The Harvard Vanguard Oncology Department has always provided superb hematologic and oncologic care for patients faced with what is often the greatest health challenge of their lives. The department now has a new facility that matches the quality of care it has always provided.
Planning for the new space, located in our Kenmore practice, began in 2011 and involved a great deal of direct patient input.
Patients were individually surveyed and focus group sessions were held to explore what our patients wanted in a new facility. The feedback was clear: our patients wanted to be treated with the most modern technologies and safety features, but in a space that fosters intimacy and comfort.
To accomplish this, the design considerations included optimal use of natural lighting, privacy, and increased space in exam rooms and infusion rooms. The space was designed to offer patients the utmost privacy during treatment, but with the option to interact with others if they preferred.
The Chemotherapy Unit includes a nourishment area with snacks as well as a room for patients and families to gather and provide support for one another. Often, patients and families are now seen doing puzzles together or sitting quietly and reading in this area.
There are conference rooms in the clinic area where genetic counseling services are provided and family meetings can be held in a more comfortable venue.
The new space also includes many enhanced safety features: the nurses enter their notes in real time at the patient’s bedside, electronic barcode scanning has been implemented, and new computerized IV pumps have been deployed to decrease the risk of error.
Within the redesigned unit, the Oncology Department is now able to offer patients and their families many new support services. Patient donations through the Atrius Health Foundation are funding a music therapy program with the help of the Berklee College of Music as well as iPads for use by patients and families during treatment.