Shands HealthCare broke ground on the Shands at the University of Florida Cancer Hospital, a $388 million investment to bring state-of-the-art cancer treatments to North Central Florida. The 500,000-square-foot facility will house 192 private inpatient beds for a variety of patients, including those receiving diagnostic and therapeutic oncology services. It also will include a Critical Care Center for emergency- and trauma-related services.

The Shands at UF Cancer Hospital will be located across the street from the Shands at UF medical center on Southwest Archer Road. Site preparation and demolition began in April 2006. Construction is scheduled to start in January 2007 and be completed in 2009.

Inpatient services will include:

* General oncology surgery
* Thoracic-oncology surgery
* Gastrointestinal-oncology surgery
* Orthopaedic surgery
* Medical hematology/oncology (cancer- and blood-related diseases)
* Bone marrow transplant
* Otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat)
* Urology
* Gynecology
* Emergency surgery

Other medical services and outpatient services will include:

* Operating rooms
* Intensive Care Unit
* Full spectrum of radiological capabilities (e.g. CT, MRI, interventional)
* Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic
* Critical Care Center (trauma- and emergency- related services)

The cancer hospital complex is designed to be a welcoming, family friendly place. It will offer a healing garden, a Cancer Patient Resource Center, training rooms, and a conference center with public space for community health fairs, screenings and educational workshops on health issues such as cancer prevention and treatment.

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