One Year Later: Generosity Created a New Home for Cancer Care at GBMC

It has only been a year, but already the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion has improved the lives of cancer patients at GBMC. “It’s bright and beautiful and I love having my own room,” beams infusion patient Mary Degraffinried. “Everyone is so friendly.” 

Nearby, Infusion Nurse Christine Tapley, RN, is clear about her favorite element of the new building: “The view.” 

For many years, GBMC HealthCare Board Member Sandra Berman advocated for a single destination for cancer diagnosis and treatment at GBMC. When the ideal location on the hospital campus opened up, with space to build a garage as well as an oncology center, Mrs. Berman and her late husband, Malcolm, made a transformative gift to GBMC and a campaign to raise the balance of the needed funds was launched. 

Today, “I couldn’t be any happier,” Mrs. Berman says. “People call me and rave about how beautiful it is. They find it very calming and relaxing. 

“I went in for my mammogram,” she adds, “and it is just so welcoming.” Leaders of the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute visited some of the country’s most highly rated cancer centers, in person and virtually, taking note of what served patients well and where they would make improvements. When it was time to meet with architects, they were ready, but they took care to include clinicians, patients, and caregivers in the process. Throughout the process, they held to the ideal of patient-centered care supported by leading-edge technology. 

“It has delivered even more than we imagined,” says Herman & Walter Samuelson Medical Director Paul Celano, MD, FACP, FASCO. Dr. Celano counts some of the features that made him most proud of the Berman Pavilion, including: the spectacular view enjoyed by infusion patients; the in-house lab and pharmacy – convenient for patients and clinicians; and the expanded space for Integrative Wellness and Oncology Support Services, which can now host classes to help patients with nonmedical needs.

“Everything is centralized,” Melanie Hable points out. Even from behind the scenes, where she serves as a Coding and Data Quality Patient Accounts Specialist, Ms. Hable often finds herself guiding patients to their appointments. It’s far easier to do so in the Berman Pavilion than in their former location. Her colleague Diana Yates adds, “The building is so nice and bright. It makes you feel better.” 

Volunteer Carol Gamble spends her time at GMBC helping patients and visitors find their way. Her post at the welcome desk in the sunlit Allan Parsons Atrium gives her a strong sense of how newcomers feel about the place. “I like the overall calm esthetic,” she says. “So many people comment on that.” 

GBMC’s Interim Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Stein, MHSA, FACMPE, was the Executive Director of the Berman Cancer Institute when he and Dr. Celano began dreaming and planning for the building patients now enjoy. Like Dr. Celano, he is proud of the result, “this is a beautiful new building.” 

And the Marion G. Thompson Boutique – which supports cancer patients in myriad ways -- “is the cherry on top,” he says. “It’s more approachable than we’ve had in the past.” And the team consults with the Oncology Patient Family Advisory Council for ideas of products they’d like to see. 

Walter Benton became Executive Director of the Berman Cancer Institute as the new building was under construction. He finds that “each and every day, I hear from a patient who is happy because everything here is easier for them.” 

It is just as Sandra Berman had hoped.