After years of anticipation, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Cancer Center is under way. The new center will be located at One Healing Place, a new road to be built off of Surgeon’s Drive off the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital location.
“I’m glad to see that the new cancer center is about to become a reality,” said Angie Marky, a palliative care nurse practitioner at TMH. “Employees, physicians and patients have eagerly awaited a new building to provide local therapy.”
The cancer center will provide a single treatment location for services that are currently being housed in separate facilities.
“This provides not only convenience for our patients, but also enhances interdisciplinary care for our patients,” Christy Harrison, R.N., administrator of the TMHCC, said. The
54,412 square-foot building is scheduled to open at the beginning of next year. It will have state-of-the-art technology, new furnishings and a healing garden, according to Harrison.
The cancer center’s healing garden will provide a place of rest, relief and comfort for the patients and their families. It will combine plants known for possessing healing qualities with pathways and outdoor seating.
“The new cancer center will include advanced clinical technology that will give patients an extra edge in their fight against cancer,” Marky said.
Some of the technology includes the Novalis Stereotactic Linear, a piece of equipment that rotates around the patient to deliver treatment beams from various directions and a CT Simulator, one of the newest machines in the field of radiation for treatment of cancer, will shoot directly to the tumor site.
The cancer center received numerous donations for construction from the TMH Foundation, Leon High School and other private companies.
“This project has been a financial priority for TMH, so monies have been allotted,” Debbie Herrell, program development coordinator at TMH, said.
Harrison said the new cancer center is being designed for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification that deals with the stability of buildings.
“LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five main areas of human and environmental health, sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality,” Harrison said.
With all the new services provided at the center, local and surrounding patients will not have to worry about traveling far to receive service.
“We encourage patients to seek out second opinions at Moffitt or wherever they feel compelled to go, en return to Tallahassee for treatment,” said Harrison.
“However we recognize the difficulties in going through treatment for weeks and months away from home. TMH cancer center provides comprehensive cancer care close to home.”
The cancer center will have its open house on Jan. 8.