October 29, 2008
Hope Lodge opens in Boston
AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center, Boston
Cancer patients who must travel to Dana-Farber or other area hospitals for their care will now have an elegant and convenient place to stay — for free.
Located at 125 South Huntington Ave. in Jamaica Plain, only a mile from Dana-Farber, the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center in Boston officially opened today. The 50,000 square foot facility is the third American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in New England, and 28th in the nation.
Built on the site of the former Vincent Memorial Hospital, the lodge will enable the American Cancer Society to provide up to 14,600 nights of free, temporary housing each year to hundreds of cancer patients and family members who must travel far from home to Boston for treatment.
The new facility includes 40 spacious private suites, shared cooking and dining facilities, a library, and healing garden. In addition, the building houses an American Cancer Society Community Resource Center, available for community programs and patient services. Guests will receive free transportation to treatment, counseling, and other vital support services.
"A cancer diagnosis is hard enough, but having to travel for care and find a place to stay can bring greater hardship," says Janet Porter, PhD, Dana-Farber's chief operating officer. "We are thrilled that Hope Lodge is opening as it will offer a home away from home for our patients and families. We are so grateful to the American Cancer Society for their leadership."
Patients interested in staying at the center must live at least 40 miles or a one-hour drive from the facility, and priority is given to people seeking three or more nights of lodging. Director Bryan Harter expects the average length of stay to be six to eight weeks, based on the experience of the other lodges.
Since the Hope Lodge in Boston campaign began in 2004, more than $26 million has been raised. Dana-Farber invested $2.5 million in the project, followed by gifts of $2 million each from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. These gifts enabled the American Cancer Society to purchase the site. Several additional gifts have been received from individual philanthropists, organizations, and foundations, while the $7 million naming gift came from AstraZeneca LP.
— Christine Cleary
christine_cleary@dfci.harvard.edu
