welcome back more than a hundred and
twenty four thousand new cancer cases
will be reported in Florida before the
end of the year and those numbers are
expected to grow we are all touched by
cancer in some way shape or form but
take a look at this in order to address
the need for cancer care Baptist Health
an MD Anderson Cancer Center a partner
to create a destination for cancer care
right here in the River City so today
that 330 thousand square foot facility
is open to patients and everyone who
drives by they're just impressed by the
look on the outside and the work that's
going in on inside is even more
impressive joining me now is Baptist
Health CEO Hugh Greene and dr. bill
Putnam the medical director for Baptist
MD Anderson Cancer Center appreciate you
all coming in pleasure
so this partnership has been going on
now for a couple of years and the whole
idea behind it is having access to those
doctors their research the clinical
trials that are going on in Baptist or
MD Anderson in Houston partnering
together and just kind of using those
together to get more information and to
affect more patients how's that going
it's going very well and I think there
is sometimes some confusion about the
relationship the best way that we like
to communicate it is that we are
replicating the University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Center which is the
leading cancer center in the country
right here in Jacksonville is a highly
integrated relationship focused on the
patient focus on a multidisciplinary
approach to cancer care and as you
suggested we're following their
protocols following their research we're
the leading health system in the in our
community partners with the leading
cancer center in the country and working
together using those brilliant minds I
think what's interesting dr. Putnam is
that they have the the board the tumor
boards where doctors get into the room
here locally they are talking in Houston
everyone's looking at each other via
teleconference and going back and forth
and talking specifically about
individuals cases and everyone kind of
gives that feedback on what they think
the best approach is right we have
surgeons we have medical oncologists
radiation oncologists many eyes looking
at each individual patient and that
provides the very best input we can for
the treating physician to provide the
very best care it's all about clinical
Integra
and this culture of collaboration that
we have directed toward that individual
patient and that individual patients
care and want to point out that's been
going on now for two years but what's
new is this building and I want to show
some of the video that we went in and
shot yesterday these are the infusion
centers and I think what's so special
about this is if you've ever sat with
someone who's getting chemo you know
that you're in there for hours and to
have that view guys to be able to look
out on our city on our water in a time
that really is challenging does make a
difference and that was important to you
guys to make sure that that place was
patient-centered well the building
itself is spectacular and I'm very proud
of it we all are proud of it it really
is designed around the patient and so
the views you mentioned but quite
frankly the use of light the incredible
use of art in the building trying to
create a healing environment we believe
that obviously the environment where
care is rendered is important to that
healing process and we had a lot of
patient input in designing this building
and we're just a very very pleased at
the outcome right and the artwork that
you're speaking of we're showing some of
that now and these are local artists
many of them are touched by cancer in
some way shape or form I know someone
who actually overcame breast cancer and
she's an artist and she has a piece in
there and that's so special to her and
that's that connection between the
patient and everything in that building
we actually had a time to celebrate the
artists this week in a event just for
them and there are over 700 works of art
and we had probably close to 50 artists
at this event locally so but we're not
doing that just to make the place
attractive although it does we really
believe art contributes to the healing
process and you see that throughout also
the cafe that's open it's for it's for
patients and it's food that they can
tolerate because when you're going
through chemo and where you're going
through this it's difficult food doesn't
taste the same well the menus are
designed to facilitate that patients
healing organic organic foods high
protein really designed to increase the
energy for that patient and also to
provide other foods for families and
guests and staff and I thought was
interesting I'm not gonna remember it
but though the floor what the floor is
made of
is even help yoga for the environment
right the floor is made out of linoleum
really an organic compound linseed oil
so it really provides no volatile
chemicals it really again enhances that
healing environment for the individual
patient all right it's something that no
one wants to have to go through but if
you do it's certainly a place to
consider right here in Jacksonville
offering extraordinary care thank you
all for coming in to discuss it the
baptists MD Anderson Center it is
located here in San Marco you cannot
miss the building nine stories high in
addition to the center there is the
satellite location at Baptist Medical
Center that's an i-95 and old st.
Augustine Road