Medical Construction & Design

JAN-FEB 2016

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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Access has now been granted with the recent open- ing of the Texas Center for Proton Therapy in Irving, Texas. Construction on the 63,000-square-foot center began in May 2013 and was completed and opened to the public in October 2015. While access to this type of therapy is limited due to high expenses for the advanced and complex technology that proton therapy requires, its benefi ts in treating certain cases of cancer are high. Cancerous tumors in sensitive areas, such as the brain, neck, head, lung and prostate, can be hard to treat with traditional radiation. Proton therapy can be the best solution for these types of cases. The advanced radiation therapy destroys cancer cells without attacking the healthy tissue nearly as much as traditional radiation therapy does. This is a critically impor- tant aspect when treating a child whose healthy tissue is still developing. The precision of the proton beams usu- ally allows a higher radiation dose to hit the tumor instead of the healthy tissue, while also increasing the chance the targeted tumor cells will be destroyed. Side ef ects are typically minimal and less se- vere than traditional radiation; treatment itself is painless. The Dallas area recognized these benefi ts and healthcare leaders, The US Oncology Network supported by McKesson Corporation, Texas Oncology and Baylor Health Enterprises, an af liate of Baylor Health Care System, brought this therapy to the area. Special requirements Similar to building any type of facility, there were challenges to overcome. Construction of this building entailed unique features due to the special type of therapy of- fered. Proton therapy requires complex technology. The main component is a cyclotron, a magnet-packed machine that accelerates proton particles to patients' cancerous tumors. The particles are delivered with pinpoint accuracy and done so through a 143-foot beamline, just shy of half the length of a football fi eld. The long length and complexity of the machine contributes to its weight equaling 220 tons, similar to the weight of 123 mid-sized cars. When begin- ning work on the foundation, it was discovered that the soil at the chosen site was very The healing garden provides comfort and a positive experience. > Warm wood tones and natural light create a spa-like environment. PROJECT TEAM: Texas Center for Proton Therapy General Contracting: Linbeck Group, LLC Architecture: CallisonRTKL Structural Engineering: Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc. MEP/FP: Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers, P.C. Civil Engineering: Raymond L. Goodson Landscape Architecture: TBG Cost Estimating: Linbeck Group, LLC Acoustics: Saunders & Associates Furniture Consulting: The Broussard Group 36 Medical Construction & Design | JA N UA RY/ F EBRUA RY 2016 | MCDM AG.COM

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