Construction Under Way for M. D. Anderson Banner Cancer Center
December 1, 2009 · Published By Editor
Official Ground Breaking to Take Place Tuesday, Dec. 1
GILBERT, AZ – Leaders from Banner Health and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center will officially break ground on the M. D. Anderson Banner Cancer Center today. An event to mark this occasion will take place at 11 a.m. on the campus of Banner Gateway Medical Center, 1900 N. Higley Road at U. S. 60 and Higley, Gilbert, Arizona, the future home of the cancer center.
The M. D. Anderson Banner Cancer Center is targeted to open in the Fall of 2011 and will deliver an unprecedented level of cancer care to patients in Arizona through the collaboration of Banner Health, Arizona’s leading nonprofit health care system, and M. D. Anderson, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution.
“Banner Health is proud to join forces with M. D. Anderson to fight the battle against cancer,” said Peter S. Fine, Banner Health president and CEO. “This groundbreaking marks a major milestone in the vision of our two organizations to provide access to a new level of cancer care in Arizona.”
For nearly 70 years, M. D. Anderson has devoted itself to eradicating cancer through patient care, research, education and prevention at its main campus in Houston, Texas. The renowned center treats more cancer patients, offers access to more therapeutic clinical research exploring novel treatments, and has more National Cancer Institute-funded studies than any other cancer-fighting organization in the U.S.
“Breaking ground on this facility is exciting and real evidence of the commitment that our combined teams have made to those afflicted with cancer in Arizona,” said John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of M. D. Anderson. “It’s exciting to see our big plans show tangible progress as we prepare for the real work ahead – reducing the burden of this disease.”
Announced in May, the M. D. Anderson Banner Cancer Center will include a 120,000 square foot, three-story building dedicated to outpatient services including physician clinics, medical imaging, radiation oncology, infusion therapy and many support services. It is this building that begins construction Dec. 1. The center will treat inpatients on two floors inside Banner Gateway Medical Center.
The architectural firm for the project is Cannon Design and the general contractor is DPR Construction, Inc. The center represents a $107 million project funded by nonprofit Banner Health through bonds. In addition, the Banner Health Foundation will engage the community in a fund-raising campaign to support this project.
The M. D. Anderson Banner Cancer Center will support the multi-disciplinary care approach pioneered at M. D. Anderson, which includes individual areas for specific cancers. The outpatient center’s design merges the “high tech” world of medicine with the “high touch” needs of cancer patients and their families to create the optimal environment for unparalleled cancer care. It will feature many of the healing environment concepts upon which Banner Gateway Medical Center was built in 2007, along with the most advanced technology and electronic recordkeeping systems.
Published on behalf of Banner Health
Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 22 acute-care hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics, home care and hospice services, and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. To learn more about Banner Health, go to http://www.bannerhealth.com.
About M. D. Anderson
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. M. D. Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For six of the past eight years, including 2009, M. D. Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in “America’s Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
Local Tags: Arizona, Banner Gateway Medical Center, Banner Health, Gilbert, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas
Filed Under Gilbert Arizona, Health, Hospitals · By Editor
Comments
We encourage visitor participation by posting comments to articles on this site. By submitting comments, you agree to adhere to EVLiving's Terms of Service.
You must be logged in to post a comment.