Beth Israel Needham Tops Off New Cancer Center

The last piece of the structure of the new cancer treatment center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center–Needham went into place on Thursday afternoon.

At the topping off ceremony, hospital staff, construction crews and Needham Selectmen and others stopped in to sign the steel beam. After a few remarks, the beam itself was hoisted up and put into place at the top of the building.

The white metal beam was decorated, and hoisted into place with an evergreen tree and an American Flag. Hospital CEO John Fogerty explained that the tree represents good luck and growth in the new building, and the American Flag is a tradition which dates back to the assembly of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

To make way for the new building, an administrative building on the campus was demolished last week. Demolition began and finished on April 1. The hospital broke ground on the treatment center in April, which is expected to be completed in 2014. This is phase two of a larger plan to make healthcare in the suburbs of Boston more accessible.

For an idea of what the cancer center will look like, see the video on Beth Israel's website. 

According to an announcement posted Oct 2011, the new cancer center in Needham will house to radiation oncology services which were previously provided at BIDMC’s facility in Waltham. The facility closed in July 2011 when Children’s Hospital Boston, which owns the building, decided to use it for their purposes. Since then, patients of the Waltham site have received their treatment here in Needham.