August 29, 2009
Albuquerque Journal
State-Of-The-Art UNM Cancer Center Has Spa-Like Feel
By Rivkela Brodsky Of the JournalA black grizzly bear standing on its hind legs with arms outstretched will greet patients going in for radiation therapy at the new UNM Cancer Treatment and Clinical Research Facility when it opens for treatment Monday.
The sculpture, called "The Gift," was made by artist Gene Tobey, a former UNM Cancer Center patient who died of leukemia in 2006. It was donated to the center by his wife, Rebecca, who is also an artist, as a monument to her husband and others afflicted with cancer.
The bear's welcoming stance was designed to symbolize brotherhood and protection for patients and families under the care of a center applauded for its holistic and multidisciplinary approaches to healing.
The 206,432-square-foot facility, which has been designated as one of 64 National Cancer Institutes in the country, will provide much-needed space, state-of-the-art technology and spa-like amenities. An estimated 380 patients are scheduled for treatment Monday at the $90 million facility, which has been under construction for two years at Camino de Salud and University NE. (The cost includes equipment and the administration building.)
What will greet visitors?
• Valet parking and, eventually, restaurant-like pager check-in. Patients will carry the pager with them throughout the day of treatment so they are not confined to the lobby or an exam room while waiting for a doctor. The pager will light up when they need to get to their appointment.
• A lobby that resembles a bookstore reading area, filled with green and maroon sofas and armchairs, and a colorful glass shaft that rises up from the first floor through the other three levels of the facility.
• A healing garden, featuring a fountain and small waterfall, with benches squared around freshly planted trees with purple buds.
• A patient navigation system, which connects patients with staff hired specifically to help guide them, whether that means helping find a room or getting health care bills paid.
• A circular meditation room with cushioned benches and a ceremonial fireplace for Native American spiritual practices.
• The latest machines in radiation oncology.
• Oversize green recliners on wheels for chemotherapy infusion so treatment can be given outside.
• Extra large exam rooms that leave space for family are built around pods where doctors from all disciplines can interact and communicate about cases. There is also a family lounge on the fourth floor.
• A lab contracted to TriCore, making lab tests more timely and allowing patients to remain on-site for blood work.
• A completely paperless process when it comes to files, scheduling, X-rays and more.
Patients were the main consideration when it came to designing the center, said Dr. Cheryl Willman, director and CEO of the facility. She spent the past five years making the project a reality.
Though the center is not complete, "we're starting to treat people now," Willman told the Journal during a tour Wednesday. "We had to. We just had too many people."
The administration building — attached to the treatment center by a walkway on each floor — is scheduled for completion in February. A dedication is set for June.
The current cancer center, located on UNM's north campus, is more than 30 years old. Designed to treat 80 people per day, its patient load has been closer to 400.
The Legislature allocated $43.3 million over three years to get Phase I of the project completed. A $17 million general obligation bond that was approved in 2008 made that possible. Another $6 million is being sought for completion of the second floor.
Completion of the fourth floor, part of which will provide space for massage and acupuncture treatments, is expected next year, depending on funding.
The center, which was designed to care for patients emotionally and spiritually, as well as physically, has color-coded floors based on New Mexico healing plants. Floor colors and the design of the meditation room resulted from conversations with the All Indian Pueblo Council and Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board.
The companies behind the design and construction of the facility are Rohde May Keller McNamara Architecture, Flintco Constructive Solutions, Yearout Mechanical Inc. and US Electrical Corp.
Willman is quick to include others who have helped make the project happen, including state and UNM leaders, physicians and staff of the center, as well as patients and donors.
She said the project has given her a sense of giving back to the community: "I think all of us hope that through some major project or challenge that we are given in our lives, we can be of service and leave a legacy and an important accomplishment. For me, that has been building the programs and facilities of the UNM Cancer Center. I am pretty blessed to have been given this opportunity."