To ensure greater access to cancer care for all New Yorkers and patients who come from around the globe, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today announced plans to build a new, state-of-the-art cancer care Pavilion on its main campus on the Upper East Side.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that by 2050 the annual number of cancer cases in the United States will increase by nearly 50 percent as a result of the growing and aging population. These projections confirm the need MSK first identified in 2001 when it presented its long-term plan to New York City planning officials in conjunction with the approval of the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Research Center.
Cancer risk increases as people age. As life expectancy improves over the next century, the number of people who develop cancer will grow, and it is likely that patients who develop cancer will have more acute needs requiring more complex care. At the same time, the incidence of several cancers – including colon, gastric and breast – has been steadily rising in the younger population. The new Pavilion will house advanced technology to treat patients on an inpatient basis, including cutting-edge robotics, improved digital infrastructure, and enhanced operating/procedure suites that MSK’s current facilities cannot accommodate.
Located on York Avenue between East 66th and 67th Street, the Pavilion will be devoted exclusively to patient care. The proposed 31-story building will feature 28 operating/procedure suites and approximately 200 inpatient beds. The expansion will support MSK’s continued efforts to address disparities in access to cancer care for medically underserved communities. As envisioned, the new Pavilion will be an LEED Certified facility, connected to Memorial Hospital via a patient bridge and will include a below-grade garage. The estimated completion of the Pavilion is 2030. Additional project details will be shared as plans progress.
“As a world-renowned cancer research, education, and care center, MSK has been a key player in New York’s reputation as a center for innovation, recruiting some of the most talented clinicians and scientists to live, learn, and work here,” said Craig B. Thompson, MD, President and CEO of MSK. “The new Pavilion is a critical component in ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to the best doctors and scientists in the world well into the future.”
“To address the changing face of cancer, we will need more advanced technology to deliver highly-specialized, complex interventions that will deliver the best possible outcome for every patient,” said Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer of MSK. “The new Pavilion will provide the facilities to do that, enabling us to meet the needs of a growing population of people who will require cancer care.”