Siteman Cancer Center – based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis –will soon greet patients in its new home for world-class cancer care.
The nine-story, 657,250-square-foot building, located on the Washington University Medical Campus, is dedicated to outpatient cancer care, and will officially open its doors on Sept. 30,” 2024.
It makes me proud to be the mayor of a city where world-class minds work together to solve the most complex and important issues for the betterment of all humankind,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said Tuesday during ceremony at Siteman.
“To everyone involved in making this Ambulatory Cancer Building a reality, and to everyone who will work here, I want you to know that the City of St. Louis is deeply grateful for what you have done and what you keep doing for our community.”
Designed specifically with cancer patients in mind, the unique model means patients can see a multidisciplinary team of WashU Medicine cancer experts and receive chemotherapy and other services in collaboration with BJC caregivers during a single visit. The approach prioritizes patients’ comfort and convenience and reduces the need to return for multiple appointments.
Located at 4500 Forest Park Ave., it will demonstrate BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine in providing innovative cancer care based on the latest research, and an ongoing, deep commitment to the health of our region.
“Patients inspire everything we do here,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and senior associate dean for cancer programs at WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare.
“This facility expands on our 25-year history of leading-edge care and consolidates outpatient care to make visits easier for patients. We want every patient who walks through our doors to experience a supportive, calming, and hopeful environment. This building was created with those goals in mind.”
Cancer patients and survivors and their families — together with physicians, nurses, social workers, and other caregivers — met with the building’s architects and designers before construction began to share insights aimed at enhancing care and improving the overall experience for patients and their family members.
About 75,000 patients seek care at Siteman each year – a number that is growing as more patients from across the region and all 50 states and beyond seek the expertise of WashU Medicine cancer specialists and access to leading-edge clinical trials.
Among those patients are prostate cancer survivors who are members of The Empowerment Network, which was founded by survivor Melve Shahid.
“Partnerships and collaboration are what it is all about,” Shahid said following the dedication ceremony.
“When the community and the world o science come together, we save lives.”
Through Siteman’s Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD), WashU Medicine experts have helped to reduce rates of breast cancer deaths among Black women in St. Louis and St. Louis County by just over 30%. Similar outreach and implementation science efforts have reduced hot spots of colorectal cancer deaths in the Mississippi River valley areas in Missouri and Illinois, which have some of the highest rates of colorectal cancer mortality in the country.
While the new building will replace Siteman’s outpatient cancer clinics in the Center for Advanced Medicine on the Washington University Medical Campus, Siteman will continue to provide the same exceptional outpatient cancer care for adults at its five other locations in the St. Louis region, including in southern Illinois, as well as for pediatric patients at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“At WashU Medicine, we invest in pioneering research to advance cancer care, create better outcomes for patients, and improve the overall health of our community,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of WashU Medicine, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor at WashU Medicine.
“In turn, our care deepens and expands our cancer research to move the field forward, so we are continually pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in caring for patients. The clinical trial capabilities that come from our research teams will be housed in this new building and represent one of the truly distinguishing features of what is possible for our patients at Siteman Cancer Center.”
Among the building’s features are 101 exam rooms and another 88 private infusion rooms for patients receiving chemotherapy. Patients also will have access to complete radiology and breast imaging services.
The building also includes original artwork created by local artists who have their own personal connection to cancer, as well as a café, pharmacy and parking garage that is integrated into the facility. An enclosed, elevated walkway connects the building to other areas of the Medical Campus.
“BJC will bring to the building the very latest imaging technology, which plays a key role in diagnosing and monitoring patients following their courses of treatment,” said Rich Liekweg, chief executive officer, BJC Health System. “We are grateful to the numerous experts who have worked tirelessly over the past four years to bring our vision of patient-centered cancer care to life. It’s a privilege to be able to invest in our community in such a life-sustaining way.”