1 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
2 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
3 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
4 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
5 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
6 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
7 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
8 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
9 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
10 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
11 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
12 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
13 of 13
Courtesy of Mercy
The David M. Sindelar Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital South (formerly Saint Anthony's Hospital) is slated to open to patients in South County on August 10. The stand-alone facility will provide patients with "the latest and best technology in every aspect of their care," says Dr. Shaun Donegan, medical director of medical oncology at Mercy South.
The center was originally supposed to open in March 2020, but bad winter weather stalled production and pushed the opening date back to mid-June. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the project's opening to August.
In addition to Mercy offices and a nutritious-focused café, the two-story, 78,000-square-foot facility will house the Rooney Breast Center, a dedicated entrance for breast center patients, imaging services (MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray. PET, mammography, bone densitometer), infusion center (which includes a virtual aquarium), and radiation oncology services.
Among the radiation oncology services is a linear accelerator (a machine that uses high-energy X-rays or electrons penetrate tumors' cancer cells without harming the surrounding tissue), called the Accuray Radixact, that is one of just six in the United States.
Courtesy of Mercy
With the number of COVID-19 cases rising in the St. Louis area, Donegan says they want to ensure the facility has adequate screening protocols and protections in place. "Oncology, in general, has not been affected [by the COVID-19 pandemic] from a patient load standpoint—the cancer has not stopped," says Donegan.
The facility offers patients integrative resources, ranging from acupuncture and therapy massages to mindfulness, meditation, and tai chi, Pilates, and yoga. An on-site boutique sells wigs and makeup specifically for cancer patients. Patients also have access to pastoral care, a chapel, financial and emotional counselors, and nurse navigators who will assist patients throughout their journeys.
"Cancer affects people emotionally, spiritually, nutritionally," Donegan says, "so we have been able to take all of this and say, 'How do we take care of the whole person and not just the cancer?'"
