A blueprint for better access to the best cancer care

Hospital design is changing the way patients are cared for. That's why MD Anderson took a new, patient-centered approach to the design and layout of four comprehensive care centers going up around the Houston area.

This process began with patient and family interviews and included tours of health care facilities across the United States, evaluations of design concepts and solutions with clinical providers, and the creation of full-size mock-ups of clinical spaces and staff work areas.

The results are innovative, collaborative designs that create the best possible patient experience without compromising the provider experience.

Meeting patients’ needs

MD Anderson has been working to make high-quality care more accessible to patients outside the Texas Medical Center since 1999, when it opened a radiation treatment center in Bellaire, about four miles west of MD Anderson's main campus. Today, services are offered around the Houston area, from a surgical clinic in Memorial City to breast imaging and diagnostic services at selected Memorial Hermann locations.

Most recently, MD Anderson has been focused on four leased locations that offer the institution’s renowned multidisciplinary care as well as a range of supportive services and access to clinical trials. Currently, about 15 percent of new patients start their care at one of these locations, located in the Bay Area, Katy, The Woodlands and Sugar Land. And the demand for comprehensive, conveniently located care is growing.

“Our patients are asking us to put all of the services they need closer to where they live and work,” says Kent Postma, executive director of Hospital and Clinics for the Houston-area locations. “By doing this, we’re able to touch more patients and ensure they get the timely care they need.”

MD Anderson teams strategically evaluated how to best meet the needs of patients by considering the historical performance of current locations, the projected population growth across the city and the financial implications of building facilities of its own.

“Following this extensive evaluation, we determined that rather than continuing leases, we’d be better positioned to achieve our mission by building permanent facilities that allow for anticipated growth,” Postma says.

The first permanent facility will open this fall in League City. It will be five times the size of the Bay Area location that it's replacing. Next year, a new West Houston facility will replace the Katy location. Replacements for The Woodlands and Sugar Land locations will follow.

Patient-centered design

The new buildings will share a look and feel — both inside and out — that's very different from the TMC Campus.

“As with any new building, it's an opportunity to introduce new concepts, finishes and furniture to increase patient satisfaction,” says Lucy Nye, manager, Facilities Planning Design and Construction. “It will be a restful, soothing environment for our patients with lots of color, textures and a fresh design.”