An Article in the Business Outlook Monday 4/13/09 Page 2

An article in the Business Outlook – Monday 4/13/09 page 2.

Comfort & Care

$90 million, state-of-the-art UNMCancerCenter progressing toward August opening

It’s not a hotel, but it willfeaturevalet parking and massage.

It’s not a spiritualcenter,butit will host a meditationroom and a healinggarden.

It’snot arestaurant,but it will featurehealthy food, outdoor eating and pagercheck-in.

Over the past two years, the $90 millionstate-of-the-art University of New Mexico CancerCenter has beentaking shape from a dirt lot at Caminode Saludand University Boulevard NE. It’s not complete yet but its progress is clear. When it opens in late August the center will house radiation therapy, chemotherapy infusion and surgery as well as massage, acupuncture,meditationrooms and more.

It’s also a blend of cultures andhealing traditions, and will be the largest and only NationalCancerInstituteDesignatedCancerCenterin thestate.

TAKING SHAPE

Dr. Cheryl William, directorand CEO of the center, gave the Journal a tour ofthe 206,432-square-foot facility ona dusty day lastmonth.

The $9 millionproject including equipment and the administration building - connected to the treatment center by a walkway oneach floor – is anticipated to be open February2010. TheLegislature allocated $43.3 million over three years to get Phase 1 of the project complete. A $17 million general obligation bond that was approved in 2008 made completion of the project possible. Willman, who has been working on the new center for five years, said she was excited to see it becoming a reality as she led us on a tour of each floor, even having visitors climb through construction materials to see the fourth-floor chemotherapy infusion area and a spectacular view of the SandiaMountains and the city below.

The tour, began out front, where valet parking will be offered for patients and a healing garden is still being pieced together. It’s only concrete now, but will have trees and a fountain come August.

From the welcome desk — which will offer restaurant-like pager check-in— the garden will be visible. An impressive shaft of colorful glass that rises four floors is complete, giving each floor an expansive feeling. On each floor, visitors can look up or down through what is being called the light chimney, except for the first floor, where you can only look up.

A 150-seat auditorium in the education wing of the building is starting to take shape, and the board room just needs its table and chairs. A U-shaped table that will seat 30 is required as part of the center’s National Cancer Institute designation. The table and room will be able to creak down into classrooms for patients. A cafe - currently being used as an office for construction crews - will come soon and an outside eating area will be available.

‘HEALTHFUL’ FOOD
Willman says “no grill” will be allowed at the center. She wants a local outfit to serve very healthful food at the cafe. As part of the cafe, a demonstration kitchen may be in the works as well.

Cancer imaging, radiation oncology and a women’s center will be accessible to patients through a separate entrance.

The new center will be considered a “23-hour” treatment facility, meaning they “can do basically all cancer imaging and all
surgery,” short of overnight patient care.

There are four floors and a ground level to the building, Each floor has its own designated color based on American Indian healing plants. Colors came from discussions with the All Indian Pueblo Council and the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board.

The second floor is being reserved as space for future expansion.

A chapel/meditation room – with a fireplace and a spiritual feel - stands out on the third level. This level will be used be used for multi-disciplinary clinical evaluation of patients once the center opens.

Thirty-eight chemotherapy infusion bays fill the north side of the fourth floor. Eventually, each unit will have its own nurse’s
station, DVD player, iPod plug-in, comfortable chairs and curtains for privacy, Willman said.

TREATMENT ON PATIO

Patients will be able to get treatment outside on the patio, Wiliman said, as the tour tried out the view from the fourth floor. Patients will also be able to get a massage and acupuncture across the hall from the infusion area. More infusion units may be built on the south side of that floor if they are needed in the future.

The floor also has a family lounge, with a small kitchen, and ventilation rooms. The building has air filtration machines for each floor of the building, keeping air clean and making sure it’s not re-circulated.

The ground floor will house radiation vaults built into a hill. While it’s standard for vaults to be built underground to prevent the escape of radiation, their unique placement in the center allows for views to the west and light from a pitched glass ceiling.

“The building was designed to bring the outside in.” Wiilman said. The whole thought is that we never want patients to feel closed in.”

THE CURRENTCENTER

The current clinic on UNM’s north campus was built to treat 80 people, Willman said. It sees about 400 people a day.

The waiting room at the entrance of the center one day last month was overflowing with people.

That day, 350 people were scheduled to been seen at the clinic, said Rae Ann Paden, chief operating officer for research administration for the center.

The walls are white, though staff have tried to add some color with local artwork. Physicians are packed three to four to a
room. Shelf organization is a necessity.

Patients in the chemotherapy room sit on green leather lounge chairs, each cramped into the room. There’s not much privacy, Paden said. Patients get to know each other because they are in such close quarters. Radiation vaults are dark and underground.

“We do the best we can,” Paden said. “But as you can see the difference (between the new center and current
center) is night and day.”

Willman said, “It will be nice to have a premier cancer facility”