Aug 2, 2023 _ news

Breaking Ground on a New Cancer Care Center in Santa Fe, NM

CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center (CSVRMC) recently hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for their new regional oncology center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Known for a highly personalized approach to cancer care, CSVRMC’s new facility will help provide choices in how individuals experience care while also enhancing the staff’s collaborative workstyle.

The new building we’ve designed is organized to make all patient destinations accessible from a central path. Referred to as “the Paseo” –a common street designation in Santa Fe, which means promenade or stroll–this area is where patients and families arrive, check-in, and connect with staff. From this artery, patients and families will be able to see the variety of services available to them as they undergo treatment, including a teaching kitchen and coffee shop. The Paseo is designed for both public moments (like socializing with other patients and families) and intimate conversations (such as treatment updates from doctors) “Patients at CSVRMC are greeted by name and cared for like family,” says GBBN Associate Principal Michael Grage, part of the design team working on the project. “The Paseo design responds to this familial style by carving private areas for conversation within a public space so not every consultation has to happen in an exam room.”

The Paseo’s east and west exterior walls respond to the qualities of the light in the morning and afternoon; its placement in the center of the facility will help protect the busiest part of the building from the day’s harshest light. At 7,000 ft above sea level, and with an average of 300 sunny days per year, the sun in Santa Fe is a significant factor driving the design. The south facing piece of the building will host diagnostics, while the north facing piece will house treatment, taking advantage of views out.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, CSVRMC President and CEO Lillian Montoya noted, “The cancer center is going to allow us to expand our care to the entire regional community, including many that actually make the drive up from Albuquerque to receive care here in our regional cancer center.”

Want to know more about our oncology work? Read about our 2022 Oncology Symposium, our insights around the oncology revolution, or how building design can help reduce stress in cancer care environments or see our work on the Thomas M. and Eugenia S. Thomas Center for Comprehensive Care.

GBBN (Designer of Record) is collaborating with Hartman + Majewski Design Group (Architect of Record) on this project.