By Vanessa Orr
This January, Memorial Healthcare System (MHS) will open the new, $125 million Memorial Cancer Institute (MCI) adjacent to the campus of Memorial Hospital West. The 122,000 sq. ft. building will bring MHS’ world-class cancer treatments, research, and family-centered care under one roof, making it more convenient for patients to find the services they need without leaving South Florida.
Within the four-story institute, patients will have access to radiation oncology, a dedicated breast center, hematology and medical oncology clinic, the Moffitt Malignant Hematology and Cellular Therapy Clinic, and an infusion center. It will also feature the Center for Body, Mind, and Spirit, a conference room, private infusion suites, rooftop garden, and meditation sanctuary.
According to Meredith B. Feinberg, vice president of cancer services at Memorial Cancer Institute, Memorial is in the final throes of completing construction and outfitting the site. A ribbon-cutting is planned for the second week of November, and the facility will be open for patient care mid-January.
“The building project is running on schedule, and all the final items are being completed; there are many details we’re working on, and these details make a difference to our patients,” said Feinberg. “This center will not only be the biggest cancer center in Broward County, but will also provide us the opportunity to create a healing environment that respects the needs of patients and their families. Every detail has been thought through in terms of what the patient experience will be.”
According to MCI’s Medical Director Luis Raez, MD, FACP, FCCP, the new building comes just in time. “I’ve been the medical director here for 12 years, and in that time, we’ve gone from being a small Broward County cancer center to becoming one of only seven Cancer Centers of Excellence in Florida, as designated by the Florida Legislature and the Department of Health,” he said.
Last year, MCI also became one of the first nine oncology centers in the nation, and the first in Florida, to achieve certification through the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Patient-Centered Cancer Care Certification pilot, based on its commitment to quality and adherence to oncology medical home (OMH) standards.
The Institute will be staffed by multidisciplinary teams for virtually every type of cancer, so that patients can be treated by a number of experts in each field. “Cancer is very complex, and it is impossible to consider that one doctor can take care of everything,” said Dr. Raez. “We are fortunate that MHS is willing to invest human and capital resources to do whatever is needed for the patient.”
MCI also maintains a strong collaborative partnership with Florida Atlantic University, with physicians and clinical staff working with university scientists to advance cancer medicine, develop new treatments, and pursue grants and funding to find more cures.
The Moffitt Connection
Roughly seven years ago, MHS began a unique partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center, based in Tampa, to provide a hematological malignancies and cellular therapies program in South Florida. Moffitt physicians working at Memorial Healthcare System provide an integrated, specialized program that performs more than 100 cellular therapies per year. They also have a robust CAR (chimeric antigen receptor)-T cell therapy program, which is among the newest technologies in cellular therapies, and have performed 35 such procedures to date.
“As part of MCI, we have more space and that provides patients with the opportunity to access care sooner,” said Hugo Fernandez, M.D., department chair, Malignant Hematology and Cellular Therapy at MHS. “By doubling clinical rooms and having infusion centers located on-site, we are able to get more patients into the system and treat them more quickly. We are also able to expand our research and get people into clinical trials more easily.”
The clinic has also added a new hematologic malignancy survivorship program for patients who face issues after cancer treatment to better surveil and treat any problems that occur as a result.
“Moffitt is one of the largest centers for cell therapy in the U.S. and is also one of the largest centers offering CAR-T therapy, which is among the most advanced treatments and very effective in patients resistant to standard chemotherapy,” said Dr. Fernandez. MCI recently opened up CAR-T therapy for lymphoma and leukemia and in the next few months will expand this therapy to treat multiple myeloma.
“Having space to offer these services is crucial, because when patients don’t have access, therapy and care are delayed,” said Dr. Fernandez, noting that MCI treats patients from outside South Florida as well. “People are willing to travel further for specialized care, and we are able to touch more lives, which is the most important thing.”
Putting the Patient First
Since COVID, it has become even more difficult to see a doctor, with some patients waiting more than three weeks to get an appointment. At MCI, cancer patients take priority.
“If a cancer patient needs to be seen today, they are seen today—they don’t have to wait two to three weeks,” said Feinberg.
MCI has increased staffing and also increased the number of nurse navigators and triage nurse practitioners. New concierge-type roles have also been created to help patients have a smooth and seamless experience.
“We want our patients to know we’ve been expecting them, and we’ve got this, so they only need to focus on their treatment journey and getting better,” said Feinberg. “Appointments and treatments can change all the time for patients, so we’ve got concierge staff on-site to make sure visits go smoothly; they also help to reduce patient wait time.
“We are really excited to now have everything under one roof and when patients walk in our doors, they know that we are focused on their needs,” she added. “We can take care of everything.”
