$12 million oncology unit makes life more comfortable for patients

Jonathan Steele’s first reaction when he checked into the new Hope Unit at the Medical University of South Carolina: “Wow!”

Steele, who was there to be treated for acute myeloid leukemia, loved the airy new oncology unit. “Unbelievable,” he said. His room overlooks the Ashley River. “It’s beautiful. The sun sets out of here.”

The Hope Unit sits on the top floor of MUSC’s Ashley River Tower, with 42 beds for cancer patients. Hospital leaders celebrated its opening November 13 with a ribbon cutting, offering tours of the unit. 

Hematologist-oncologist Robert Stuart, M.D., said the Hope Unit is the latest in a series of developments that have dramatically improved care for cancer patients, tailoring the technology and amenities to their needs.

“In 1985, the Medical University Hospital was an open bed hospital. There were no specialized nursing units,” Stuart said. That slowly changed over the years. First, he said, MUSC created a 12-bed unit for hematology and oncology patients. Then the unit doubled in size, grew some more and moved to what was the new Ashley River Tower. 

He said the new Hope Unit, a $12 million project, is the next step in ensuring MUSC cancer patients get the cutting-edge care they need in an environment designed to make them as comfortable as possible. That’s due in great part to the nurses, who had a lot of say in how the unit was laid out.  

“This is a tribute to the excellence of our providers and mainly the nursing staff, because let’s face it – you’re in the hospital for nursing. You can get medical care in the outpatient setting,” Stuart said. 

The Hope Unit brings most oncology patients into one area, although there is still space in the main hospital for disease-specific treatments. The Hope Unit’s new features are considered especially important for people who are in the hospital for long stays, such as bone marrow transplant patients. It also has a four-chair chemotherapy infusion suite for patients who need weekend treatments, giving them access to the best support services.

Other improvements in design include hallway windows that let nurses monitor patients without disturbing them, and spacious rooms with flat-screen TVs and waterfall-style shower heads.

Family members have new amenities too, including a waiting area with views of the river, the marina and downtown, and a nurse-designed family area with a shower and washing machine.

Nurse Manager Katherine Wanstall, R.N., said the nurses loved helping turn the former administrative office floor into an oncology unit that makes patients feel welcome. “We wanted to take the walls down and put the glass up,” she said. “I think it makes it look much more open and brighter.”

Jill Meetze, R.N., the nurse who cut the ribbon, liked the fact that the new unit allows all of her team’s patients to stay in one area. “We have so many patients that our old unit wasn’t big enough. We had overflow into other areas.”

The unit brings new staff to MUSC as well, with about 50 new employees on hand to help care for patients. The medical center’s Chief Operating Officer, Matt Wain, called the Hope Unit a way for MUSC to give back to the community. “The unit enables our providers and our expertise to be shared with people who need it in a very difficult and trying time, and to do so with empathy and compassion.”

Steele, an avid fisherman who looked forward to getting back to doing the things he loves at home, left with kind words for the medical team that cared for him and the new Hope Unit. “I don’t have anything but praise for this place.”