The Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center recently illuminated a symbolic “lantern of hope” at the new cancer facility scheduled to open in September in Gilbert, Ariz.
The four-story lantern is fashioned out of water-jet cut metal with cutout patterns of organic leaves inspired by the Palo Verde tree. The Palo Verde plays an important role in the sustenance of the Sonoran desert, providing nesting sites for birds and protective climates for the plants that live under its canopy.
It is illuminated externally by the sun during the day, reflecting the Palo Verde leaf pattern on a white fabric membrane just behind the cutout metal. At night, the lantern is illuminated from within by soft colors of light, an eternal light of hope for cancer patients and their families. The Lantern of Hope is lit in honor of those who have fought or will fight cancer in their lifetimes.
When open, the new cancer center will deliver care to patients in Arizona through the collaboration of Banner Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution.
When the cancer center opens, patients will be cared for in a new three-story 133,000-square-foot outpatient center supported by 76 beds on two floors inside Banner Gateway Medical Center. The outpatient center will house physician clinics, medical imaging, radiation oncology, infusion therapy and many support services.
Banner Health Foundation has launched a campaign in support of the project. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.org/BannerFoundation. Banner Health Foundation, the philanthropic resource for Banner Health, secures and stewards charitable contributions to advance Banner Health’s mission of making a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care. Charitable contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations are invested locally to support programs and services in Banner’s nonprofit hospitals and health care facilities throughout Arizona.
About Banner Health
Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 23 acute-care hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics, home care and hospice services, and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For seven of the past nine years, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in “America’s Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
Images courtesy of Mark Skalny Photography
