Jamaica Hospital Medical Center to Start Construction for New Cancer Hub
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center is seeking state approval to start construction for a new six-story cancer facility as part of a state-funded initiative to keep the struggling safety-net hospital afloat. The Queens hospital, which has 408 beds, filed plans in late June for the building at 90-28 Van Wyck Expressway that is slated to become its new cancer hub, according to an application submitted to the Department of Health.
The Comprehensive Cancer Care Center of Queens
The building, estimated to cost $169 million, is expected to become home to all diagnostic services, radiation treatments and cancer-related surgeries for the roughly 2.5 million patients that Jamaica Hospital serves. Plans for the new building outline the second phase for Jamaica Hospital’s so-called Comprehensive Cancer Care Center of Queens, a state-funded project that aims to address growing cancer rates and health disparities in the city. Jamaica Hospital anticipates that construction for the cancer facility will take three years once the project is approved, according to its application.
The project is structured in distinct stages. The hospital in May asked state health regulators to approve the first phase of its construction plans to build a treatment unit in the basement of the new building, which it anticipated would cost $25 million.
Funding and Strategic Partnerships
The cancer center is one of the first projects funded by the safety-net transformation program, a state initiative launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year that pairs struggling safety-net hospitals with financially stable health systems. Jamaica Hospital and its partner, Memorial Sloan Kettering, received $188 million from the state in January to build the cancer center. As a part of the deal, Jamaica Hospital will refer its patients to the Upper East Side medical center for advanced treatment and clinical trial enrollment.
| Project Component | Estimated Cost / Funding |
|---|---|
| Total Cancer Hub Building | $169 million |
| Phase 1 Treatment Unit (Basement) | $25 million |
| State Grant (with Memorial Sloan Kettering) | $188 million |
Expansion of Surgical Services
In addition to these plans, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center recently opened its new Ambulatory Surgical Unit (ASU). The expanded ASU enables the hospital to enhance its surgical services by increasing volume and provides a more efficient and enhanced layout, with a dedicated space for the timely service of elective and same-day procedures. Dr. Antonietta Morisco, Chairperson of Anesthesiology, stated, “The new ASU will allow us to increase our volume and accommodate our growing surgical services to meet the needs of our community.”
Jamaica Hospital’s ASU features four state-of-the-art operating rooms, a spacious admitting and recovery area for patients, and a comfortable waiting area for family members. The ASU has the latest technology to support minimally invasive surgical procedures, highlighted by a da Vinci robot. Surgical subspecialties provided at the ASU include:
- General surgery
- ENT and Urology
- Orthopedics and Podiatry
- Gynecology
- Pain management
- Pediatrics
With the new amenities at the Ambulatory Surgery Unit, the team looks forward to continuing to provide the community with high-quality care, building on its commitment to giving patients the best and most stress-free experience possible before, during, and after their surgical procedures.