The Sarasota Memorial Hospital Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute's vision is to provide patients with the full continuum of modern cancer care — from diagnosis and intervention to survivorship care — all close to home under one roof. The new nine-story Oncology Inpatient and Surgical Tower supports that vision by providing specialty programs for breast, GYN, GI/colorectal, and lung cancers, as well as prostate/GU, neuro-oncology, melanoma, and hematologic subspecialties.

The intent of consolidating these inpatient services was an important first step on campus and further establishes the commitment of Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) to become a destination center for cutting-edge cancer care and treatment.

As a follow-up to its strategic planning and site selection master plan, Flad assisted the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System in expanding its inpatient and surgical footprint on campus, while establishing a larger oncology presence in the community.

Situated on a constricted urban campus, this premier 175,000-square-foot building utilizes the hospital's infrastructure to support the facility. The prominent location on campus provides the institute with a visible presence at the front entrance to the hospital while also meeting the system's primary goal of seamless connectivity.

It responds to the tight floor-to-floor heights of the existing 1980s-era main building, Waldemere Tower, as well as a parking garage. In making these connections, the desired heights for modern healthcare and the environments included within this building are still met. Additional challenges of the site included ensuring the location was connected to inpatient services, supported critical operational flows, provided appropriate access off the adjacent highway to the site, and allowed for a patient-friendly, destination center environment.

At the ground level, the facility connects three buildings to help enhance the connectivity and experience for patients, while also providing a convenient layout for vehicles to enter the campus. Flad and SMH worked together to analyze the existing entrance approach and discharge and determine how it could be simplified to decant the discharge from the main circle and reduce congestion at the front entry. This work was included as part of the site mobilization, but will also remain after construction is completed.

Within the building, nine state-of-the-art operating rooms, each designed to support robotics, are outfitted with a ceiling air distribution system that directs airborne particles and contaminants away from the area of the patient and OR staff. The system also incorporates lighting integrated within the system and provides better lighting over the operating table.

Fifty-six private patient suites move the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute from its existing semi-private rooms to help support the patient experience during a typically longer length of stay. Within the unit are centralized collaboration areas for staff and conference rooms in a variety of sizes to support tumor boards of a multitude of sizes, all of which encourages a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients. The center is capped by a rooftop café that provides a place of respite for both patients and staff, offering views to Sarasota Bay from inside as well as from the rooftop patio.