Each area in the new home of The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute is uniquely designed to cater to a specific set of patients, and the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit on the 14th floor is no exception. “We’ve brought together a number of enhancements to improve the overall patient and family experience,” says Steven Devine, MD, a hematologist and director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). Most patients who undergo a bone marrow transplant have a blood cancer like leukemia or lymphoma that is unlikely to be treated effectively with conventional therapy. The procedure entails the administration of chemotherapy, sometimes coupled with radiation, to try to kill the patient’s blood cancer cells. Then, bone marrow or blood-forming stem cells are transplanted from either the patient or a donor. Patients receiving a bone marrow transplant typically remain in the hospital for three to four weeks. “It is a lengthy hospital stay, so it’s important that the environment be as conducive to a length of stay that long,” says Devine, “both for patients and their families.” The BMT Unit in the new home of The James houses patient rooms with large windows, a lot of light and a lot of space. These rooms are larger, on average, to accommodate the nurses and all the things that they need to do, as well as visitors. Furthermore, the BMT Unit is equipped with gathering areas for patients and visitors, including a terrace, kitchen and exercise room. “You’ve heard us say, ‘There is no routine cancer.’ There’s also no routine bone marrow transplant,” Devine says. “It’s a very specialized procedure that’s done in only a limited number of centers across the country.” The OSUCCC – James has the largest and most experienced BMT Program in Ohio, and one of the top programs in the United States. To learn more about the new home of The James, visit cancer.osu.edu or watch additional “sneak peek” tours on the OSUCCC – James YouTube Channel.