The cancer arms race: MGB pours $400M into cancer care

Mass General Brigham is getting ready for life without the Dana-Farber by plowing $400M into facility upgrades over the next couple years. The intent is to pre-empt Dana-Farber’s new cancer hospital, which is planned as part of its new partnership with Beth Israel Lahey.

David Williams is quoted in the Boston Globe (Mass General Brigham to invest $400 million to open new cancer institute before Dana-Farber partnership ends)

David E. Williams, president of Boston consulting firm Health Business Group, said the memo appeared to serve several purposes, including discouraging MGB employees from leaving to work at Dana-Farber’s planned cancer hospital.

“They want to tell their employees, ‘Hey, don’t think about going over to Beth Israel Lahey and Dana-Farber because we’re going to make some beautiful space for you to work in even before the end of our agreement,’” he said.

He also said that MGB was demonstrating that even in the face of ongoing layoffs — the health system has reportedly laid off about 1,500 of its 82,000 employees in two waves last month and this month — it is making a serious financial commitment to treating cancer.