Oregon Health & Science University is ready to open the doors to its newest and largest inpatient expansion in years.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The $650 million project, financed primarily through bonds<\/a> with additional philanthropic support, marks one of the largest recent expansions of hospital bed capacity at OHSU\u2019s Marquam Hill campus. The university medical center\u2019s last major bed expansion there was the Peter O. Kohler Pavilion addition<\/a> at OHSU Hospital about 20 years ago.<\/p>\n OHSU President Dr. Shereef Elnahal said during a media tour of the building Tuesday that the project tackles two persistent problems at once \u2014 the growing demand for cancer care and a chronic shortage of hospital beds<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s only academic medical center.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that we have the second fewest number of beds in the country,\u201d Elnahal said. The new tower, he said, addresses \u201csome incredible problems that OHSU has had with capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, Elnahal said the Vista Pavilion was deliberately designed around the emotional reality of cancer treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery single design decision was made with the patient in mind, knowing that they are here with a life-changing diagnosis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n OHSU leaders said that shift will free up beds elsewhere on OHSU\u2019s medical campus, helping reduce emergency department crowding and shorten delays for patients waiting to be transferred from smaller hospitals around the state.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people in hospitals talk about\u201d putting patients first, Druker said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to just do it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Vista Pavilion rises on the former site of OHSU\u2019s School of Dentistry, located between the Casey Eye Institute and Doenbercher\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital. University leaders said the site was the only viable location on the steep, tightly built Marquam Hill campus for a major inpatient expansion. <\/p>\n Its V-shaped design reflects that limited footprint, Elnahal said, and creates a central open space landscaped as a garden visible from patient floors.<\/p>\n Elnahal said the Vista Pavilion\u2019s 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 \u2014 particularly those undergoing bone marrow transplants \u2014 often stay hospitalized for weeks at a time.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 and to give them something engaging to focus on as they walk the halls during treatment.<\/p>\n Druker said the project is closely tied to the Knight Cancer Institute\u2019s broader push to expand cancer treatment and research.<\/p>\n