Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Temple University Health System, embarked on an Infusion Center Expansion to address growing demand for outpatient infusion services driven by advances in cancer therapies in Philadelphia, PA.
Temple University Health System
Challenge
The challenge was to expand infusion services within an active cancer center while accommodating new treatment programs and maintaining continuity of critical operations. The project needed to support evolving models of outpatient care, enhance the patient experience, and maximize the use of the existing hospital footprint, without extensive expansion.
Solution
Our team repurposed existing hospital space to create a flexible environment for infusion services, a new Theranostics center, and an outpatient bone marrow transplant program. The design balances regulatory requirements with patient wellbeing, incorporating features such as increased access to exterior views from infusion areas. During construction, the phasing will enable critical services to continue uninterrupted.
Outcome
The expansion strengthens Fox Chase Cancer Center’s ability to deliver innovative, patient-centred cancer care in an outpatient setting. By enhancing capacity, comfort, and operational flexibility, the project supports improved patient experiences and outcomes while reinforcing the institution’s role as a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Infusion areas were designed to maximize access to daylight and exterior views, supporting comfort during long treatment sessions.
The project introduces new Theranostics and outpatient bone marrow transplant programs, expanding access to advanced cancer treatments.
The Infusion Center Expansion at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA, emerges as a response to the growing demand for outpatient infusion services due to significant advancements in infusion therapies. Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of the Temple University Health System (TUHS), sought to address the increasing need for innovation in cancer care, particularly in outpatient settings. This project’s vision extends beyond merely expanding services—it aims to transform the existing hospital campus into a modern, patient-focused facility that aligns with the center’s reputation for world-class clinical treatments.
The project’s scope included creating a flexible, state-of-the-art environment for infusion services, establishing a Theranostics center and creating a program for outpatient bone marrow transplants. NORR’s Health Sciences team creatively repurposed the existing hospital footprint, avoiding extensive expansion. The design optimizes patient care and comfort, particularly in instances where patients receiving cellular therapies can receive long infusion treatments and still return home at night. Collaborating with clinical department heads, the team ensured the design met regulatory standards while enhancing the therapeutic environment, such as maximizing daylight and outside views for infusion chairs.
As the center progresses from concept to reality, it demonstrates the team’s ability to deliver high-quality healthcare projects that enhance patient experience and outcomes. The project’s phased and collaborative approach incorporated feedback from stakeholders, patients and caregivers to refine the final design. During construction, the phasing will enable critical services to continue uninterrupted.
The Infusion Center Expansion will serve as a beacon of Fox Chase’s leadership in cancer care and innovation. This initiative will not only enhance Fox Chase’s physical infrastructure as a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, but it also exemplifies the kind of patient-centered and forward-thinking approach needed in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.