Southampton Patch highlights our New Cancer Center Unveiling

New Cancer Center Unveiled In Hamptons 

The Phillips Family Cancer Center will alleviate the time-consuming and exhausting burden of traveling far for necessary care, hospital says 

By Lisa Finn
May 1, 2019 1:37 pm ET
Patch.com

SOUTHAMPTON, NY —Cancer patients on the East End will have less of a drive to seek treatment and supportive care.

On Thursday, the Southampton Hospital Association and Stony Brook Medicine celebrated a "momentous milestone" with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the Phillips Family Cancer Center, hospital officials said.

A fully integrated site of the Stony Brook University Cancer Center, The Phillips Family Cancer Center will start providing radiation therapy in May, and will offer medical oncology in August, according to a release.

The Center changes cancer care on the East End by delivering advanced, comprehensive cancer treatments in a state-of-the-art, two-level, patient-centered building and healing environment located at 740 County Road 39A in Southampton, the hospital said.

The new Center features the latest technology, including the only linear accelerator on the East End, a Varian Linear Accelerator TrueBeam™, which provides more precise targeting of cancer cells during radiation therapy, sparing healthy surrounding tissue. Every chemotherapy treatment is formulated in the on-site pharmacy, hospital officials said.

The 13,800 square-foot building was designed by local Hampton architect Blaze Makoid who took inspiration from the property's legacy as the site of a Southampton farmer's potato barn. The interior is designed to enhance healing by healthcare facilities architect, Victor Famulari, hospital officials said.

Patients and families are cared for in private and shared treatment spaces featuring murals of soothing East End beach scenes. Chemotherapy treatment rooms overlook healing outdoor organic gardens and landscapes supervised by Edwina von Gal of Perfect Earth Project and Christopher LaGuardia of LaGuardia Design Group. There are separate entrances for radiation therapy and medical oncology patients; mobile computers with automatic charting allow medical staff to focus more time and attention directly on the patient, the hospital said.

Patients will also have access to Stony Brook's clinical trials.

To bring the highest quality of care and support to patients utilizing the Phillips Family Cancer Center, Southampton Hospital will be collaborating with many local organizations, including The Ellen Hermanson Foundation, The Coalition for Women's Cancers at Southampton Hospital, Lucia's Angels, and Fighting Chance, a release said.

The need is critical: Cancer mortality, incidence, and prevalence among South Fork residents are disproportionately high compared to New York State and national benchmarks, and they are approximately 30 percent higher than national trends, hospital officials said.

"Patients living on the South Fork who are fighting this disease also have to travel long distances to get quality care at a time when they are very vulnerable and often debilitated," the release said.

The Phillips Family Cancer Center will alleviate the time-consuming and exhausting burden of traveling far for necessary care, hospital representatives said.

"The Phillips Family Cancer Center will bring life-changing services to those living with cancer on the East End of Long Island," said Kevin Unruh, vice president, imaging and cancer services. "A facility offering everything from treatments to support in one convenient location has never been more crucial."

Southampton Hospital was able to develop the Cancer Center thanks to a generous gift from the Phillips Family, along with subsequent fundraising.

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https://patch.com/new-york/southampton/new-cancer-center-unveiled-hamptons