New York Proton Center, New York state’s first proton therapy facility, opened its doors today in East Harlem. A consortium of three New York City-based health care institutions—Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Montefiore Health System and Mount Sinai Health System—will begin sending patients and providing clinical expertise to the new center. ProHEALTH, a multi-specialty health care network, provides back end business support for the center.
Combining the expertise of radiation oncologists from nationally regarded health systems with state-of-the-art proton beam technology, the $300 million, 140,000-square-foot facility will be a beacon of top-quality cancer care nationwide.
With a large number of patients coming from its consortium hospital partners, in addition to patients and other providers seeking out the latest in radiation oncology technology, New York Proton Center will also be one of the busiest proton centers in the country, serving as a vital resource for those in the New York metro region.
“Proton therapy has proven highly successful in treating a wide variety of cancers and has increasingly become an integral tool in reducing side effects and preserving quality of life,” said Dr. Charles Simone, New York Proton Center’s Chief Medical Officer. “Patients throughout the tri-state area and beyond now have access to the most advanced radiation treatment currently available.”
“The opening of this facility represents an unprecedented commitment to the future of cancer treatment,” said Dr. Simon Powell, Chair of Radiation Oncology at MSK. “New York will continue to lead in the struggle against cancer by offering groundbreaking treatment for many of our most vulnerable patients.”
“Cancer therapy is more effective than ever, but the combination of the number of treatments, keeping track of them, and getting to and from each appointment is grueling for many,” said Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, FACRO, professor and chair, Radiation Oncology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “Through our research at the New York Proton Center, we can now explore novel ways to better target and time a form of radiation that spares healthy organs in a way that has never been possible until now. Today marks the beginning of an improved care treatment process and era where people can live longer, but also enjoy healthier cancer-free lives.”
“This center will not only provide metro area patients with an extremely high level of care, but it will serve as the site of clinical trials that hold the potential to significantly influence the way we treat cancer,” said Dr. Kenneth Rosenzweig, Chair of Radiation Oncology at Mount Sinai. “Our mission is to deliver both clinical excellence and innovative research that saves lives today and in the future.”
“With its unique consortium model of clinical partners, this proton facility is well-positioned for success,” said Allan Freeman, Chief Executive Officer of New York Proton Center. “We intend to deliver an unparalleled patient experience leveraging the most advanced proton technology available anywhere in the world.”