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12 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 27, 2023 A rendering of the Connecticut Proton Therapy Center planned for 932 Northrop Road in Wallingford. RENDERING | CONTRIBUTED Despite delay, hospitals affirm commitment to $75M proton therapy cancer treatment center By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo msullo@hartfordbusiness.com C onnecticut's two largest healthcare systems say they are committed to opening a $75 million proton therapy center, though it is taking longer than they originally anticipated. In April 2022, Yale New Haven Health, Hartford HealthCare and Proton International announced they had secured final approval to open the Connecticut Proton Therapy Center, which will provide an advanced form of cancer radiation treatment. There are just over 40 proton therapy centers in the U.S., but none in Connecticut. The closest centers are in New York and Massachusetts. The partners, which plan to build the 25,000-square-foot center at 932 Northrop Road in Wallingford, initially indicated the facility would open in 2025. Dana Marnane, a spokeswoman for Yale New Haven Health, said the project has experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the latest timeline, officials expect to break ground next year, with the facility ready for patients around March 2026. The partners are preparing to issue $30 million in privately placed bonds to help finance construc- tion, a key indicator the project is moving forward. "We remain fully committed to the Connecticut Proton Therapy Center," the health systems said in a joint statement to the Hartford Busi- ness Journal. "We are proud and excited to bring this innovative and life-changing therapy to the state, creating a destination for state-of- the-art cancer care." The partners said they have already "invested significantly" in the project, including acquiring the land and paying for design and engineering work. Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare are principals of Connecticut Proton Therapy Center LLC, which originally formed in 2019. The LLC purchased the vacant 12 acres on Northrop Road in July 2021 for $1.8 million, according to the Wallingford assessor's office. Targeted treatment Proton therapy uses a high energy beam of protons to irradiate cancer. With proton beams, there is less entry, exit, and scattered radiation. Physicians, therefore, can deliver higher doses of radiation to tumors, with less impact on healthy tissue and fewer side effects compared to other radiation therapies, according to the health systems. Proton therapy can be used against solid cancer tumors, such as tumors of the brain, central nervous system, eye, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, liver, lung, prostate, spine and breast. The American Cancer Society estimates Connecticut will tally 23,480 new cancer cases this year. Currently, Connecticut residents have to travel to New York City or Boston to get proton treatment. Florida-based Proton International will serve as project manager and operator for the planned Wallingford facility. It will assist with technology selection, financing, construction, management and operation. Once the facility is open, it will be staffed with physicians and others from both Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare. The health systems also anticipate making additional hires. Project financing The Connecticut Health and Educa- tional Facilities Authority (CHEFA), a quasi-public state agency that provides access to tax-free financing for nonprofit hospitals, colleges and other organizations, in recent weeks has been discussing a bond issuance in connection with the Connecticut Proton Therapy Center. 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Estimated number of new cancer cases in CT 25K 20K 15K 10K 5K 0 NEW CANCER CASES Source: American Cancer Society