Area hospital within a hospital for cancer patients opens

FORT MYERS —The Gulf Coast Medical Center’s inpatient cancer center, what Lee Health officials call a hospital within a hospital, recently opened and is now treating patients.

Named the Regional Cancer Center, the facility will occupy the entire seventh floor and provide comprehensive inpatient cancer care under one roof, new technology and ease of access for Southwest Florida residents, according to a statement. The Regional Cancer Center currently has an outpatient center at the Sanctuary in Fort Myers, and the new inpatient center at Gulf Coast Medical replaces inpatient services previously available at Lee Memorial Hospital.

“Our consolidation of cancer care services is another way Lee Health is demonstrating its continued commitment to provide the best service and care for our patients,” says Lee Health President & CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci. “Patients don’t have to travel elsewhere for exceptional care. Our specialized board certified medical professionals help guide patients through their journey and provide them with the treatment, support and resources they need in one location.”

Solely dedicated to treating cancer patients and providing support to their families, the inpatient center features 72 patient beds, spacious private rooms filled with sunlight, therapy and treatment options, cutting-edge technology and more.

“Besides the actual cancer treatment, the team at Regional Cancer Center at Gulf Coast Medical Center goes even further by integrating the social, psychological and palliative care aspects of care, ”says Dennis Bruens, Vice President of Oncology and Palliative Care Services at Lee Health, in the release. “Since its inception, Regional Cancer Center has brought together the best providers under one roof. More than an expansion, the new floor was developed to be a care destination and an example of a cancer program at its pinnacle.”

The Regional Cancer Center at Gulf Coast Medical Center provides:

·       Operating rooms dedicated to cancer surgery;

·       Inpatient chemotherapy;

·       Examination rooms;

·       Onsite testing;

·       Sub specialty physicians with special cancer training;

·       Supportive care for toxicity and other complications from treatment;

·       Surgical robots for less invasive procedures;

·       Access to the latest research and clinical trials;

·       Cancer-specific pathology and radiology;

·       Genetics evaluation; and 

·       Cancer-specific rehabilitation.