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VCU Massey Cancer Center at the Adult Outpatient Pavilion is now open!

Located just off I-95, VCU Health’s new 17-story Adult Outpatient Pavilion is conveniently located at the corner of North 10th and East Leigh streets, on the MCV campus in downtown Richmond. The new 615,000-square foot facility consolidates under one roof 26 specialties previously housed across the MCV campus. Until now, these specialties were located at VCU Health’s Ambulatory Care Center, North Hospital and Nelson Clinic.

Massey occupies six floors of the new pavilion, offering cancer patients comfort and convenience — as well as new technology. This includes a new MRI-guided linear accelerator (MRI-LINAC), the only one between Pennsylvania and Florida.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) together with radiation therapy, the machine aims radiation at cancer tumors with pinpoint accuracy, sparing nearby healthy tissue. The MRI-LINAC enables Massey providers to fine-tune a patient’s treatment plan, personalizing and adapting each treatment in ways they could not before. Equipment such as this, as well as infusion therapy, a new wig shop and a new family lounge for cancer patients and their families, is all available within a short distance.

“Because of advances that NCI-designated cancer centers like Massey have made in treating cancer, oncology care is increasingly provided in the outpatient setting,” said Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey. “This new space represents Massey’s commitment to the best in outpatient cancer care and supports our vision of a future without cancer. New technology widens the scale and scope of people we can serve. Beyond providing more advanced treatment options, it also helps us expand clinical trials and attract the best and brightest minds to Richmond who want to help improve the health of cancer patients everywhere.”

In addition to clinical care, the new Adult Outpatient Pavilion offers wellness activities such as yoga and support groups. Two pharmacies, a laboratory and café are on-site, as well as designated spaces for quiet time between appointments.

The Pavilion is just steps away from a GRTC bus stop and has 1,000 on-site parking spaces for drivers.

Patient-centered focus from the beginning

To get to this moment, Massey leadership listened to cancer patients about what they wanted — making sure their hopes and dreams were front and center every step of the way. Massey also listened to its clinicians and staff and engaged with some of the top health systems across the country to completely reimagine what health care should look and feel like.

“At Massey, we keep our patients at the center of everything we do,” said Nathan Cunningham, M.P.H., director of patient experience at VCU Health. “An innovative facet of this building was that we included patients in every step — from the architectural design throughout the build, to the implementation and opening of the building.”

Every square foot of Massey at the Pavilion brings to life the cancer center’s commitment to “welcome” — an experience of trust and caring in the delivery of medicine. This includes making cancer care as accessible as it can be — to everyone.

Massey welcomes patients at the door

Massey will greet cancer patients at the door to provide a personal check-in experience and answer any questions. If preferred, patients may instead use the self-check-in kiosks. Afterwards, patients will be prompted by staff or signage to the dedicated waiting areas near the care and exam rooms.

To put patients at ease, Massey brought the therapeutic beauty of the outdoors inside. In waiting rooms filled with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, patients can take in views of Richmond while waiting for their care. Original artwork and nature photography span entire walls in the atriums. Even ceiling panels in imaging and diagnostic exam rooms feature starry skies, sunlit cherry blossom trees or fluffy white clouds.

“The building literally and figuratively provides a brighter outlook for patients,” said Rudene Mercer Haynes, a Massey Advisory Board member and cancer survivor.

Anxiety about finding your way to your doctor’s office, searching for parking or walking beyond your capabilities for prescriptions or lab work is a thing of the past. Massey’s core strategy involved making the pavilion easy to find and easy to navigate. The cancer center’s top-tier treatment space facilitates movement.

“The Adult Outpatient Pavilion is a pivotal chapter in our mission to make world class health care accessible for all,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D, president of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and VCU Health System. “It is our most ambitious and visionary building project yet. Most importantly, it’s a promise to be the answer to people who have run out of answers, and a space with superior patient experience that fosters learning, collaboration and healing.”

“It’s a tangible demonstration of the way health care should be,” said Tom Yackel, M.D., president of MCV Physicians.

VCU Health’s Adult Outpatient Pavilion will serve about 200,000 patients annually, with the ability to expand services over time for even more people.

Massey hopes this beautiful new building — with views in every direction  — fosters a healing and therapeutic environment from the moment patients arrive.