New AHN Cancer Institute Aims to Fight Cancer While Giving Back to the Community
Modern medicine’s efforts to fight and eliminate cancer are almost as diverse as the disease itself. Different doctors apply different tools and approaches to treat different patients. But when you or a loved one are sick, all you want is the best possible care with the best possible outcome. Now, residents of Western Pennsylvania have access to multiple cutting-edge cancer treatment options under one roof.
The AHN Cancer Institute at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) provides comprehensive cancer care, both from its new 90,000-square-foot treatment and research hub, built next to the South Tower at AGH, and also through five state-of-the-art locations in Monroeville, Butler County, Beaver County, Erie and Hempfield Township. Together, this network brings expert cancer care closer to where patients live and work—because the core of AHN is people.
“We’re really focused on patient-centered design,” says David Bartlett, MD, new chair of the AHN Cancer institute and renowned cancer surgeon and researcher. “It’s about what is best for the patient.”
That focus on the patient begins as soon as they arrive. Valet parking is available, allowing the patient to be let out right at the front door instead of having to walk long distances from the parking lot. At the door, the patient is met by an access coordinator, who will lead the patient to where they will meet with their physicians or receive treatment. Patients can receive just about any care conceivable within the walls of this four-story addition. They can undergo surgery, from robot-assisted procedures to those that are minimally invasive. They can get advanced imaging, providing the most accurate diagnoses. They can receive radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. All the support services are here as well, including integrated medicine, nutritional counseling, massage therapy, a positive image salon, physical therapy, financial counseling and social work. There’s even an educational library, where patients can learn more about their disease.
The $80 million building itself was designed with people in mind. There is beautiful artwork, including a distinctive DNA double-helix sculpture that hangs above. There are plenty of tall and broad windows to allow natural light in and patients to see out to the park and the fountains across the street. And many of the spaces inside are open, conducive to distanced socializing—to allow patients to draw strength and support from each other and to remind them that they are not alone. As Dr. Bartlett says, “The building is designed to be spiritually uplifting.”
Of course, the AHN Cancer Institute is also built to accommodate its own people—the physicians, researchers, nurses and staff that make the place work every day.
One way to attract the best caregivers and provide the best treatment is to make sure you have the most innovative and cutting-edge technology available. The AHN Cancer Institute features state-of-the-industry diagnostic tools and treatments.
For instance, the institute is one of only a handful of facilities in the country that will have the MR-Linac, which combines magnetic resonance imaging and pinpoint radiation therapy. This machine enables caregivers to hone treatment down to within a millimeter of the tumor, allowing doctors to make real-time adjustments that target the cancer while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue.
In addition, AHN is one of only six facilities in the U.S. that will have a GammaPod, the first radiation therapy system specifically designed to treat early-stage breast cancer. The machine delivers radiation to the tumor while limiting exposure to the lungs, heart and skin; it can reduce treatment times from 6 weeks down to a matter of days.
But while the AHN Cancer Institute is a beacon for cancer treatment across the nation, the facility and its staff are dedicated to the North Shore community and the surrounding areas. That’s where they and their families live and work to make Pittsburgh a better place.
“To be able to give back and help patients that are suffering from this disease is extraordinarily meaningful to me,” says Bartlett. “I think we’re all touched by cancer, certainly in my family as in so many others. So this is a way I can do this on a big scale and really make a difference in Western Pennsylvania.”