OHSU’s Vista Pavilion to expand cancer care, free up beds

Oregon Health & Science University is ready to open the doors to its newest and largest inpatient expansion in years.

On April 7, OHSU expects to admit its first patients to the Vista Pavilion, a 14-story tower on Marquam Hill that will add 128 cancer treatment beds and expand access to specialized cancer care in the state.

The $650 million project, financed primarily through bonds with additional philanthropic support, marks one of the largest recent expansions of hospital bed capacity at OHSU’s Marquam Hill campus. The university medical center’s last major bed expansion there was the Peter O. Kohler Pavilion addition at OHSU Hospital about 20 years ago.

OHSU President Dr. Shereef Elnahal said during a media tour of the building Tuesday that the project tackles two persistent problems at once — the growing demand for cancer care and a chronic shortage of hospital beds.

The expansion comes as Oregon has ranked near the bottom nationally in adult hospital beds per capita. OHSU leaders say the shortage has intensified pressure on the state’s only academic medical center.

“We know that we have the second fewest number of beds in the country,” Elnahal said. The new tower, he said, addresses “some incredible problems that OHSU has had with capacity.”

At the same time, Elnahal said the Vista Pavilion was deliberately designed around the emotional reality of cancer treatment.

“Every single design decision was made with the patient in mind, knowing that they are here with a life-changing diagnosis,” he said.

The Vista Pavilion is expected to open nearly full. OHSU currently has about 125 cancer inpatients, many housed in Kohler Pavilion, according to Dr. Brian Druker, CEO of the Knight Cancer Institute. Most of those patients will move into the new tower.

OHSU leaders said that shift will free up beds elsewhere on OHSU’s medical campus, helping reduce emergency department crowding and shorten delays for patients waiting to be transferred from smaller hospitals around the state.

Druker said he has had patients remain in outside hospitals for days because OHSU did not have an available bed, even when they needed specialized cancer care that could be provided only in Portland.

“A lot of people in hospitals talk about” putting patients first, Druker said. “We’re going to just do it.”

The Vista Pavilion rises on the former site of OHSU’s School of Dentistry, located between the Casey Eye Institute and Doenbercher’s Children’s Hospital. University leaders said the site was the only viable location on the steep, tightly built Marquam Hill campus for a major inpatient expansion.

Its V-shaped design reflects that limited footprint, Elnahal said, and creates a central open space landscaped as a garden visible from patient floors.

Elnahal said the Vista Pavilion’s interior reflects modern hospital design standards that favor private rooms, larger bathrooms and space for family members to stay overnight. He said many cancer patients — particularly those undergoing bone marrow transplants — often stay hospitalized for weeks at a time.

Inside, the corridors are lined with large-scale artwork featuring Oregon landscapes, a design choice Druker said is intended to create a calmer atmosphere for patients who may spend weeks in the hospital — and to give them something engaging to focus on as they walk the halls during treatment.

Druker said the project is closely tied to the Knight Cancer Institute’s broader push to expand cancer treatment and research.

Druker said the recent $2 billion philanthropic pledge from Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny Knight, will support OHSU’s efforts to streamline the patient experience after diagnosis, including patient navigators and other staff who help coordinate appointments, testing and treatment.

“We’re going to make it easy,” Druker said, describing a goal of reducing delays and confusion during what can be an overwhelming period for patients and families.

Druker said hospital leaders have been planning and hiring for the new building since 2022 and expect it to be fully staffed when it opens. He said the Knight philanthropic commitment will help fund expanded support services — including patient navigators, social workers, nutritionists, exercise therapists and mental health counselors — and support program growth over time, rather than covering routine hospital staffing.

The building’s next phase, Druker said, is expected to include an acute symptom management space and short-stay infusion services aimed at keeping some cancer patients out of the emergency room, along with expanded diagnostic capabilities to speed evaluation when cancer is suspected.

Meanwhile, the 530,000-square-foot Vista Pavilion is opening at a time when OHSU — like many hospital systems — is facing financial pressure, including uncertainty over potential Medicaid cuts and other funding changes.

Asked whether the university could end up with a gleaming new tower but not enough resources to sustain everything it hopes to do inside it, Elnahal said that “nothing is guaranteed.”

Still, Elnahal argued that expanding cancer services is central to OHSU’s long-term strategy — both to meet a growing statewide need and because cancer services can bolster the hospital’s finances, helping offset other services that are reimbursed at lower rates.