TOWSON, Md. — GBMC pledges to see every single one of its cancer patients within three days of their initial diagnosis, which is no small task considering they handle 12 thousand cases each year, but Philanthropists Sandra and Malcolm Berman saw some room for improvement in the care, and it had nothing to do with the quality.
“We have seen the strength and resilience it takes to face cancer,” said Sandra Berman, “As Malcolm’s caregiver during his treatment, I found it difficult to get him from one appointment to the next.”
The hospital’s sprawling campus, a sign of its success, now provided a new challenge.
“Our infusion center where most of the chemotherapy is given is in that building, Pavilion West. The radiation is given over here. The rest of the hospital and surgery is over there, so it’s all over the place in terms of the patient's care,” said Berman Cancer Institute Medical Director Dr. Paul Celano.
The medical center cut the ribbon on a new pavilion on Tuesday, which carries Sandra Berman’s name and is destined to serve as the future of cancer care combining coordination, convenience, and compassion under a single roof.
The pavilion will offer a single destination if a patient wants to meet with a surgeon or a doctor or even if they want to get a diagnostic test done.
It is a level of service that has drawn gratitude from Maryland’s governor.
“We had people who, despite the fact that they’re going through one of the most complicated moments in their life, that we still weren’t making it easy enough for them to get the care that they needed and they deserved,” said Gov. Wes Moore.
Now, with the help of a generous couple whose names already grace philanthropic buildings across the region, the future is now and that level of care has arrived.
