Neely Clinic: "Comfort, Support, and Hope"
by Samantha Wood / Boston BruinsBoston, MA – Together with his family, Boston Bruins Vice President and Hockey Hall of Famer Cam Neely cut the ribbon to the Neely Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic yesterday in the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center.
“We’re excited to open up this new space here,” said Neely. “One of things we tried to do to help cancer patients and their families is provide comfort, support and hope and a better environment.”
The facility features a tree house theme, with a cheerful playroom, reception area and several state-of-the-art treatment rooms. The goal is to allow children and their families to “feel like they’re alive when they walk through these spaces,” according to Neely.
The 5,000 square-foot clinic was designed by a team of architects, with input from hospital staffers and space-planning specialists. They set out to ensure the floor plan was as intuitive and comfortable as possible for both the children and their families.
The new playroom is especially important, as it will act as an oasis for children awaiting treatment. It was donated by the NHL, in partnership with the Companions in Courage Foundation (CiC).
CiC, founded by Pat LaFontaine, has built similar rooms in hospitals all over the country, to help sick children find relief from long days spent receiving treatment.
“You want a nice, cheery environment to help you feel positive about what you’re going through,” said Neely. “As I mentioned, in some of the other spaces we’ve done, we’ve tried to give that environment where they feel much better when they walk through the doors.”
The Cam Neely Foundation was established in 1995 in memory of Cam’s parents, Marlene and Michael Neely, who lost their battles with cancer. 15 years later, the foundation has raised over $25 million, going to support…
- The Neely House
- Neely Cancer Fund
- The Neely Center for Clinical Research
- The Neely Cell Therapy and Collection Center
- The Michael Neely Center for Brain Tumor Care and Research
- Neurosurgery Department and Outpatient Clinic
- Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Operating Suite
- Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Outpatient Clinic
Plans are already underway for even more projects, including the new Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit.
Neely emphasized the importance of the patients’ families when dealing with cancer, as they can be a source of strength, while at the same time can share the heavy burden of the disease. So, explained Neely, the design of the oncology clinic paid careful attention to them as well.
“The family members have a tough time because most everything’s out of their control, and they can give as much support as possible, but they want to do so much more,” Neely said. “As a family member, you want to do so much more.
“So how do we help the patient and the family cope with that they’re dealing with? A lot of it is just our tagline, ‘Comfort, support, and hope.’”
Click here to learn more about the Neely Foundation and learn how you can help.