Javon Bea Hospital Cancer Institute Expansion

Mercyhealth

BWBR partnered with Mercyhealth to design a new Cancer Institute that consolidates the existing Rockton Cancer Center program into a single facility on the Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside Campus in Rockford, Illinois, offering the community access to the cutting edge of cancer treatment. Enhancing the patient experience was key, with a focus on creating a healing environment through natural light, tranquil views to the prairie, private treatment spaces, calming materials, and intuitive circulation. Since the linear accelerator and the CT simulator were new from a previous upgrade, the team was tasked with integrating the existing equipment into the new space.

Operationally, the addition unifies Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Infusion, and Support Services in a cohesive, patient-centered environment. The Cancer Institute was carefully integrated into the broader Riverside Campus, with pedestrian and patient pathways that support ease of access and continuity of care. Although this was a new building, the Institute needed to connect to the existing medical center, re-use an existing drive/canopy, accommodate future expansion of the campus to the west, and incorporate the visual language of the Mercyhealth brand.

Senior Design Leader Matt Sanders quantifies the project’s impact this way: “The Mercyhealth Cancer Institute was a great opportunity to design something that will have a direct impact on individuals going through a difficult time.”

Project Partners: Dunham Associates, ERA Structural Engineering, Loucks Inc.