Plans for New Academic Center at Allegheny General Hospital Revealed

By Rachel Leber

PITTSBURGH — Plans for a new academic cancer center at the Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh were revealed on March 7, 2018.

The new cancer center will be named the AHN Cancer Institute Academic Center and will provide patients with access to leading-edge cancer therapies in addition to hosting important cancer research, clinical trials and medical education for the AHN Cancer Institute.        

The plans for the new cancer center come from a collaboration between the Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network (AHN). The new facility is part of a $225 million commitment that the two companies have made to establish “a new paradigm in community-based cancer care,” according to a recent statement.

“The demand for expert cancer care is growing in our region, and so are the number of innovative treatment options available to patients today, from targeted therapies that zero in on tumors’ genetic profiles to new technologies that can eliminate the need for surgery,” said David Holmberg, president and chief executive officer at Highmark Health in a recent statement. “Our significant investment in the AHN Cancer Institute will not only greatly enhance our patients’ and members’ access to care, but also transform it through the extraordinary work of our caregivers and the advanced capabilities of the facilities we are developing.”

The new 90,000-square-foot facility has a budget of $80 million and is expected to open by the end of 2019. The architect for the project is Pittsburgh-based IKM Architecture.

The exterior of the new cancer center will feature blue faceted glass with an atrium that preserves the south tower’s historical features and connects to the hospital’s Magovern Conference Center and front rotunda entrance. Located adjacent to the AGH Imaging Center, the new academic center will provide cancer patients with access to all the advanced modalities that they may need during the course of screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.  

“With this new facility at AGH, we are establishing the academic core of a cancer care model that allows the vast majority of patients to be treated at the highest level in their own communities,” said David Parda, MD, and chair of the AHN Cancer Institute. “At our academic center, we will continue to care for the most complex cases, while also helping to advance our knowledge of this disease, develop new standards of care through research and clinical trials, and train the next generation of physicians and other cancer specialists.”