A culmination of seven years of research and planning, the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai provides state-of-the-art medical care, blended with compassion and support for patients as they deal with the challenges presented by their disease. Cedars-Sinai’s nationally ranked, integrated oncology program determined it was time to literally elevate holistic healing by moving its flagship cancer center out of the basement of the main hospital and co-locating clinics and infusion services on the seventh floor of its Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion.

The HGA-designed Samuel Oschin Cancer Center comprises 41 exam rooms, 53 infusion bays and support spaces with an efficient organizational layout, comforting interiors and improved patient amenities. The design was guided by a vision for the space to optimize workflow and satisfaction for all users, while providing a nurturing and healing healthcare environment.

HGA applied the evidence-based approach for which the firm is known to the project, ensuring the design took into consideration the distinct concerns and varied needs of staff, patients and their families alike. Cedars-Sinai’s patient experience team and oncology leadership contributed significantly to the research process by providing crucial insights that ultimately helped to solidify important design decisions supporting patient comfort, clinical outcomes and operational efficiency.

As a result of responses gathered during the research phase, HGA settled on a design organized by “neighborhoods” which produce a home-like environment with an emphasis on feelings of safety, comfort and hope. The design concept focused on the hypothesis that this kind of neighborhood environment would increase patient satisfaction by creating communities of care that promote familiarity with the space as well as the people within it. Not only does the neighborhood concept benefit patients in this way, but it also supports medical staff by ensuring all of their job functions can be conducted within the same area alongside the team members within their specialty, reducing treatment durations in addition to travel distances and, ultimately, improving throughput.

Aesthetically, the design creates a hospitality-driven space that’s easy to navigate, infused with natural light and filled with soft, comfortable seating and eye-catching art. HGA’s planning team was deliberate in creating the neighborhood environments to facilitate the sense of community for the patients. Simultaneously, the team focused on maximizing natural light with views of the 360 degrees of windows from deep into the space, visible from most patient and staff areas. The interior design supports the neighborhood concept, applying textures and tones that allude to the local Los Angeles landscape. A neutral palette of ash wood as well as white and sand terrazzo floor tiles and carpet mimic the local hills. Finishes and upholstery found throughout the space in shades of camel, creams, aqua and teal reflect both the warm tones of the land and the blues hues of the ocean and often cloud-free sky.