ST. LOUIS — A one-of-a-kind facility consolidates nearly every aspect of outpatient cancer care in one location.
Siteman Cancer Center's new outpatient building has been under construction for three years. The nine-story facility will welcome its first patients on Sept. 30, the first of its kind for cancer care in the region.
The 657,250-square-foot building is part of $1.1 billion in construction projects on the Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the Washington University School of Medicine campus.
"There's nothing like this within this area. They can come and combine visits with physicians in one trip here," said Paul Sedovic, the senior project manager for Washington University School of Medicine.
Sedovic said the most crucial aspect is the building design, allowing doctors to visit patients instead of vice versa.
"You're getting different types of providers, surgical providers, medical and radiation oncology, all together in one space, visiting with patients, meeting with patients, and caring for them cooperatively in a multidisciplinary way," Sedovic said.
The building was designed from the patient's perspective, from the open floor plan to private chemotherapy suites. It gives patients a sense of calm and ease as they go through their cancer journeys.
The exam rooms are about 20% larger than usual. The waiting room has views of the Gateway Arch, and the infusion rooms have rooftop garden views for a relaxing experience.
"I am in that 1% group that happened to get this cancer, and the mortality rate is between 15 to 25%," said Candice Jennings, a cancer survivor. "But my doctor, she said, 'Are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty person?' And I said, 'I am a glass-half-full person, and we are going to fight this thing,' and that's what we've been doing."
The facility will help patients like Jennings, who's in the maintenance phase of treatment after being diagnosed with stage four endometrial cancer almost a year ago.
"This will be a great place to be even more comfortable receiving my infusion treatments. When you're dealing with cancer, you have the weight on your shoulders, and anything that you can do to reduce your stress to make you more comfortable. Knowing that everything is at your fingertips here in this building will make that patient recover even quicker," Jennings said.
The outpatient cancer care center had a $280 million budget. The new facility will bring 50 new jobs.
Officials anticipate 200,000 patients will visit the new building each year.