Smilow Cancer Hospital celebrates 10th anniversary

A nationally acclaimed hospital for patient care and research

New Haven, CT (Oct. 28, 2019) – Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven celebrates 10 years since it opened its doors to a new state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient 500,000-square-foot cancer care facility. Since that day in October 2009, Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center have risen to the top echelon as one of the nation’s comprehensive cancer research and care facilities, providing advanced care to patients and families and pioneering cancer research.

“When we opened Smilow Cancer Hospital a decade ago, we knew it would be a game-changer for cancer care in the state of Connecticut,” said Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO of Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health. “The progress we have made in research and in new ways to treat and care for our patients has been nothing short of phenomenal and today we celebrate those advances.”

“What our physicians, scientists, nurses, caregivers and staff have been able to accomplish for patients in Connecticut and the region in the last decade is astonishing,” said Charles Fuchs, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Yale Cancer Center and Physician-in-Chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital (SCH). “We are so proud that Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center have grown into a premier cancer center in Connecticut, around the country, and the world.”

Today, SCH is home to hundreds of highly skilled physicians and nurses who provide care in 13 multidisciplinary cancer specialties. Since its opening, achievements include:

• Growth to more than 235,000 outpatient visits per year.
• Launched and expanded the Smilow Cancer Hospital Cancer Care Centers to 15 throughout Connecticut and in Rhode Island.
• Connecticut’s largest provider of cancer care – treating more than 45% of the 20,000 patients diagnosed with cancer annually in the state.
• Increased direct cancer research funding to more than $99 million a year.
• Opened a record number of clinical trials (300 now available) providing the most advanced cancer therapies, including a state-of-the-art Phase I Clinical Trials Infusion Unit for patients on phase I trials.
• Research firsts including successful immunotherapy treatment and novel drug therapies across the gamut of cancer, including melanoma and cancers of the lung, head and neck, stomach, breast, kidney, and bladder.
• Increased specialty services for patients including: Survivorship care, genetic counseling, screening and prevention education, tobacco treatment, integrative medicine, pain management, Onco-dermatology service, Cardio-oncology service, support groups, cancer boutique, exercise & nutrition support, and complementary services.

This anniversary also offers an opportunity to acknowledge the transformational gift by Joan and Joel Smilow and many other donors who made the launch and continued development of SCH possible.

“It’s gratifying to think of the many patients who have been cared for by our dedicated and talented doctors, nurses and other medical providers over the years and the researchers who have advanced treatments to identify new life-saving cancer therapies,” said Fuchs. “We look forward to continuing to lead the advancement of cancer medicine for our patients and their families in the years to come.”

The SCH anniversary will be marked throughout the year by employee and donor events and research and patient education symposiums and will conclude with the tenth annual Closer to Free bike ride on September 12, 2020.

For more information visit Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven is part of the nationally recognized Yale New Haven Hospital, and is affiliated with Yale Cancer Center (YCC), one of only 51 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation and the only such center in Connecticut. Smilow Cancer Hospital, the most comprehensive cancer facility in New England, includes private inpatient rooms, multidisciplinary outpatient treatment centers, 12 operating rooms, infusion suites, diagnostic imaging services, and specialized women's and children’s services. Smilow Cancer Hospital also operates a dozen outpatient care centers across Connecticut. YCC and Smilow Cancer Hospital are members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 28 cancer centers in the U.S., whose mission is to improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of oncology care. www.ynhh.org/smilow.