Built on the skeleton of a defunct Tucson hospital, the crown jewel of the new University Medical Center North Campus — the cancer treatment clinic — will open to patients on Monday.
Located at the site of the former Tucson General Hospital and using its original steel frame, the new outpatient Fasseas Cancer Clinic took 16 months to build at an estimated cost of nearly $30 million.
Starting Monday, all patients once treated at the Arizona Cancer Center next to University Medical Center, at 1501 N. Campbell Ave., will go to the new clinic a couple of miles north, at 3838 N. Campbell. The cancer center will be devoted entirely to research.
The new two-story clinic is the first building on the 17-acre UMC North Campus, to be joined later by separate facilities for radiation oncology, ambulatory surgery and imaging services. The next project to break ground at the site will be a Ronald McDonald House to provide lodging for pediatric patients and their families.
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Named for major donors Peter and Paula Fasseas, the cancer clinic offers comprehensive cancer treatment and access to clinical trials testing experimental drugs and therapies. More than 800 cancer patients have appointments during the first week, and 110 UMC nurses and other staffers have relocated to the new clinic to care for them.
"It is one of the most modern cancer treatment centers in the United States and will allow us to greatly expand the depth and breadth of our award-winning research programs for common cancers and hematologic malignancies," said Dr. David Alberts, director of the Arizona Cancer Center, in a statement released Friday.
Taking a holistic approach toward the treatment of cancer, the clinic also will offer patient support groups, nutritional counseling, therapeutic massage and a healing garden.
Among its special features:
● The Sunstone Cancer Resource Center, with a lending library, community information, referrals, counseling for survivors and families, and treatments such as reiki, reflexology, healing touch, shiatsu and massage.
● A salon designed and donated by Gadabout SalonSpas to help patients cope with hair loss and other side effects of cancer treatment.
A $5 million donation for the clinic from the Fasseas family was announced last month by the UA Foundation.
"What makes this gift so special for us is the deep roots our family has in Tucson, spanning generations," Peter and Paula Fasseas said in a statement. "We hope the Fasseas Cancer Clinic will serve to cure and preserve life for countless individuals for many years to come, providing hope, care and cutting-edge science to help people and their families through their most difficult times."
Founders of the Metropolitan Bank Group, the largest private bank holding company in Illinois, the couple divide their time between Tucson and Chicago.
A formal grand opening for the new clinic is planned for Feb. 18.
