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Buffett Cancer Center to transform patient care

Posted at 6:52 PM, May 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-22 19:52:21-04

The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is expected to transform the way doctors and patients tackle cancer.

That's the goal of the state of the art 10-story building.

The $323 million dollar center is the largest public-private project ever for Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

"What happens inside this facility is going to revolutionize cancer care," said Dr. Daniel DeBehnke.

Inside the patient rooms, you'll see a difference.

"Each of these rooms are custom designed, they involved all of the highest technology that’s available," said UNMC Chancellor Dr. Jeffery Gold.

You'll see open windows allowing plenty of sunlight and nice views. There's television flat screens to help the patient know who is helping them during their stay.

"I wear my ID tag it knows who I am, it puts my name up on the screen and tells the patient and family, who I am, what I’ve done what I do for the patient," said Gold imitating a staff member.

Outside the rooms, the nursing stations are not clustered, but instead between the rooms where the nurses have better access to the patients.

"And they all have portals where the patients can actually be seen by the nurses while the nurse is on the phone," said Gold.

Where the staff works, there already people working. There's many rooms where students and doctors collaborate on the best cancer treatments.

The center puts a huge emphasis on the healing arts where there's displays of Chihuly structures dotting the campus.

"Create that feeling of transporting people to who are struggling with the treatment of cancer or our staff who are treating cancer," said Gold.

This center comes full circle for one woman who is a nurse at Nebraska Medicine and will work on the eighth floor in the building.

“I had to go through high-dose chemo therapy for an entire week and then receive my stem cell transplant,” said Nisha Harris, who believes this gives her a unique experience to deal with cancer patients, “I can have like a little extra touch to kind of give my patients the support and the encouragement that they need.”

The Buffett Cancer Center opens June 5th to the public.