Naperville cancer center expansion aims to add comfort

Cancer doesn't come with a lot of choice.

No one chooses the disease, and no one would choose to spend their days hooked up to an IV as medicine slowly drips in that will fight some ailments and cause others.

But a $3 million renovation to the Edward Cancer Center in Naperville aims to give patients a bit more control over the environment where they receive infusions of chemotherapy.

Work that's expected to begin this summer will add two private infusion areas with beds for patients to endure treatments that can take as longs as six hours. The center now offers 32 treatment chairs - most of them in a large open space overlooking a pond and a few along one wall that offer some privacy.

"Some patients just need the comfort of a bed," said Derrick Smith, RN and clinical leader at the cancer center.

The two private treatment areas will be added as the cancer center overhauls the infusion space and expands the waiting area in a project expected to wrap up by 2018.

The center sees 100 to 150 patients a day for a total of more than 56,000 patient visits last year, so the work will help ensure all who need cancer care will have the space.

The first phase of the project, completed in February, added a new nurses station and seven exam rooms, to bring the total to 20, and a consultation room where doctors can gather. In recent years, the 11-year-old facility has added doctors including a surgical oncologist, a breast surgeon and two plastic surgeons.

"Cancer, like a lot of things these days, is really a team approach," said Jenna VanGilder, administrative director of cancer services and Plainfield campus operations for Edward Hospital. "We feel strongly about getting all the physicians into one room together."

Smith said the room also comes in handy when a doctor wants to share updates with a patient's family.

"Some patients get bad news so they need an area where they can regroup," Smith said.

As crews renovate the infusion area, they will remove the nurses station from a nook in one wall. Four smaller nursing stations will be added throughout the space.

"We want to be a little bit closer to keep in line with what the patient needs," Smith said. "Just to see us more can help."

Patients say they appreciate the large windows and outdoor views in the infusion area. But they're looking forward to seeing the renovations complete to gain more choice of the setting for their treatment.

Smith said any small change that can make a cancer patient more comfortable is worth it because it could help relieve their stress - something nurses also try to do.

"I enjoy the patient interaction, giving them an opportunity to release," Smith said. "Sometimes they come with uncertainties and I like to let them know they can give some of that up."

The Edward Foundation aims to raise $1 million for the renovation with a Campaign Against Cancer. For details, contact Meghan Moreno, Edward Foundation executive director, at (630) 527-5956 or visit edwardfoundation.org.