Here on the Suncoast, we are fortunate to live in a region that has skilled and experienced cancer specialists. Yet, we know that as our population grows — and grows older — the incidence of cancer and number of cancer survivors will continue to rise.
That’s the impetus driving Sarasota Memorial’s commitment to provide our community with comprehensive, coordinated and collaborative cancer care close to home, with a team of local physicians and oncology specialists equipped with the experience and skills to not only treat our patients’ cancer, but also to manage secondary illnesses and chronic diseases that put them at greater risk as they age.
Breaking New Ground
Sarasota Memorial’s comprehensive Cancer Institute is evolving, with premier facilities being built to house services across the entire continuum of cancer care — from prevention, screening and diagnosis to treatment, clinical trials, and lifetime follow-up, survivorship care and support.
Construction is slated to begin in early 2019 on the first two phases of Sarasota Memorial’s Cancer Institute:
Phase 1
Phase 1 is a 17,000-square-foot radiation oncology center located on SMH’s University Parkway/Honore campus. The outpatient facility will include two linear accelerators, a CT simulator for radiation therapy, physician offices and integrative/supportive care services. Groundbreaking is planned for January, with the center expected to open in 2020.
Phase 2
Phase 2 is a 170,000-square-foot, eight-story oncology tower on SMH’s main campus. Planning and permitting is under way with ground breaking planned in the next two to three months. The tower is expected to open in 2021.
Among other features and services, the oncology tower will include:
• Dedicated entrance, lobby and registration area.
• Cancer support services, including counseling services and patient navigators.
• Nine new operating rooms, including dedicated robotic surgery suites.
• Two upper floors with 56 private rooms for hospitalized cancer patients.
• Rooftop café offering health-focused menu options
The tower will connect to the main hospital, ensuring critical 24/7-access to other clinical and emergency care services.
Phase 3
Phase 3 — still in a preliminary planning stage — is a cancer pavilion proposed across from the oncology tower on Waldemere Street. Pending approval and funding from the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board, the pavilion will be six stories and connected to the oncology tower by a pedestrian skybridge. The facility will support complete, coordinated outpatient care, with an infusion center, imaging services, physician clinics and a radiation oncology center outfitted with advanced linear accelerators.
Destination Treatment Program
When complete, the Cancer Institute will offer a comprehensive treatment center staffed by Sarasota Memorial’s widening range of fellowship-trained oncology specialists and subspecialists and support clinicians with groundbreaking innovations and research. Multi-disciplinary clinics will allow specialists to meet with patients and one another in a single location and will offer a collaborative and personalized approach focused on each patient’s unique cancer.
SMH’s multi-disciplinary team includes medical and radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, general and reconstructive surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, genetic counselors, clinical research specialists, oncology nurses and navigators, rehabilitation therapists and other care team members who specialize in survivorship and support of cancer patients.
The team specializes in treating the most prevalent cancers, including breast, prostate and genitourinary cancers, gynecological, lung and gastrointestinal cancers, with a phased approach to offer specialized programs for neuro-oncology, melanoma, hematologic malignancies, and other cancers in the future.
Easy Access to Needed Services
From the ground up, Sarasota Memorial’s Cancer Institute is designed to provide a patient-centered environment that’s also equipped to treat any co-occurring illnesses and connect patients to the latest clinical trials.
For patients with rare cancers or those who require therapies or trials not available locally, Sarasota Memorial’s cancer team partners with researchers and oncology experts from National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers across the country to ensure patients have access to the care they need.
Contact Us
For questions about Sarasota Memorial’s Cancer Institute, call 941-917-1981.