ROLLA, Mo. — McCarthy Building Companies Inc. completed construction on the Delbert Day Cancer Institute Jan. 9. The new, 37,000-square-foot facility is part of the Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla and occupies the first two floors of a four-story, 100,470-square-foot building that will eventually be bought out by other health care tenants.

The $31.3 million facility is designed by Indianapolis-based BSA LifeStructures and is located on the north side of the main hospital campus. It is designed to connect to an adjacent medical office building through the use of a pedestrian bridge located on the second floor of the facility.

At 37,000 square feet, the Delbert Day Cancer Center is home to state-of-the-art technology designed to treat cancer patients.
Photo Credit: Sam Fentress, McCarthy Building Companies and BSA LifeStructures.

At 37,000 square feet, the Delbert Day Cancer Center is home to state-of-the-art technology designed to treat cancer patients.
Photo Credit: Sam Fentress, McCarthy Building Companies and BSA LifeStructures.

The facility is designed with the latest technology and includes state-of-the-art cancer treatment technologies as well as amenities that serve patients and families who are required to spend an extended period of time inside the hospital. Some of the technologies at the cancer center include radiation therapies, PET C/T, nuclear medicine, infusion therapy, medical oncology, and supporting lab and pharmacy ancillary services, according to a statement from McCarthy Building Companies.

The first floor of the facility welcomes visitors and patients with a naturally lit lobby and registration area. The lobby also includes a retail space, a café, an education space and a community center. Once visitors walk past the lobby, they are greeted by a healing garden designed to provide a relaxing escape for patients and visitors. An infusion services and medical oncology clinic are located on the second floor.

One of the biggest challenges during construction was working on a construction site that was simultaneously being used to treat patients. That’s why the design-build (D-B) team worked closely with Phelps County Regional Medical Center to ensure that daily business would not be interrupted and all staff, patients and visitors would be safe.

“This project is a testament to the power of teamwork, efficiency and innovation,” said Justin Decker the project manager of McCarthy in a statement.

In order to meet the project’s deadline, the D-B team worked alongside Lean Construction Technologies (LCI), a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va., that provides strategies to help D-B teams complete projects ahead of schedule and below budget. One strategy employed by LCI included the use of prefabricated mechanical, engineering and plumbing (MEP) systems directly from the BIM model to reduce site waste, according to a statement.

All cancer treatment and support services will be housed in the Delbert Day Cancer Institute in an attempt to provide patients with up-to-date care in a centralized location. The institute will specialize in treating patients with lymphoma, bone cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.