'One-stop shopping.' Cancer care on Cape Cod to be boosted with new Hyannis center

HYANNIS — The $215 million Peter and Pamela Barbey Patient Care Tower is taking shape on the campus of Cape Cod Hospital and is expected to serve patients in its cancer center by this time next year, said Cape Cod Healthcare President and CEO Michael Lauf.

The brand-new Davenport-Mugar Cancer Center will take up the first two floors with a third floor dedicated to cardiology and fourth floor to medical surgical space, he said. The third and fourth floors will be completed but not opened until a connector is built between the new and existing buildings to allow for access to support services.

The new facility will include 36 oncology infusion bays on the first floor and 32 new medical surgical beds on the fourth floor.

"You'll be able to have your blood work done, you'll be able to ensure that if you need imaging, that'll be done," said Lauf in an interview with the Times. "Your oncology drugs will be compounded and provided there. It will be one-stop shopping for cancer treatment."

One-stop shopping for cancer treatment

The Barbeys donated $10 million from the Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust in October 2021 to the capital campaign. Peter, Pamela and their son, Matthew, direct donations from the trust, which is named after Peter's father. It was the largest donation in Cape Cod Hospital's history.

"Our goal is to build programs that serve and invest in people and patients so the Cape can be strong," said Lauf.

Increase in cancer patients at Cape Cod Hospital

Cape Cod Healthcare has seen a 15% increase in the number of patients who receive all their cancer treatment at its facilities. The population of Barnstable County is the oldest in Massachusetts and third oldest in the country and the likelihood of someone getting cancer increases the older they get, Lauf counted among the reasons behind the bump.

He also noted the hospital's partnership with the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative has given people an additional amount of trust, and the hospital strong physicians, oncologists, and hematologists.

"We work as a team," said Lauf. "I think all those things in concert have led to this big increase in numbers and demand and we certainly are expanding our cancer care network to meet those issues."

Housing crisis poses challenge for hospital

Lauf said he believes the new facility will require hiring about 40 new workers.

He named the housing crisis as a major obstacle when it comes to recruiting. He pointed to a nursing assistant who is working two or three extra shifts per month because her landlord increased her rent and she cannot afford it otherwise.

"We keep dragging our feet as a community ... we need to collectively decide as a community, 'Is housing important to us?' and change the approach because it's not working," said Lauf.

In recent years, Cape Cod Hospital sold a significant portion of its 40-acre Wilkens campus off Attucks Lane in Hyannis to New England Development to create a housing complex.

"We're going to have to be creative because I don't think the market will ever respond to meet the needs of our community ... we're going to have to think a bit differently as much as I've resisted saying that, I think we're going to have to," said Lauf.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X @zanerazz.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Increased need for cancer care, services on Cape, hospital CEO says