Geisinger announces $80 million cancer center expansion

PLAINS TWP. — The fact that it was Valentine’s Day did not escape Ron Beer during his opening remarks in announcing an $80 million expansion of the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley.

As part of Geisinger’s commitment to preventive care, the chief administrative officer of Geisinger Northeast said, for those who may have forgotten what day it is, “We have a gift shop that’s open.”

Beer joined Geisinger President and CEO Dr. Jaewon Ryu and cancer institute chair Dr. Rajiv Panikkar in announcing the major investment in the cancer center, which will be expanded from about 30,000 square feet to nearly 130,000 square feet. The change will include a new lobby entrance, an 18-bed inpatient unit to serve bone marrow transplant patients or those with complicated blood cancers, and flexible room designs allowing each unit to be adapted to a patient’s specific needs.

“There will be a whole host of services available right in their room,” Panikkar said.

Beer said the changes may include a juice bar in the lobby “It will be more like a living room than a waiting room.” and Geisinger is looking to partner with other cancer patient support organizations like Candy’s Place to add some retail space because “patients going through cancer treatment have unique needs.”

Beer and Panikkar rattled off a string of investments Geisinger has made in Luzerne County, and Beer noted that once this expansion is complete the medical giant will have spent about $300 million in the area since 2008. “Every investment is designed to do one thing,” he said, “make health easier.”

Panikkar said the company hasn’t been waiting for the expansion to start doing that, with investments in other state-of-the-art tech and treatment options already underway, including a new CyberKnife that will deliver “highly targeted radiation treatment.”

“When people are faced with the troubles related to cancer, we want them to understand we have teams that have dedicated their lives to providing the est care” in all aspects of treatment, he said. And Geisinger is working to constantly improve, he added. The expansion should also mean a bigger research program. “We hope to expand our access to clinical trials for our patients.”

Beer made it a point to praise the Henry family for their contributions to the center, noting Frank and Dorothy’s daughter Marjorie Marquart was in the room, as was their grandson John Henry. After the meeting the two chatted with Beer and admired the renderings of the expanded facility, presented on projection screens, large posters and a small three-dimensional model.

Frank and Dorothy Henry donated money for the construction of the cancer center which opened in 1992. Looking at the picture, Marquart smiled. “The first building fulfilled my parents’ original dream,” she said. “This is expanding that dream.”