I live in Durham, North Carolina, so I have the opportunity to watch one of the nation’s finest health systems up close – Duke Health System. I’ve also had the opportunity to develop marketing strategies and campaigns for its major competitors over the years. Although I’ve constantly worked to position health care institutions against the Duke powerhouse, I’ve also admired them.
Yesterday Duke announced plans for a $700 million, 850,000 square foot expansion that will include a new cancer center and medical pavilion. The seven story cancer center will open in 2012 if all goes according to plan. The eight story pavilion will follow a year later. The projects are expected to generate 1,500 construction jobs (very timely) and 1,000 new positions once open and fully staffed. This should mean very good things for the local economy. Check out the story in the News & Observer at http://www.newsobserver.com/1005/story/1663154.html.
Meanwhile Duke has also been busy developing suburban clinics throughout the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, in addition to its acquisition of Durham Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital.
All of this comes just as UNC Health Care, 8 miles down the road in Chapel Hill, NC, prepares to open its new North Carolina Cancer Hospital. The dedication ceremony for that new facility is scheduled for September 15, 2009. It seems that the announcement of Duke’s new cancer hospital was strategically timed. Hmm?
Check out this video I found on YouTube of the NC Cancer Hospital “then and now.”
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It is remarkable to think that there will be two of the most advanced and well funded cancer centers in America within about 12 miles of my home. The Raleigh-Durham area of NC is fortunate to have such a wealth of quality healthcare institutions – care providers and employers.
Post by Dan Dunlop, The Healthcare Marketer
[...] has launched its own seven story, 267,000 square foot cancer hospital. (See my earlier post titled Duke Health System Announces Major Expansion.) The original budget for the project was $235 million. The facility includes 123 clinical exam [...]