Grand Opening for New Cancer Center and Surgical Pavilion

Submitted by Heidi Ohrenberger, Woonteiler Ink

NEEDHAM, MA – A public grand-opening celebration for the new Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center and Surgical Pavilion will take place at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham on Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The celebration marks the opening of the 30,000 square-foot Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center and Surgical Pavilion that will bring the latest in advanced cancer diagnostics and therapies as well as state-of-the-art surgical suites together in one building. This comprehensive center will provide increased access to advanced cancer care and surgeries to area communities. It is scheduled to open for patients on Sept. 22.

“The cancer center and surgical pavilion is the latest collaboration between Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham and Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center to expand services in communities outside of Boston,” said Kevin Tabb, MD, BIDMC’s President and CEO. “We are delighted to be able to provide world-renowned cancer care and advanced surgical services in the community.”

The new Cancer Center will offer patients a full array of care, including: advanced imaging systems; 10 new infusion bays that look out over a private healing garden; a radiation oncology suite that will include a state-of-the-art linear accelerator to facilitate delivery of advanced conformal radiation therapy; and access to cutting-edge clinical trials and novel treatments.

“This facility was designed for patients by patients, families, nurses, physicians and other health care professionals who worked side by side with architects to create a warm and comforting facility that provides easy access for patients,” said Robb Friedman, MD, the center’s medical director. “We believe quality cancer care must be provided in a caring environment.”

Multidisciplinary clinics will also be in the new comprehensive center allowing patients to consult with experts in surgery, medicine and radiation oncology.
Surgical Pavilion
The 10,000-square foot surgical pavilion, located above the cancer center, houses two state-of-the-art operating rooms, significantly expanded pre-op and post anesthesia care units plus a spacious waiting area. The new facility will allow BID-Needham to nearly double its surgical procedure capacity and allow for more advanced operations for colorectal, orthopaedic, urology, ear, nose and throat and general surgery.

“This is a major milestone for BID-Needham,” commented President and CEO John Fogarty. “This allows us to accommodate the ever-increasing demand for more advanced surgical services closer to home. We have built an extraordinary team of nationally recognized surgeons from BIDMC and BID-Needham. We are truly bringing the best in both community-based and academic medicine to the areas we serve.”

The new surgical pavilion will also provide greater convenience for oncology patients who will be able to have cancer procedures performed in the same building where they are receiving other cancer treatments.

“Imagine being a patient and not having to travel far from home for more advanced surgery,” said Jennifer Pline, Chair, Board of Trustees, BID-Needham. “We are excited at BID-Needham to be able to provide the expertise of a major medical center right here in the community.”

BIDMC is recognized by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s top hospitals in cancer care. The BIDMC Cancer Center is one of the preeminent clinical and research cancer programs in the country, offering the best in early diagnosis, leading edge treatments and personalized care plans. Multidisciplinary teams offer 18 specialty programs, such as those focusing on breast cancer, prostate cancer and biologic therapy.

As a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, BIDMC patients benefit from access to a broad range of clinical trials. The Cancer Center is a member of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), and an active participant in many of the National Cancer Institute’s Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE). It was the first program in Massachusetts, to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

The medical center is also home to some of the nation’s top cancer researchers. In 2011, Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, received Pezcoller Foundation-AACR (American Association of Cancer Research) International Award for Cancer Research.

BIDMC was the first center in New England – and one of only a select number of hospitals in the country – to offer CyberKnife, a dynamic new radiation therapy system that is a noninvasive, radiosurgical alternative to open surgery for cancerous and other tumors. BIDMC’s Keith C. Field CyberKnife Center uses precise image-guidance and a multi-jointed robotic arm to deliver concentrated beams of radiation from multiple directions.

BIDMC also offers advanced imaging systems – including Boston’s first PET/CT scanner – for early cancer detection, less invasive breast imaging, advanced gastrointestinal diagnostic techniques, virtual colonoscopy and more.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and currently ranks third in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide.

BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, Signature Health Care, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance, and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew SeniorLife and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org.

Photo: submitted