New Cancer Center to Drive Medical Tourism in North Florida
As the proverb goes, “two heads are better than one.” Or, in this instance, two healthcare conglomerates are better than one. As organizations continue to look for solutions to provide higher quality care to more patients, at a more efficient rate, a familiar model is to combine one group’s strengths with another. And thus, the birth of a unique partnership between the highly regarded Mayo Clinic and St. Vincent’s HealthCare, resulting in the Mayo Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s Riverside in Jacksonville, Florida.
Mayo Clinic CEO Gianrico Farrugia identified cancer care as one of the targeted areas that the Mayo Clinic can use to help drive medical tourism in North Florida. Medical tourism is defined as the travel of people to a place other than where they normally reside for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment in that country. With the strategic location of this project and facilities located at Mayo’s San Pablo Road campus, physicians and researchers are given greater environments to focus more on highly complex care.
As a result of this project, the two organizations expect to diagnose and treat approximately 1,000 additional cancer cases per year within the first few years.
RS&H was awarded this as its first project with the Mayo Clinic and Ascension Health at St. Vincent’s in October 2015. To be given the opportunity to work on this unique project in this idyllic setting, was a milestone in building our portfolio with two significant clients.
Our team provided architecture, interior design, and engineering services for this 12,800-square-foot medical suite that was strategically planned along the St. Johns River. The new collaboration provides chemotherapy, medical oncology, and multidisciplinary disease-specialized care for various types of cancer.
Mayo Clinic CEO Gianrico Farrugia, who attended the November 7th ribbon cutting, said the goal of the collaboration is to bring the Mayo’s world-renowned cancer care to more communities, providing advanced care to a greater number of cancer patients.
Our team’s design emphasizes positive distraction, using home-like interior finishes, entrancing artwork, plenty of natural light, and spectacular views. Each of the private treatment rooms within the chemotherapy infusion center overlooks the St. Johns River, providing comfort and unrivaled scenery for patients and family. A nutrition station and seating areas are incorporated to offer respite for family/friends and for patients in need of nourishment. The team also spent considerable effort in designing custom millwork and creating full-size mockups for both infusion rooms, check-in area and the nurse station to ensure that the daily operations and work of the staff was supported to the highest level possible.
As Jacksonville continues to sell itself as “Your Destination for Health and Wellness,” this project has significant implications both to the surrounding community and North Florida.