Dennis Spencer (left), MD, chief of Neurosurgery and Joachim Baehring, MD, neurooncologist and assistant professor, Neurosurgery and Neurology, hold signs at the rally inside the aldermanic chamber in New Haven's city hall.

Nearly 150 Yale-New Haven doctors rallied at City Hall last week to show their support for the Yale-New Haven Proposed Clinical Cancer Center - stalled with New Haven's Board of Aldermen for more than nine months.

Wearing their traditional white lab coats, the doctors carried signs and sat in the aldermanic chamber for the January 3 Board of Aldermen hearing. Cancer Center approval was not on the agenda.

"This was a tremendous turnout of concerned physicians," said Peter N. Herbert, MD, the hospital's chief of staff, who noted that the support for the rally included university and community faculty and physician associates representing a wide range of specialties. "Our doctors are frustrated that the city is delaying the cancer center and have questions for the Mayor. Patients should not have to travel to New York and Boston when we have the experts here. We need to get this building approved."

Dr. Herbert questioned why a "white coat rally" was necessary to help get the Cancer Center approved. "It's frustrating that it has been held up for a political agenda," he said. "Delaying care for our patients and people in our neighborhoods makes no sense. These doctors want to deliver better cancer care in New Haven. My hope is that the city of New Haven takes notice."

The hospital has approved a comprehensive cancer center that would combine all of its diagnostic and treatment services into one 14-story, $430 million building that would be located on the site of the Grace Building at the corner of Park Street and North Frontage Road. The state's Office of Health Care Access has given the hospital its full and unconditional approval but the city has delayed even approving the demolition of the Grace Building.

"Each day 50 residents of Connecticut - and 12 in New Haven - are diagnosed with cancer," pointed out Dr. Herbert. "As physicians, we can no longer stand by while this project continues to be delayed by whether or not hospital employees should be unionized. Our patients and the people of New Haven and Connecticut deserve more."

Click here for more information about the Yale-New Haven Hospital Proposed Clinical Cancer Center

Reporters: For more information on this release, contact Mark D'Antonio, (203) 688-2493.

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Last revised: January 11, 2006 (mv)

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