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Cancer Survivors Join Hundreds of Supporters to Celebrate Opening of $84M Expansion of North Shore-LIJ Cancer InstituteLAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. --(Business Wire)-- Hundreds of donors, physicians and other supporters on Wednesday celebrated the completion of an $84 million expansion of the North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute's headquarters at the health system's Center for Advanced Medicine (CFAM) at 450 Lakeville Road in Lake Success. 
Kimberly Hastings, breast cancer survivor; George Raptis, MD, VP, Oncology Network Services; David Battinelli, MD, Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer; Daniel Budman, MD, Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Co-Executive Director, Cancer Institute; Louis Potters, MD, Chief of Radiation Medicine, Co-Executive Director, Cancer Institute; Richard Goldstein, Immediate Past Chairman, Board of Trustees, NS-LIJ; Meredith Feinberg, VP, Cancer Service Line Admin; Barry Bassik, survivor of head/neck cancer. (Photo: Business Wire) "With an additional 93,000 square feet, the Center for Advanced Medicine brings together all cancer services offered by North Shore University Hospital and LIJ Medical Center under one roof," said North Shore-LIJ Chief Medical Officer David Battinelli, MD. "The new space houses all ambulatory hematology/oncology, chemotherapy and radiation medicine, as well as surgical oncology and brain tumor services." CFAM was already home to diagnostic radiology, breast imaging, urology and ambulatory surgery services. In one convenient location that now includes a total of about 130,000 square feet of space, patients now have access to a fully integrated spectrum of comprehensive cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, genetic counseling, nutritional and social work, supportive care and survivorship programs. Calling the new facility "the most beautiful place someone will never want to visit," Louis Potters, MD, chair of radiation medicine of the health system and co-executive director of the North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute, hailed the expanded facility both for it technological provisions and the compassion of the staff. "Our Cancer Institute places great emphasis on the patient/family experience. Aside from the physicians, all of our navigators, dietitians, social workers and other staff are devoted to the comfort of our guests," he said. "In addition, the expansion and our move to this new facility give us the pportunity to invest in the latest technology in the field." In addition to its extensive network of inpatient and outpatient services, the Cancer Institute offers the 16,000 patients it diagnoses and treats annually access to more than 125 clinical trials at any given time, said Daniel Budman, MD, chief of hematology/oncology at NSUH and LIJ, and co-executive director of the Cancer Institute. "Over the past 30 years, more than 10,000 North Shore-LIJ cancer patients have participated in clinical research studies sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)," said Dr. Budman, noting that the NCI Community Oncology Research Program recently awarded a $4.1 million grant to North Shore-LIJ -- one of only 46 providers in the US selected to participate, and one of only two in New York State and the only one on Long Island to receive funding. At Wednesday's celebration, two cancer survivors spoke of their personal journeys: Kimberly Hastings, of Lynbrook, and Barry Bassik, of Great Neck. In July 2013, Ms. Hastings went for her annual mammogram. A few months later, she felt a lump in her breast while showering. Her breast surgeon called for a biopsy, which revealed a malignant tumor that had spread to one lymph node. In December 2013, she underwent a lumpectomy, followed by 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments. In September 2014, Ms. Hastings completed all of her treatments and was deemed cancer-free. "Facing 16 chemo and 30 radiation treatments over an eight-month period was not a pleasant prospect," she said. "Yet, my experience turned out to be very positive, without issue, and I am happy to say today that I am cancer free. I attribute this to the expertise of my team of doctors, the specific targeted treatment plan I was given, and the fact that I was able to receive the highest level of care at a conveniently located, full-service cancer treatment center right here on Long Island." Mr. Bassik, an attorney who relies heavily on his voice to carry out his job requirements, visited his internist in 2013 complaining of a sore throat. A subsequent CT scan and biopsy revealed a tumor lodged at the base of his tongue. He underwent chemotherapy and 36 radiation treatments until the end of 2013---all through the Cancer Institute. He is now cancer free and back at work. "For me to have all my treatments in one location has made the patient experience so much better," Mr. Bassik said. "I continue to be grateful for the compassionate staff and the ease with which we were all able to communicate." About one-third (30,000 square feet) of the Cancer Institute's newly expanded space is home to the health system's Department of Radiation Medicine, which provides radiation therapy in a sleekly-designed, calming setting. Among new radiation oncology services offered at the site include: a Gamma Knife and three TrueBeam linear accelerators, in addition to a comprehensive brachytherapy program, stereotactice radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy. Following is a summary of other new outpatient cancer services housed within the newly expanded North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute headquarters at CFAM:
To see video from Wednesday's news conference, click HERE. About The North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute The North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute is one of the largest cancer providers in the New York metropolitan area. With 200 physicians, the Cancer Institute diagnoses and/or treats more than 16,000 cancer patients each year. Its multidisciplinary teams develop individualized treatment plans that address patients' physical and emotional needs through 12 disease oriented Centers of Care. For more information, go to: please see cancer.northshorelij.com Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141120006357/en/ |
