Mass General Brigham (MGB) has announced a substantial $400 million investment to bolster its cancer care capabilities, signaling a strategic move to establish the Mass General Brigham Cancer as a premier provider in the region. This initiative comes as the healthcare system prepares for the conclusion of its long-standing partnership with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2028.
President and CEO Anne Klibanski, M.D., revealed the ambitious plan to employees, outlining a four-year facility renovation project aimed at expanding the system’s cancer care infrastructure. The investment will also support the recruitment of leading oncologists and enhance clinical support staffing, ensuring the new cancer center is equipped with top-tier talent.
The comprehensive plan includes the implementation of a cutting-edge digital pathology platform, significant investment in patient navigation resources, and the creation of new office, research, and clinical spaces for teams currently housed at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. MGB will also undertake software upgrades and harmonize systems in areas such as radiation oncology and patient access, streamlining operations and improving patient experience.
These initiatives align with MGB’s ongoing efforts to establish the Mass General Brigham Cancer, its in-house replacement for its current cancer care arrangement. The decision follows Dana-Farber’s announcement in 2023 that it would build an independent, freestanding cancer hospital in collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, ending its partnership with MGB’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which has been in place since the late 1990s.
In her letter to employees, Klibanski emphasized that the investments and renovations are designed to ensure MGB Cancer is fully operational and ready to serve patients before the current agreement with Dana-Farber concludes in the fall of 2028. The renovation work will focus on refreshing three floors of Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Hale Building for Transformative Medicine and one floor of its Faulkner Hospital, supporting outpatient services, including infusion. The Hale Building, known for its advanced technology since opening in 2016, will facilitate collaboration among expert teams, such as specialists in the Neuroscience Institute.
Parallel to these renovations, MGB has already initiated work at Massachusetts General Hospital, where the newly named Herb Chambers Towers, within the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, will concentrate on cancer care. This follows a $100 million gift from New England car dealership chain owner Herb Chambers. MGB also plans to expand exam room and infusion services capacity at Massachusetts General Hospital-Waltham.
“Bringing the unmatched resources of our two great academic medical centers and our entire system together, we are one against cancer, building a brighter future for cancer care at Mass General Brigham,” Klibanski stated.
MGB has committed to ensuring a seamless transition for patients during the shift from Dana-Farber to Mass General Brigham Cancer. This investment in cancer care coincides with a broader restructuring of MGB’s clinical and academic teams, a multiyear process announced in March 2024. This restructuring aims to integrate experts from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital within unified departments, enhancing care coordination.
The announcement also follows recent cost-cutting measures by MGB, including nonclinical layoffs aimed at addressing a $250 million budget gap. The nonprofit, Massachusetts’ largest private employer, expects these cuts to save over $200 million annually. While MGB has not disclosed the total number of layoffs, The Boston Globe, citing unnamed sources, reports that approximately 1,500 positions out of the system’s 82,000 will be affected.
The $400 million investment in cancer care underscores MGB’s commitment to providing comprehensive and advanced cancer services, ensuring continuity and excellence in patient care as it transitions to its new in-house cancer program.
(Hero image credit: Mass General Brigham)
