“Here, world-class experts will come to the patient. It’s really special, and I hope that all of our cancer patients will benefit from the hope they experience and our opportunity to provide better, more coordinated care.”
— Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, director of Siteman Cancer Center and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor and senior associate dean for cancer programs at WashU Medicine
Patients are the inspiration behind Siteman Cancer Center’s newest outpatient facility
The new meticulously planned Gary C. Werths Building at Siteman Cancer Center offers a tangible example of what makes Siteman — the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri and southern Illinois — so unique. It embodies the power of collaboration between BJC HealthCare and WashU Medicine in providing innovative cancer care based on the latest research, and an ongoing, deep commitment to the health of our region.
657,270
square feet devoted exclusively to cancer
9
floors allow for future growth
433
indoor parking spaces for easier in and out
88
private infusion rooms to foster patient privacy
101
exam rooms to improve patient comfort
Cancer patients and survivors and their families — together with physicians, nurses, social workers and other caregivers — met with the building’s architects and designers before construction began to share insights aimed at enhancing care and improving the overall experience for patients and their family members.
“In today’s world when a patient has cancer, they visit multiple areas for treatment or care. They go to a place to get imaging done; they go to a place where they get their labs drawn; they go to a place where they receive chemotherapy; they go to a place where they see their providers. This location solves a lot of that — 80% of it: they can go to one building, one floor or two floors to get imaging, lab testing, get their treatments, see their provider. It’s one single place where they can receive the unparalleled care and treatment Siteman is known for at all of its locations.”
— Christina Longnecker, vice president of Oncology Services at Siteman Cancer Center
Take a closer look at the Gary C. Werths Building at Siteman Cancer Center.
Building more convenient care
When one purpose, to cure cancer, meets patients’ needs directly, the level of expertise and number of emerging breakthroughs become limitless.
Houses Centers of Excellence
- Brain Cancer
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Blood Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
Prioritizes convenience and well-being
- Cancer Information Center
- Business center equipped with computers, printers, fax, etc.
- On-site pharmacy and gift shop
- Therapeutic horticulture on treatment floors
- Pet therapy throughout patient floors
Centralizes all diagnostic services
- Imaging, including mammography and breast ultrasound
- Laboratory
- Pulmonary function lab
- Bone density
New Breast Health Center
- Breast imaging
- Consultations
- Pre-procedure care
- Surgical team care
- Post-procedure care
- Medical oncology an elevator ride away
“Our commitment to patient-centered care is reflected in every corner of this space, designed to offer the best possible environment for patient education, treatment and well-being. But truly, this is more than a building. It’s a promise to our patients that they deserve nothing but the best, and we are dedicated to delivering just that, every single day.”
— Paul J. Scheel Jr., MD, vice chancellor for clinical affairs at WashU Medicine and CEO of Washington University Physicians
“WashU Medicine oncologists at Siteman, known nationally for their expertise and leadership, offer personalized, targeted therapies designed specifically to block the abnormalities driving a patient’s cancer and increase the chances of a cure.”
— Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, the Anheuser-Busch Chair in Medical Oncology and associate chief of oncology, WashU Medicine
Seven Siteman Cancer Center locations at BJC HealthCare facilities throughout the region.
The new Gary C. Werths Building at Siteman Cancer Center joins Siteman’s legacy of excellence in the St. Louis region, including in Illinois. At each of Siteman’s seven locations, WashU Medicine physicians provide innovative care and cancer screenings, address disparities and provide opportunities for eligible patients to access clinical trials.
- Washington University Medical Campus
- Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
- Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital
- South St. Louis County
- Northwest HealthCare
- Memorial Hospital Shiloh
- St. Louis Children’s Hospital
“Our number one mission is to provide state-of-the-art, compassionate care. We’ve been fortunate to get physicians who are nationally recognized in their fields, but they also realize the importance of giving compassionate care.”
— Daniel C. Link, MD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor of Medicine, director of the Division of Oncology at WashU Medicine and deputy director of Siteman Cancer Center
Siteman Cancer Center: A quarter century of hope and healing
- Receives Comprehensive Cancer Center status designation from NCI
- Develops photoacoustic imaging for cancer detection
- Sequences first human cancer genome
- Establishes Division of Public Health Sciences to propel prevention, education and community outreach efforts
- First SPORE grant from NCI — Endometrial (ongoing)
- First single-vault proton center opens
- Leukemia SPORE grant from NCI (ongoing)
- World’s first MRI- guided radiation therapy
- Pancreatic SPORE grant from NCI (ongoing)
- Whole genome sequencing is validated and introduced to the medical community
- Pioneers photoacoustic imaging for rectal cancer restaging
- First Medicare- and Medicaid-approved whole genome sequencing test
- Route 66 Endometrial SPORE grant from National Cancer Institute (ongoing)
- Merit Extension for Cancer Center Support Grant from NCI (five to seven years)
Published in the Autumn 2024 issue