Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute recently made its first official pitch to Massachusetts regulators about its $1.68 billion proposal to establish a standalone cancer hospital in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, The Boston Globe reported Jan. 8.
Dana-Farber and Beth Israel Deaconess, which is also based in Boston, in September announced plans to construct a freestanding inpatient cancer hospital in Boston. The news marked a change in the city's current cancer care landscape, as Dana-Farber and Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital have been longtime partners. Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham is the parent system of Brigham and Women's, which has been clinically affiliated with Dana-Farber since 1997. Their current agreement runs through 2028.
Dana-Farber, in a filing for a state determination of need, cited the need to meet projected needs for cancer care regionally and nationally as a key factor for the proposed project, according to the Globe.
The new building will be connected to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's main facility by a tunnel and a bridge and, by 2032, will need approximately 384 inpatient cancer-dedicated beds, Dana-Farber said, according to the newspaper.
"A freestanding facility, with a sufficient complement of licensed beds, is necessary to ensure the applicant is able to continue providing world-class cancer care and engage in innovative research," Dana-Farber said in its proposal, according to the Globe. "The identified need cannot be met by other hospitals within the commonwealth because of the highly specialized nature of inpatient oncology care required by the applicant's patient panel and the growing demand for such care."
The Globe also reported that in its document, Dana-Farber pointed to expansion of its national competitors and argued that its project will save costs and boost competition.
Read the newspaper's full story here.