Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Forge New Collaboration to Advance Future of Adult Cancer Care; Announce Plans to Build Region’s Only Free-Standing Cancer Hospital

Laurie H. Glimcher, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) announced plans for a comprehensive new collaboration designed to advance the future of cancer care and build the region’s only independent, free-standing inpatient hospital for adult cancer patients.

The collaboration is designed to transform the future patient experience by improving access, by better integrating innovations at the bedside, and by offering high-value care. Building on both Dana-Farber’s and BIDMC’s legacies of excellence in providing compassionate, world-class patient care and innovative research, the collaboration focuses exclusively on cancer care.

While each organization will remain fully independent – including executive leadership, boards of trustees and philanthropy – the Dana-Farber Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Collaboration leverages the expertise of both institutions. The proposed state-of-the-art inpatient cancer hospital will operate under the license of Dana-Farber and provide adult medical oncology care. Together, Dana-Farber and BIDMC, with its affiliated physician group, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP), will establish a coordinated clinical and organizational structure for oncology care in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston.

“Cancer care has changed dramatically. Through this collaboration, our patients and their loved ones will benefit tremendously from Dana-Farber’s leading-edge scientific discovery and exceptional patient care. We believe this will position us to provide world renowned cancer treatment in outpatient and inpatient settings well into the future,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber. “Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the physicians of HMFP share our vision and are equally committed to ensuring a superior patient experience and advancing a collaborative focus on world-class cancer care and research that will benefit our region and the world.”

“Together, we are taking bold steps to transform how we care for individuals and families touched by cancer, expand equitable access to life-changing care, and harness the power of scientific discovery,” said Kevin Tabb, MD, president and CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health. “This collaboration and a dedicated, free-standing cancer hospital will be truly unique in Massachusetts. Our community needs and deserves both.”

At a time when our population is aging, cancer incidence is rising in younger adults and severity of illness is increasing, a forward-looking model maximizes the patient benefits of advanced technologies and treatment methods by accelerating the impact of discovery and innovation.

The state-of-the-art inpatient hospital will increase adult patient capacity. It will also create flexibility to incorporate the innovations and technology in cancer care that Dana-Farber’s and BIDMC’s researchers and clinicians are developing every day. Located adjacent to existing Dana-Farber and BIDMC facilities in Longwood, the proposed new cancer hospital will support both seamless patient care and continued focus on research initiatives.

Pending regulatory approvals, it will take several years to implement the cancer collaboration and construct the new cancer hospital. Dana-Farber’s current affiliation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital for inpatient and surgical care, long-renowned for its positive outcomes and high-quality patient care, will continue through the transition. BIDMC’s nationally recognized independent oncology programs will also continue until the new collaboration is in place.

Outpatient oncology care at Dana-Farber’s existing locations in Boston, Chestnut Hill and other regional campuses will not be interrupted. Likewise, the cancer institute’s partnership for pediatric cancer care with Boston Children’s Hospital will not change. Beth Israel Lahey Health will also continue to invest in advancing cancer services at BIDMC and at its other hospitals, fulfilling their commitment to provide access to extraordinary care in community settings.