthrough clinical trials around the world and more than $70 million raised later, his personal quest has become transformative and a beacon of hope for those diagnosed with cancer.