Redesigning Care in Radiation Oncology – Without Missing a Beat

When the new home for cancer care, the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion, opens next year, GBMC will have taken enormous strides in improving the experience of oncology patients. But there will be a few more steps to take before we have created the environment that meets our ideal for patient care.

Design work is well underway for a thorough renovation of the Sheila K. Riggs Radiation Oncology Center.

“The hospital is investing the necessary funds to make this a beautiful facility, especially in how it functions,” Geoffrey A. Neuner, MD, Chair of Radiology Oncology, said. “We’re listening to staff and patients, making the critically necessary design changes to provide patients a seamless experience.”

Every aspect of the new design revolves around patient care. In the past, exam rooms have been geared toward clinical patient/doctor interactions in an exam room setting. The new rooms will be laid out to provide supportive care. Here, patients will receive education and counseling, reviewing images and presentations, as they learn and make decisions about their diagnosis and treatment plan. Every aspect of the new center is being designed to support patients as they are treated and go through the process of recovery and survivorship. The new layout of the department will provide privacy and comfort for patients and ease of access for the staff caring for them. Restrooms and changing rooms will be close to the planning suite and treatment rooms, for example.

The goal is to design a department that matches the expert care the team delivers each day. This transformation is needed, according to Dr. Neuner, “to keep pace with emerging technology. Over time, radiation treatment has become more precise and the indications for radiation have become more nuanced. We can attack cancers with less collateral damage than patients used to endure.”

The new linear accelerator, which will deliver radiation therapy, will be one of the most advanced on the market. The team, whose treatment planning skills have pushed older equipment to its limits, will soon have the technology to more easily deliver the exceptional treatment already in practice.

While they perfect a design that will match the level of patient-centered care they deliver, the Radiation Oncology team, along with GBMC’s facilities team, is also paying close attention to aesthetics. They plan to surround patients with beauty incorporated into the elegant system of care.

The opening of the Berman Garage has made getting to Radiation Oncology much easier for patients. However, it required literally turning the department around. The same team that has been working on designing the ideal care experience has also devised a plan so that throughout deconstruction and reconstruction, the Radiation Oncology center will remain open, and treatment will continue uninterrupted. Just as the reception team moved overnight from one end of the department to the other, changes will be made without disrupting treatment.

“We are not missing a beat,” Radiation Oncology Manager Shannon Reynolds said. “It will be challenging for staff, but we hope patients will be barely aware of what’s going on behind the scenes.”

When the work is complete, about two years from now, patients will surely feel the difference.