Mass General Hospital Proton Center Upgrade, Boston, Massachusetts

Mass General Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the world to establish its own proton center for cancer therapy. Working with the Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory (HCL), Mass General physicians became the first in the world to discover how to harness the extraordinary physical characteristics of high energy protons for medical care. In 2001, the Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center was opened.

24 years later, the Burr center is undergoing a major renovation and complete proton equipment upgrade. This project marks the first major upgrade of a proton center anywhere in the world. Unlike designing a new-built proton center, an upgrade presents significant technical challenges installing a new proton system in the footprint of first-generation technology.

For a project with this level of complexity, MGH retained proton experts from Legion Healthcare Partners, collaborating with John Jessen as Project Manager. John assembled the AE and construction team while leading the strategic planning efforts defining the detailed approach for this major undertaking.

John led the effort with the equipment manufacturer in rewriting IBA’s Interface Building Document for the upgrade, which began with a year-long “Gap Analysis” identifying the differences between IBA’s IBD requirements and what the existing building can provide. The project is currently under construction.

Work in progress by John Jessen in collaboration with Legion Healthcare Partners.