Health

Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Riverhead to open this month

The Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Riverhead will open by the end of the year, the hospital system announced Monday.

The 11,300 square feet facility, which will be located just two doors down on Route 58 from Northwell’s Peconic Bay Medical Center, was built for $6.2 million. It will provide East End residents with integrated cancer services in an outpatient setting, Northwell officials said.

“We recognize the stress and toll cancer treatments can take on patients and their loved ones,” Dr. Kenneth Gold, director of medical oncology for the eastern region at Northwell Health, said in a statement. “Our goal is to provide the latest cancer treatment under one roof, so patients can access cancer care close to their homes and spend less time driving to appointments and focus more of their energy on healing and recovery.”

Northwell has not announced an exact opening day, but said it will be this month.

The facility, at the site of a former P.C. Richard & Son Store, has been in the works for the past couple years and it received Riverhead Town approvals in 2019. It will offer an array of cancer services, including medical oncology/ hematology, an infusion/chemotherapy unit with eight individual bays, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, nutritional counseling and social work. Cancer surgery consultations will be offered for breast surgery, colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, plastic and reconstructive surgery and thoracic surgery. The facility will also have its own pharmacy and lab.

“The Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Riverhead provides our patients on the East End with access to top-notch cancer specialists and the latest in treatments and diagnostic capabilities in a modern and comfortable space,” Dr. Richard Barakat, physician-in-chief and director of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute said in a statement. “Joining other institutional members of the health system’s cancer institutes, the Riverhead facility will offer novel clinical trials to patients, some of which are in partnership with the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, as well as cancer genetic testing.”

Officials said the Northwell health system treats about 16,000 new cancer patients annually. It’s the ninth cancer center in the system and the first for Northwell on the North Fork. Patients have traveled to western Suffolk County for similar services or to a Stony Brook cancer center on the South Fork. There’s also the smaller North Shore Oncology and Hematology Associates in the nearby Northville Commerce Park in Riverhead.

Peconic Bay Medical Center president and CEO Andrew Mitchell said the ability to build such a facility in Riverhead that could service the entire East End was why the hospital chose Northwell as its partner in 2016.

 “Northwell has the experience and expertise to bring the most advanced cancer treatments to the East End,” he said. “From advanced clinical trials to the most advanced technology, Northwell sets the standard of care across Long Island.”