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Imagine a place where health care,
innovation and commerce intersect.
You can never accuse H. Lee Moffitt of thinking small. His dreams were big in 1978 when he first envisioned a cancer center for Tampa, Florida, and 35 years after Moffitt Cancer Center opened, we are still striving for greatness. If we continue growing at our current rate, in 2050 we will be eight times bigger than we are today. There’s no way to accommodate that on our existing campuses plus do all the things we are dreaming about. So, the solution is simple: we need to think bigger. What could we do with ten times as much space?
We opened our imaginations and began to plan for the future.
Bigger than Downtown Tampa and located in Pasco County near the future intersection of the Suncoast Parkway and Ridge Road Extension. It will be easily accessible from Tampa International Airport and major interstates.
The multi-year, multi-phase project will include lab, office, manufacturing and clinical space. It could also be home to classrooms, teaching kitchens, health clubs and a performing arts center.
The campus will be a magnet for biotech and life sciences enterprises and innovation that will bring together new partners and collaborators.
Moffitt also has approximately 500,000 square feet of leased square footage that includes administrative functions, Moffitt International Plaza and Moffitt Wesley Chapel.
Imagine driving up a tree-lined entrance that accentuates the natural beauty of Florida with native plants, trees and water features. From the moment you step onto campus, you will feel an immediate sense of peace and belonging. The buildings will blend seamlessly into the land, connected by green spaces that offer quiet, shaded areas for patients and caregivers.
The buildings are designed in a ‘hub-and-spoke’ model with outpatient, inpatient and research buildings near other centralized services, such as radiology, labs and imaging. Retail, hotels and restaurants will also be located in hub zones. All the buildings are connected by footpaths and fully accessible light rails, making movement around the campus easy and convenient.
Everyone who enters will feel like they are experiencing five-star concierge level service. The moment you park, your care team will be alerted you have arrived. You will be greeted by a concierge team and given a mobile device to track wait times and help you navigate the campus.
Moffitt aims to be the global epicenter for personalized oncology care, offering next-generation and personalized treatments like carbon ion therapy.
Treating cancer in ways that are more biologically effective and individualized
Carbon ion therapy is up to four times more effective than traditional radiation
While the therapy was discovered in the U.S. in the 1970s, there are currently no carbon ion treatment centers in North America. The technology is only available at a handful of centers in Asia and Europe.
While traditional radiation uses light particles or protons, carbon ion therapy uses linear energy transfer. The therapy involves accelerating carbon ions to two-thirds the speed of light then “painting” the tumor with the radiation beam.
Carbon ion therapy is the epitome of personalized treatment. Using the power of a supercomputer, the treatment will be tailored to your disease and how you are responding to treatment in real time.
Because carbon ions are heavier, they deliver even more cancer-killing power. They can also kill cancer cells which are resistant to traditional radiation therapy. The treatment can be delivered more precisely into cancer cells, resulting in less chance of damage to surrounding organs and tissue.
The future of cancer treatment relies heavily on using cellular immunotherapy to harness the body’s immune system to fight the disease. With state of the art equipment and collaborative biotech partnerships, Moffitt can create an internationally known cell manufacturing facility.
While our immune system acts like a personal army protecting us from disease, sometimes cancer cells can slip past the defense system. T-cells are a special type of white blood cell equipped to identify and defend us against foreign threats. Through cellular immunotherapy, Moffitt scientists can genetically engineer a patient’s own t-cells to make them seek out and destroy cancer cells.
During the manufacturing process, Moffitt scientists use a variety of molecular methods to boost the fighting power and specificity of a patient’s collected t-cells. Millions of these modified cells are grown on site in certified clean rooms.
After going through extensive testing, the engineered cells are frozen and prepared to be shipped back to a partner facility or directly to Moffitt patients. The reprogrammed cells are ready to be introduced back into the patient and go to work detecting, attacking and destroying the previously masked cancer cells.
Moffitt produces products that support a network of facilities that advance cellular therapy research. Due to its close proximity to Tampa International Airport and major highways,engineered cells can be shipped quickly and easily across the world, broadening the universe of patients that can be treated by these emerging therapies.
Building a smart hospital digitally connected to the community and the world. It will also lead the way in environmental stewardship by using alternative energy sources and striving for net zero energy consumption.
Imagine a home to Florida’s fastest supercomputer. By harnessing the power of AI, we can revolutionize the way we perform research and deliver personalized cancer care.
Everything is high-tech, low-touch and user friendly. You can navigate around the campus seamlessly with way finder applications. Technology will also aid in transportation, helping with parking and electric shuttles.
Smart buildings optimize environmental control, striving for net zero energy consumption. That can be combined with using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
This will not be a concrete jungle, but rather a mixture of nature and innovation. About half of the land will not be developed to preserve the beauty of the area. The natural, green areas foster a sense of serene, healthy living.
Moffitt has the ability to impact cancer care by providing personalized treatment and groundbreaking research, it also will serve as an economic hub for the region. Offering endless opportunities for community and business partners, the campus will bring about 14,500 jobs to the area and connect the community with resources to live healthier lives.
Have an idea of what you would like to see for the future of Moffitt? We want to hear from you.
Fill out the form and check back to see your vision and others’ on the vision board.
