RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Unveil Plans for New Cancer Pavilion
As New Jersey’s first comprehensive cancer center, the HOK-designed cancer pavilion will include laboratory services, an outpatient clinic, an infusion and chemotherapy suite, radiation oncology, imaging and interventional radiology.
The 510,000-sq.-ft. cancer treatment and research facility will significantly expand service offerings to people living in a state with one of the highest rates of cancer. Approximately 50,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in New Jersey.
It will be a “one-stop destination for patients with a cancer diagnosis,” according to a statement by Rutgers Cancer Institute Director Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, who is also the senior vice president of oncology services at RWJBarnabas Health.
As part of a system-wide strategic master planning exercise, HOK’s Healthcare Consulting team completed a feasibility and programming study for a new cancer treatment facility on the New Brunswick campus. Developing market research and volume projections, the plan defined the program requirements for ambulatory clinical care and research.
“After completing the master plan, we are now honored to continue working with RWJBarnabas Health and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey to design and execute the new cancer pavilion,” said Christopher Korsh, regional leader of Healthcare at HOK. “The much-needed center will provide critical treatment for cancer patients in this region and facilitate groundbreaking research.”
By housing research in the cancer pavilion, physician-scientists will be able to rapidly translate scientific findings from lab bench to patient bedside. The facility is organized into three primary components:
Outpatient care: 84 infusion bays, 74 exam rooms, advanced radiology including four linear accelerators, diagnostic equipment (CT, MRI, mammogram and other equipment with core lab), pharmacy facilities and outpatient urgent care.
Inpatient care: 96 inpatient beds on three floors, a dedicated floor for surgical and procedure rooms (up to 11 total), a central sterile processing area and inpatient support spaces.
Research: Wet lab facilities and equipment to support 10 research teams, clinical trial offices and faculty offices.
“The new facility places the patient first and improves the patient’s experience at every stage of treatment,” said Kenneth Drucker, FAIA, LEED AP, design principal for HOK’s New York studio. “The design features a bridge connecting the cancer pavilion to the existing Cancer Institute and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, facilitating access for both patients and staff.”
The building is designed to respond to the scale and character of the existing RWJBarnabas campus while accommodating a diversity of clinical and research programming. Each use is expressed as a distinct pattern on the building’s terra-cotta facade. Serving as the facility’s ‘town square,’ a four-story sunlit atrium lobby spans the full depth of the building and provides patients and visitors a welcoming entry experience.
Developer New Brunswick Development Corporation estimates the project will provide approximately 1,000 construction jobs and 500-600 permanent healthcare positions. Training programs are currently being planned with New Brunswick High School, Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health & Biomedical Health & Biomedical Sciences, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools and Middlesex County College.
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