The Moncrief Cancer Institute will unveil its $22 million cancer center today in the Fort Worth Medical District. The organization will hold an invitation-only dedication at 11:30 a.m. and conduct an open house at 4 p.m. at 400 W. Magnolia Ave.
The 4-acre, 60,000-square-foot facility includes Moncrief’s Community Survivorship Clinic, along with an expanded fitness center, demonstration kitchen, and an education center featuring a 90-seat auditorium. It also includes areas for patient genetics counseling and evaluation for participation in UT Southwestern-based clinical trials of newly developed drugs.
The institute is a nonprofit cancer prevention and support center. An affiliate of UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center since 1999, the staff includes social workers, dietitians, nurse educators, genetic counselors, clinical psychologists, and a medical bill consultant.
Other services include:
- Colon cancer screening and research prevention program with patients at JPS Health Network, supported by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
- A telemedicine facility to serve patients in outlying counties.
- Mobile mammography screenings in 19 counties in collaboration with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas Health Resources, and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
For nearly 50 years, Moncrief was a radiation center, located at 1450 8th Ave. In 2006, it began to offer other cancer services. It changed its name to Moncrief Cancer Institute in 2010 to reflect its new focus on cancer prevention, survivorship, and research. The institute serves about 30,000 people a year. Moncrief officials hope to expand that number with the new facility.
Steve Jacob is editor of D Healthcare Daily and author of the new book Health Care in 2020: Where Uncertain Reform, Bad Habits, Too Few Doctors and Skyrocketing Costs Are Taking Us. He can be reached at [email protected].