The North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute today announced the opening of a $47 million, 30,000-square-feet facility offering comprehensive outpatient radiation therapy in a sleekly-designed and calming setting. North Shore-LIJ’s Department of Radiation Medicine, which provides a wide range of radiation oncology services to adults and children, has relocated from LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY, to the health system’s Center for Advanced Medicine (CFAM), an outpatient care complex in Lake Success, NY, that is home to the North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute — one of the largest cancer programs in the New York metropolitan area.
The North Shore-LIJ Department of Radiation Medicine offers an unparalleled experience for cancer patients who were previously seen at LIJ Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). No other facility on the east coast offers variety of state-of-the-art technology all located in one facility that allows for tailored and personalize care. With the move to CFAM, the health system invested in the latest technology in the field of radiation medicine, including the Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, one of the safest and most effective treatment options for patients who are unable to undergo conventional neurosurgery or who need additional treatment along with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or brain surgery. The treatment is delivered in a single outpatient session.
Other cutting-edge radiation medicine services include: stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, and image-guided radiation therapy. The facility also has three TrueBeam® machines, each equipped with new Calypso® systems (know as GPS for the Body®), Cone-Beam CT Scanning, VisionRT®, treatment gating and ExacTrac® imaging. In addition, the Department of Radiation Medicine also offers a comprehensive program for brachytherapy, one of the busiest in the nation, providing a full range of radioactive implant treatments.
“Our radiation medicine program is grounded in evidence-based care, quality and safety and the most supportive and compassionate care as possible for our patients. Our program of Smarter Radiation Oncology® rivals that of national cancer institutions,” said Louis Potters, MD, chair of radiation medicine at North Shore-LIJ and co-executive director of the North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute. “Our new outpatient facility not only provides patients with easy access to the safest, most up-to-date radiation therapies, but it also gives patients the added comfort that physicians and other clinicians are able to closely work with colleagues in medical and surgical oncology in the same building, enhancing patient care and communication.”
The facility includes a dedicated entrance, private waiting areas decorated with plants, contemporary artwork and photographs, a 450-gallon saltwater tropical aquarium and skylights that fill the area with natural light, all which contribute to a soothing and healing environment. Patient comforts include spacious changing rooms, complete with terrycloth robes, modern exam and treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art music sound system in treatment rooms. To streamline check-in, each patient receives a photo identification card, which is scanned upon arrival and at the same time alerts radiation therapists as patients enter the facility so they are better able to track treatment schedules. The center also offers valet parking, van and transportation services, if needed, and support groups.
The new radiation medicine facility is the first phase of a major expansion of cancer services at the Center for Advanced Medicine (CFAM) – and across the entire New York metropolitan area. Also at CFAM, the Monter Cancer Center is doubling in size to 80,000 square feet. Once construction is completed this spring, Monter will be the new home for the fully integrated ambulatory hematology/oncology and chemotherapy treatment services delivered by cancer specialists at both NSUH and LIJ Medical Center. The Monter project is part of a $45 million expansion of cancer services at CFAM. The new development at CFAM also includes the addition of surgical-, gynecologic and neuro-oncology services, which will be relocated from NSUH and LIJ Medical Center in late spring 2014. CFAM already offers radiology, breast imaging, urology/oncology and ambulatory surgery, providing a fully-integrated spectrum of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment and supportive services.
The CFAM expansion is one of numerous investments totaling about $175 million that the health system is making to open new treatment centers and expand existing facilities throughout the metropolitan region. In early December, the health system announced plans to build a new cancer center in Bay Shore, due to open in late 2014. And last summer, North Shore-LIJ signed a joint venture agreement to affiliate with a Suffolk County radiation medicine practice — North Shore Radiation Therapy, CyberKnife of Long Island, which has offices in Smithtown and Greenlawn.
