Cancer patients and their families are at the forefront of the design of the new Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant Unit at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.

Hospital leaders, physicians and patients celebrated the official opening of this new inpatient unit in the Weaver Tower with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 27. It will provide support for patients undergoing cellular therapy and stem cell transplantation for hematological cancers, as well as other complex cancer treatments.

Baptist Health President and CEO Matt Zuino spoke passionately about the impact this new unit will have not only for the patients in need of treatment but for their families as well, pulling from his own experience watching his mother and two of his uncles undergo cancer treatments at the same time.

“Cancer is one of those conditions – it’s not just the patient; it’s everyone. It impacts everyone…But what today is, is a celebration of advancement, and where now we’re able to bring even more advanced treatments to our cancer patients and to our community,” said Zuino.

With that in mind, LeeAnn Mengel, RN, MBA, CMPE, FACHE, vice president and administrator at Baptist MD Anderson, said the new unit was designed wholly around the needs of the patients, seeking input from them to help shape what their experiences and the experiences of their families would be when they came to the unit for their treatments.

“The thing we heard most from cancer patients is, ‘I don’t want to see cancer when I’m up here. I want to see life. I want to see what I’m going to get back to,’” Mengel said. “…So that’s what this program meant: It’s meant to share what life will be when they come through.”

The Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant Unit would not be possible without “the power of philanthropy,” Mengel added, which is more than simply funding a new unit in the wing of a hospital. It’s sending a message to patients that support for them extends beyond the four walls of a hospital and into the community at large.

“It’s about saying, ‘You matter. You’re not just a number, and there is a cheerleading team out there rooting for you,’” Mengel said.