PRESS RELEASE: UMass Memorial and UMass Medical School open new Ambulatory Care Center

WORCESTER, Mass.— With the opening of the Ambulatory Care Center—a gleaming nine-story patient care and research facility—UMass Memorial Health Care and the University of Massachusetts Medical School today ushered in a new model of academic medicine that combines world-class patient care with world-class research to benefit the health of residents across Central and Western Massachusetts and beyond.

All four of the UMass Memorial Health Care Centers of Excellence will have a significant presence in the 258,000-square-foot Ambulatory Care Center along with key components of the Medical School's clinical research enterprise. The state-of-the-art facility incorporates the most current earth-friendly and sustainable methods available, reflecting the institutions' commitment to patient care, groundbreaking research, and the environment.

"The design and creation of this building are a testament to the patient-centric mission and values of the staff at UMass Memorial Health Care and our partners at the University of Massachusetts Medical School," said John O'Brien, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care. "The Ambulatory Care Center is bright, comfortable, energy-efficient and easily accessible, aimed at meeting patients' needs in the most pleasant and efficient way possible."

"We take very seriously our responsibility to care for over one million people in central Massachusetts," said Michael F. Collins, MD, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and senior vice president for the Health Sciences. "This building is a potent symbol of the strategic commitment our institutions have to discover and transform knowledge into health and to improve the lives of those for whom we have the privilege to care, now and into the future."

Commitment to Patient-Centered Care
The four UMass Memorial Health Care Centers of Excellence (Heart and Vascular; Orthopedics; Cancer; and Diabetes) will have a significant presence in the Ambulatory Care Center, which will accommodate 183,000 patient visits each year. Caregivers will work side-by-side with clinical researchers, providing exceptional care today and easy access to clinical research trials that will help bring the latest breakthroughs in technology and therapies to their patients tomorrow.

Many of the conditions and illnesses treated by the physicians and staff of these Centers of Excellence cross disciplines. The space in the Ambulatory Care Center allows for physicians, nurses, researchers and other members of the care team to work collaboratively under one roof, combining their varied and broad expertise for the benefit of patients who require seamlessly coordinated care among specialists. Patients with diabetes, for example, may need to consult with endocrinologists, nutritionists and cardiologists for optimal care. The Cornerstone electronic medical record project will also connect all patient data and clinical results within the building to providers throughout the UMass Memorial Health Care system via a secure network.

"By bringing together teams of clinicians, spacious treatment and exam rooms, access to clinical research opportunities, and services such as radiology and testing all under one roof, we have created a truly patient-focused facility in the Ambulatory Care Center," said Walter H. Ettinger, MD, president of UMass Memorial Medical Center.

Dedication to Clinical Research
The Ambulatory Care Center will allow all UMass Memorial patients to capitalize on UMass Medical School's world-renown research enterprise by accessing cutting-edge clinical trials. Located on the first floor of the building, the new Conquering Diseases Clinical Research Center will include a Clinical Research Suite for conducting clinical trials, along with a community engagement area where patients and their families can learn more about how to participate in research studies. Community and patient collaboration are critically important in the evolution of new therapies to treat debilitating diseases.

The building will also house the Conquering Diseases Biorepository Program through which patient volunteers provide de-identified blood and tissue samples for biomedical research. The Biorepository Program is poised to quickly expand and store plasma, DNA and RNA data that will enable researchers to further their understanding of the disease process. DNA and RNA have been at the forefront of UMass Medical School research, most notably when researcher Craig Mello, PhD, was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his co-discovery of RNA interference - gene silencing by double-stranded RNA.

The opening of the Ambulatory Care Center comes at an exciting time for UMass Medical School's research enterprise. In July, the National Institutes of Health awarded UMass a prestigious, $20 million, Clinical and Translational Science Award which is intended to accelerate the process of turning laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients.

"The Ambulatory Care Center is a truly unique facility in which clinical care and clinical research are blended seamlessly with each center of excellence, bringing the highest standard of current care together with the cutting-edge innovations that will be the future standard of excellence," said Terence R. Flotte, MD, executive deputy chancellor of UMMS and dean of the school of medicine.

Sharing the vision of the future of clinical research in the region, the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation provided a challenge grant to support an innovative program in clinical research and education. The $12.5 million grant has helped to fund the capital build-out of the Ambulatory Care Center, as well as recruitment and staffing costs related to programs to be housed in the building.

Patient- and Earth-Friendly Design Elements
Seeking to create a facility that would meet the needs of the patients, doctors and researchers for whom it was being built, Architect Payette Associates, Inc. of Boston and design builder Consigli Construction Company of Milford worked closely with UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Medical School staff in designing many elements of the Ambulatory Care Center. Patients also provided input and feedback to the design process and the results include: 
• 60 private or semi-private infusion rooms with expansive views over Lake Quinsigamond.
• dressing spaces immediately adjacent to exam and treatment rooms;
• radiology services close to clinics; and
• convenient parking in adjacent garage and optional valet parking services.

The Ambulatory Care Center was also designed with green, sustainable features to contribute to a healthy, earth-friendly environment for patients, staff and the community. These features include:
• maximized daylight reaching interior spaces;
• lighting controlled by occupancy sensors to reduce power use;
• energy-efficient heating and cooling systems;
• recycled materials included in carpet, rubber floors, ceiling tiles, and countertops; and
• construction waste recycled to minimize material sent to landfills.

About UMass Memorial Medical Center
UMass Memorial Medical Center is the advanced tertiary care referral center for Central New England. The Medical Center is offers a full complement of sophisticated technology and support services necessary to provide the region with specialists renowned for their work in areas such as cardiology, cancer, diabetes and orthopedics. Visit www.umassmemorial.org for additional information.

About the University of Massachusetts Medical School
The University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the fastest growing academic health centers in the country, has built a reputation as a world-class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in clinical and basic research. The Medical School attracts more than $240 million in research funding annually, 80 percent of which comes from federal funding sources. The mission of the Medical School is to advance the health and well-being of the people of the commonwealth and the world through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery with its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care. For more information, visit www.umassmed.edu.