Greenwich Hospital Marks Start Of New Smilow Cancer Hospital Project With Kickoff Ceremony

GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich Hospital, Yale New Haven Health System and Smilow Cancer Hospital held a ceremony April 1 to mark the start of construction on a new Smilow Cancer Hospital within Greenwich Hospital.

The "Transformation Kickoff Ceremony" brought together leaders from the health system, hospital officials, clinicians, staff and community partners to mark the beginning of the oncology campus transformation.

Speakers included Bob Blenderman, president of Greenwich Hospital; W. Robert Berkley Jr., chair of the Greenwich Hospital Board of Trustees; and Dr. William Oh, medical director of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital and director of Precision Medicine at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Carmen Elledias, a former Smilow breast and colon cancer patient from Bedford, NY, also spoke, sharing her experience and emphasizing the importance of access to care close to home.

Since the new facility is being built within the existing footprint of Greenwich Hospital, organizers held a symbolic wall-breaking ceremony instead of a traditional groundbreaking.

Construction partner Consigli Construction created a temporary wall for the event, allowing speakers and health system leaders to ceremonially mark the start of the interior work.

"Reaching this milestone is the result of remarkable efforts from our Greenwich Hospital staff and board members, donors and friends in our community, Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale New Haven Health," said Blenderman in a news release. "We are bringing a level of cancer care to the community that has never been seen before. The result of this project puts our patients at the center of forward-facing, multidisciplinary, world-class care throughout their entire cancer journey."

The project is expected to expand access to cancer specialists and bring research from Yale Cancer Center, Connecticut’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, to patients in Fairfield and Westchester counties.

"Expanding Smilow’s presence in Greenwich is essential to address the projected increase in cancer diagnoses in the region and provides a unique opportunity for individuals with cancer in the surrounding communities," said Dr. Eric Winer, president and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital for Yale New Haven Health System and director of Yale Cancer Center. "We bring the highest quality cancer care and will be expanding access to clinical trials and innovative treatment options. Our goal is to ensure that patients locally can receive the best possible care with greater convenience and continuity."

Renovations will modernize clinical spaces and bring together medical oncology, radiation oncology, infusion, surgical services, diagnostics and supportive care into a single, integrated cancer hospital within the existing campus.

"The Smilow team in Greenwich has built a remarkable culture defined by expertise, compassion and the drive to push cancer care forward," said Oh. "The innovations emerging from this campus, from precision medicine to advanced clinical programs, are elevating the standard of care for the entire region."

"As we celebrate this historic moment at Greenwich Hospital and the commitment to our patients, we are also honoring the collaboration and commitment of dedicated friends, many of whom have chosen to support the realization of the new Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital through their philanthropy. I invite others to join us in helping make these advances possible," Berkley said.

The project is scheduled for completion in early 2029.