CJW breaks ground on cancer hospital

Dignitaries gathered last week to break ground on the new Thomas Johns Cancer Center. The 50,000-square-foot expansion represents a $30 million investment by the HCA Richmond Health System and is scheduled to open in 2009. (Photo by Lisa Billings/illustration provided by CJW Medical Center)

CJW Medical Center broke ground last week for the new Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital on its Johnston-Willis campus. The 50,000-square-foot expansion project will be the most sophisticated, fully integrated hospital under one roof in metro Richmond, according to Peter Marmerstein, CEO of CJW Medical Center.

"Our No. 1 goal is to consolidate our comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care into one building specifically designed to make cancer care services as convenient and efficient as possible for patients, their families, physicians and staff," said Marmerstein. "This hospital will provide space for associated supportive services such as an expanded Hawthorne Cancer Resource Center, nutritional services and more comprehensive research capabilities, allowing patients the opportunity to participate in national clinical trials without having to travel out of the region."

The new Thomas Johns Cancer Hospital represents a $30 million investment by the HCA Richmond Health System. The hospital is slated for completion in 2009.

"The National Cancer Institute is predicting that annual cancer diagnoses in the U.S. will rise to 1.6 million by 2010, a 23 percent increase from 2000, and may grow even faster as the baby boomer generation ages," reported Tracy Kemp Stallings, COO of CJW's Johnston Willis campus. "This cancer hospital is being built to provide comprehensive cancer care for Richmond area residents, such as screening and diagnostic tests, treatment options, and emotional and survivorship support."