MountainView Hospital in Nevada is introducing a groundbreaking cancer treatment option with the opening of a new “day hospital” specialized in treating patients with acute leukemia, certain lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. Part of the Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, this facility allows patients to stay within the state for treatment and return home at the end of the day, eliminating the need for lengthy out-of-state trips.
The hospital’s new $3 million, 12,000-square-foot center features examination rooms, infusion stations, and specialized procedure rooms. This initiative is part of HCA Healthcare’s network and marks its ninth cellular therapy and transplant program in the U.S. Alongside patient care areas, a stem cell therapy lab for cell processing and storage is also under construction.
Dr. Carolyn Mulroney, the center’s medical director, highlighted the previous need for patients to travel to neighboring states for such treatments, often requiring long stays away from home. The program, which began in 2021, has already performed 80 procedures, including Nevada’s first CAR T-cell therapies and allogeneic transplants.
CAR T-cell therapy involves modifying a patient’s own cells to target cancer, while allogeneic transplants use donor stem cells. The new outpatient facility will allow patients meeting certain criteria to undergo treatments during the day and return home at night, promoting a sense of normalcy and potentially aiding in recovery, according to Maria Rios, the program’s administrative director.
The center aims to address the needs of patients who previously had to seek treatment elsewhere or chose not to undergo treatment due to the inconvenience and cost of travel. The facility will begin accepting patients starting Monday.
