Siteman Cancer Center celebrates future location at Memorial Hospital East

Siteman Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the region, celebrated Feb. 22 the start of construction of its newest facility, at Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh, Ill. Washington University Physicians in Illinois Inc. will provide specialty cancer care to patients when it opens in early 2020. The event featured cancer patients and their physicians coming together to sign a steel support beam that will become part of the building.

Siteman – based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis – is known for its exceptional cancer care. Its NCI designation recognizes the cancer center’s scientific leadership, resources, and breadth and depth of clinical and laboratory cancer research. Siteman also is one of the top 15 cancer centers nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “2019 Best Hospitals” rankings, which consider survival rates, patient services and other factors.

“What a privilege it is to be in Southern Illinois,” said Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, Siteman director and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor at the School of Medicine. “Siteman Cancer Center has long wanted to be an even bigger part of this great community. Siteman at Memorial East will offer a welcoming, calming environment where patients will receive the most advanced cancer care. This includes access to state-of-the-art technology and to hundreds of clinical trials offering investigational cancer therapies, which are largely unavailable elsewhere in the region, except at other Siteman locations.”

Construction is underway on the $38 million, 70,650-square-foot medical office building at Memorial Hospital East, 1404 Cross St., that will include Siteman’s sixth location overall. The facility will replace a temporary location at 4000 N. Illinois Lane in Swansea, where Siteman has been operating since last year.

The following Washington University* health-care providers, now practicing at Siteman’s Swansea location, will move to the new location when it opens. They will be joined by additional physicians in the future.

• Medical oncologists William J. Popovic, MD; Alfred O. Greco, MD; Guillermo Rodriguez Jr., MD; John L. Visconti, DO; Nishant Poddar, MD, and nurse practitioner Alicia Carmack, and
• Radiation oncologists Susan J. Laduzinsky, MD, and Jason Lee, MD, PhD, and nurse practitioner Rhonda McCabe.

The new facility will accommodate multidisciplinary care with radiation oncology and chemotherapy services, and will provide access to therapeutic clinical trials, which are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative cancer therapies. By participating in a clinical trial, patients can gain access to investigational therapies that are not widely available to the public. For the convenience of patients, the new location also will include a diagnostic laboratory and a pharmacy.

“We are very excited to bring Siteman Cancer Center to the Memorial East campus,” said Mark J. Turner, president of Memorial Regional Health Services Inc., which includes Memorial Hospital East and Memorial Hospital Belleville. “This will provide convenient, world-class cancer treatment services to residents throughout the entire region.”

BJC HealthCare, which owns and operates Memorial Hospital East, is building the three-story structure, which also will include clinical space for non-cancer care providers affiliated with Memorial and BJC Medical Group of Illinois.

Other Siteman Cancer Center locations at BJC-affiliated facilities include:

• Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis, home to Siteman’s main outpatient facility and the new Barnes-Jewish Hospital Parkview Tower for cancer patients who require hospitalization.
• South St. Louis County, near Interstate 55 and Butler Hill Road.
• Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County.
• Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in west St. Louis County.
• Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital in St. Charles County, Mo.

Registered nurses coordinate care at all Siteman facilities through the Patient Care Coordination Center. To make an appointment, call 800-600-3606 toll-free from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays, or visit www.siteman.wustl.edu.

* Clinical services in Illinois provided by Washington University Physicians in Illinois Inc.

Siteman Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital East
1404 Cross St., Shiloh, Ill. 62269

Anticipated completion: Early 2020
Total cost of medical office building, including medical technology: $38 million
Total square feet: 70,650
Square feet Siteman will occupy: 22,000 for medical oncology, 17,000 for radiation oncology

External and internal architect: Archimages
Structural engineer: David Mason + Associates
Civil engineer: Glasper Professional Services Inc.
Mechanical, electric, plumbing and fire protection engineer: IMEG Corp.
Senior project manager: Christopher Dean, BJC HealthCare
Design project manager: Louisa Hardwrict, BJC HealthCare
Contractor: Impact Strategies