New Yale cancer center opening soon

New Haven (WTNH) - The Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital is slated to open next month.

News Channel 8's Jocelyn Maminta got a tour of the new center from the physician-in-chief, Dr. Tom Lynch.

"The cancer center is organized around disease teams which will reflect the different cancer a patient has. So if you're a leukemia patient or a transplant patient, you'll be taken care by the leukemia or the transplant disease team," Dr. Lynch explained.

Prostate cancer survivor Jim Zielinski knows all too well the benefit of a patient centered multi-disciplinary facility.

"At that time, I did have to travel around Fairfield County a good bit for various tests that I had before I eventually came here for cancer surgery," he said.

There is a waterfall in the lobby, bridges with scenic views of the Elm City and a healing garden.

"By having a facility like this where some of that anxiety can drip away and in the ease with which the medical delivery system can function for you, will make it so much less stressful on the patient and family," Jim said.

But more important than the decor is the latest in clinical trials, treatment and technology, including a surgical suite with an MRI magnet, one of the first in the world.

"This will allow a neurosurgeon, for example, who is doing brain surgery to get real time imaging of how the operation is going and tell how much of the tumor is taken out, how much normal brain is left," Dr. Lynch said.

The Smilow Cancer Hospital will be dedicated on October 21st and open for patients in limited areas on October 26th. It should be fully operational by spring.