Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) is proud to announce the grand opening of the hospital’s new, six-story inpatient tower. The 168,078 square-foot, $84-million expansion is inspired by the patients it will benefit, and will serve as the centerpiece of a campus-wide modernization spurred by 48 percent, five-year new patient growth. The new tower offers 72 innovative, single-occupancy inpatient oncology rooms, and common space designed to bring comfort and convenience to patients. 

“CTCA at Midwestern is a landmark in cancer care that has been serving patients for more than 27 years,” said Scott Jones, FACHE, president and CEO of CTCA® at Midwestern. “We are pleased to enhance our campus in a way that will better serve our patients as we continue our commitment to providing exceptional clinical care focused on the whole person.” 

Amenities in the inpatient tower include tranquil family lounges on each floor, a secure and spacious outdoor courtyard and garden, a large patient bistro and dining hall, and a state-of-the-art culinary demonstration kitchen where patients and caregivers learn healthy cooking strategies. The inpatient tower will also incorporate 48 guest quarters, hotel-like accommodations for outpatients and family members and caregivers of inpatients so they are close to loved ones, set to open in June of 2016. The rooms will be located on the fifth and sixth floors of the new tower and will bring the total number of CTCA guest accommodations to 185 rooms, which is in addition to the over 300 rooms that are available through partnerships with  local hotels. 

Patients and their families were officially welcomed into the space on Friday, November 27, 2015 after a celebratory grand opening on Wednesday, November 18. The mid-November ribbon cutting featured tours of the new space and highlighted CTCA patients who found healing and hope through their journey at CTCA.

“It’s exciting to see this beautiful expansion come to life,” said Rose Sajuan, a 20-year breast cancer survivor and Cancer Fighter who first came to CTCA in the mid-90s. “My experience with CTCA at Midwestern has been wonderful, and knowing other patients will have similar opportunities through the care provided in this new space is simply awesome.”

Sajuan also served on the Cancer Fighters® Construction Team, a group of CTCA at Midwestern patients who guided the inpatient tower construction from conceptual planning to the grand opening. The group advised on room design, furniture and finishes, and much more for eight of the 19-month construction process, taking the idea of patient-influenced design to a new level. 

“We didn’t just poll our Cancer Fighters Construction Team on a few things, we engaged them every step of the way,” said Jones. “The inpatient tower was built with our patients in mind and by our side. From private rooms, to ample space for caregivers and design touches that create a soothing and comfortable environment, this was their vision.” 

When the project first broke ground in April 2014, patients and caregivers, family and friends and hospital staff also signed a “Beam of Hope” that visitors now walk under as they enter the main lobby of the hospital. Before the inside walls and flooring were complete, construction workers, staff and visitors left even more messages of encouragement underneath the hospital’s now smooth and polished surfaces. From the foundation to the highest structural beam to the compassionate staff of clinical experts ready to serve, the hospital is literally built upon thousands of messages of inspiration meant to offer strength and courage to those fighting cancer.

Patients from abroad and across the United States and the Midwest region turn to CTCA at Midwestern for innovative medical treatment and integrative care. The hospital’s focus on whole-person care sets them apart and has made the north suburban Chicago hospital a travel destination for cancer care. CTCA at Midwestern patients frequently travel an estimated 300-500 miles to receive treatment at the hospital.  Furthermore, from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, the travel team at the hospital arranged for more than 35,000 flights and 4,800 train tickets on behalf of patients and caregivers.

“We are proud that patients from across the United States and abroad choose CTCA at Midwestern for their cancer care,” added Jones. “It’s an honor and a privilege to share in their very personal journey of healing and hope.”