A rendering of Samaritan Medical Center shows a drive-up entrance that allows patients to access the hospital.

WATERTOWN, N.Y. — A groundbreaking ceremony held Oct. 31 marked the start of construction on the Walker Center for Cancer Care in Watertown. The new 22,000-square-foot facility will provide comprehensive care for local and regional cancer patients.

The center is designed by Glastonbury, Conn.-based S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) and built by locally based Purcell Construction with the No. 1 goal of bringing medical oncology infusion and radiation oncology into a single location. At $13 million, the design theme is based around the word “hope,” and Samaritan made it clear from the start that the center should provide that feeling for patients, family members and staff.

“Advances in technology and the environment in which care is delivered can have a tremendous impact on the success of treatment, and this facility will provide the best technology and environment for successful cancer treatment outcomes in the region,” said David Neal, AIA, principal-in-charge on the project, in a statement.

The new facility’s modern design features natural light, and provides easy accessibility to staff and support services within a calm, healing environment. The design promotes a sense of community, centering itself on a large living room that includes a fireplace seating area, education area, Internet cafe, boutique and community conference space.

The groundbreaking ceremony held Oct. 31 featured speeches from Samaritan Medical Center President and CEO Thomas Carman.
Photo Credit (all): Samaritan Medical Center

According to a statement from SLAM, the first floor consists of community areas, where patients can receive assistance in navigating the facility. The medical and radiation oncology spaces will be accessed through both sides of the central core, creating easy mobility to the primary patient areas. The center’s design also promotes patient privacy by featuring a drive-up entrance and separate parking lot so they can come and go freely without having to walk through the hospital.

The hospital had previously had issues with overcrowding and limited space, but the new Walker Center for Cancer Care is likely to relive the problem. Included in the design is an infusion suite that is separated into two wings on the second floor and creates a private space for patients while offering views of a relaxing rooftop garden. During the four-to-five-hour oncology treatments on the second floor, patients will be able to view the landscaping and wind sculptures within the garden. In addition to the primary spaces, the center includes its own pharmacy and laboratory.

The groundbreaking ceremony featured speakers, including Samaritan Medical Center President and CEO Thomas Carman, several oncologists with the medical center, benefactors and other members of the hospital’s community. The project is set for completion in the spring of 2018.