From left, W. Robert Berkley Jr., chair, Greenwich Hospital Board of Trustees; Dr. Karen Santucci, chief medical officer, Greenwich Hospital; Carmen Elledias, former Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich patient; Pamela Sutton-Wallace, president, Yale New Haven Health System; Lori Pickens, senior vice president, Cancer Services, Yale New Haven Health System, Smilow Cancer Hospital and chief administrative officer, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine; Dr. William Oh, The Jean and David W. Wallace medical director, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital, director, Precision Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, professor of medicine, Yale School of Medicine; Bob Blenderman, PA, president, Greenwich Hospital. Photo courtesy of John Vecchiolla.
GREENWICH— Greenwich Hospital, Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) and Smilow Cancer Hospital marked a significant milestone in the future of regional cancer care last week celebrating the construction of the new Smilow Cancer Hospital within the walls of Greenwich Hospital.
The event brought together leaders from across all three health care organizations as well as clinicians, staff and community partners to commemorate the beginning of the hospital’s oncology campus transformation. Featured speakers included Bob Blenderman, PA, president, Greenwich Hospital; W. Robert Berkley Jr., chair, Greenwich Hospital Board of Trustees; and Dr. William Oh, The Jean and David W. Wallace medical director Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital and director, Precision Medicine, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.
“Reaching this milestone is the result of remarkable efforts from our Greenwich Hospital staff and board members, donors and friends in our community, Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale New Haven Health,” said Blenderman. “We are bringing a level of cancer care to the community that has never been seen before. The result of this project puts our patients at the center of forward-facing, multidisciplinary, world-class care throughout their entire cancer journey.”
Carmen Elledias, a former Smilow breast cancer and colon cancer patient from Bedford, NY, added some powerful testimony about her experience, highlighting the importance of innovative support close to home and the personalized approach to care offered in Greenwich.
Because the new Smilow Cancer Hospital is being built within the current footprint of Greenwich Hospital, the event featured a symbolic wall‑breaking ceremony rather than a traditional groundbreaking. Construction partner Consigli Construction created a temporary wall specifically for the event, giving the speakers and YNHHS leadership the opportunity to ceremonially “break through” and celebrate the start of the interior transformation.
The new hospital will expand access to leading cancer specialists and bring the pioneering research of Yale Cancer Center – Connecticut’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – directly to patients in Fairfield and Westchester counties.
“Expanding Smilow’s presence in Greenwich is essential to address the projected increase in cancer diagnoses in the region and provides a unique opportunity for individuals with cancer in the surrounding communities,” explained Dr. Eric Winer, president and physician-in-chief of the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale New Haven Health System and director, Yale Cancer Center. “We bring the highest quality cancer care and will be expanding access to clinical trials and innovative treatment options. Our goal is to ensure that patients locally can receive the best possible care with greater convenience and continuity.”
The project represents a major investment in the future of cancer care and, most importantly, in the patients and families the hospital serves. Renovations include a redesign and modernization of clinical spaces to bring together medical oncology, radiation oncology, infusion, surgical services, diagnostics and supportive care, creating a fully integrated cancer hospital within the existing Greenwich Hospital campus.
“The Smilow team in Greenwich has built a remarkable culture defined by expertise, compassion and the drive to push cancer care forward,” said Dr. Oh. “The innovations emerging from this campus, from precision medicine to advanced clinical programs, are elevating the standard of care for the entire region.”
Berkley added: “As we celebrate this historic moment at Greenwich Hospital and the commitment to our patients, we are also honoring the collaboration and commitment of dedicated friends, many of whom have chosen to support the realization of the new Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital through their philanthropy. I invite others to join us in helping make these advances possible.”
When finished, the new Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital will offer patients a seamless, state‑of‑the‑art, multidisciplinary healing environment designed to support them at every step. The entire project is set to be completed in early 2029.
Greenwich Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 206-bed community hospital serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County. Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven is one of the nation’s pre-eminent cancer hospitals, Connecticut’s largest provider of cancer care and the only comprehensive cancer facility in Southern New England.
