Inside Duke Medicine
Patient-centered amenities abound in the new Cancer Center facility
posted July 21st, 2011
As patients and families enter the lobby of the Cancer Center facility, they will step into a cozy, living room-style space with fireplace, sofas, chairs and decorative carpeting.
A nearby café will offer indoor and outdoor seating and a health-focused menu with fruits and vegetables from local farmers. Occasional cooking demonstrations will highlight healthy eating options for cancer patients.
The building also will include a Duke Cancer Patient Education Program resource center providing educational materials, computer kiosks and a skills lab for individual patient and family consultation.
There’s also a convenient retail pharmacy, open weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., so patients don’t have to stop on the way home to get their prescriptions filled.
As part of our commitment to caring for a full range of patient needs, a quiet room for meditation and personal reflection, featuring calming lighting and relaxation programs, will be open to patients, visitors and staff.
Many cancer patients see changes in their appearance as a result of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. A new shop will offer private spaces where patients can, for example, select a variety of head coverings and have consultations for post-surgical garments. As part of the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program, the shop will continue providing these services and items to patients free of charge, but some items will be available for purchase.
Registration is designed to improve flow and ease navigation in the new building.
Each clinic will have a spacious, comfortable waiting area with large windows. Volunteer-staffed hospitality stations will be located in each waiting area, serving refreshments and snacks to patients and families.
A focal point of the building is a central, five-story, light-filled atrium, which looks down on spiraling artwork filled with inspirational quotes from Duke cancer patients and friends.
Read other articles from the special issue of Inside Duke Medicine on the Cancer Center facility.