Baylor building Cancer Center in Dallas that will rival MD Anderson in Houston (Richardson: 2011)

[Dangerfield]

By JASON ROBERSON / The Dallas Morning News

Baylor Health Care System on Friday expects to announce plans for a $350 million, 450,000-square-foot cancer center, featuring a 120-bed cancer hospital and the largest outpatient cancer center in Texas.

The outpatient center will border Hall and Worth streets near Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas at 3500 Gaston Ave. It is scheduled to open in 2011, according to senior Baylor executives.

Construction of the cancer hospital will begin in 2010, with completion scheduled for 2013, the executives said.

"When completed in 2013, it will be our goal to be a nationally and internationally renowned cancer care" said Joel T. Allison, president of Baylor Health Care System.

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is currently the state's only dedicated cancer hospital. That facility is typically ranked among the nation's top cancer resources, along with the likes of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Donna Bowers, vice president of oncology services at Baylor Health Care System, estimates it will take Dallas' cancer center 10 years before it reaches that level of worldwide renown.

Baylor Health Care is the third-largest hospital system in North Texas, based on the number of beds and market share. Texas Resources Inc. and HCA North Texas are larger, according to HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a Nashville, Tenn., market research company. Baylor has 2,082 beds at its 15 hospitals and is the fifth-largest employer in North Texas, with 16,500 workers.

The Baylor system had a combined net income of more than $280 million on net patient revenue of nearly $2 billion in its 2006 fiscal year, according to Billian's HealthData, an Atlanta market research firm.

In May 2005, Baylor's senior executives and oncologists began brainstorming about the possibility of a cancer center, said John B. McWhorter, president of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

"We noticed individuals leaving North Texas, going to M.D. Anderson and the Mayo Clinic, seeking cures for various." Mr. McWhorter said. "We wanted to be a destination center, but we needed to make some changes."

About that time, Mr. McWhorter also got new studies showing that the hospital system was improving in its detection of cancer, another point of encouragement.

The 13-member board gave unanimous support to formal plans after Mr. McWhorter and his staff presented the data and the potential to keep cancer patients in Dallas.

Details about hiring plans, the estimated economic impact and how the center will be financed will be released Friday during a news conference that will include Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

About the new facility

Location: Hall and Worth Streets, south of Worth

Cost: $350 million

Size: 450,000 square feet

Scheduled opening: cancer center scheduled to open in 2011; cancer hospital scheduled to open in 2013

Number of hospital beds: 120

Services offered: full range of cancer-related services, including radiation, chemotherapy, pain management and complementary medicine such as massage and support groups.

SOURCE: Baylor Health Care System

[FalconheadWest]

The cancer hub they just built in Richardson is supposed to be better and more high-tech than the Houston one. I should be opening in the next month or so, at George Bush and Renner. It's less than 1/2 mile from my house.

[Lakewooder]

BTW the DART rail station at Baylor opens in less than one year. Most of Deep Ellum has been bought up by three developers, and two other stations are opening (Deep Ellum and Fair Park) right in there...also Baylor has some more expansion plans they are still keeping under wraps. City Lights has the green light - we shall see if it happens (it's a West Village like development on Live Oak at I-45).

So this area could really be a hub in the next few years.

[AK123]

Unless it plans to get itself ranked as the #1 or #2 cancer hospital in the country, good luck being able to compare with M.D. Anderson.

[the14me]

Baylor has always had a top tier cancer research center. They are looking to expand the market not take away from M.D. Anderson, they are several hours away from Houston. The same research and cancer drugs are used at Baylor that currently are used at M.D. Anderson. Baylor has an outstanding cancer center, and by far the best in north Texas.

[MurphyPl1]

My father received treatment for Acute Leukemia in the last two years at UTSW - Zale Lipshy. OUTSTANDING treatment. His age and some other health issues had far more to do with his death than the quality of treatment and service.

And Richardson Regional's Cancer Center is where one of my employees is receiving treatment for testicular cancer (Lance Armstrong's mom is a top tier supporter so that cancer is definitely a priority.) He has been very pleased with the center.

[Lakewooder]

Credit to jsoto:

Project Website and Webcam

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Website:

The New Cancer Center

Webcam:
EarthCam Construction Camera

Second crane going up.