he Jesse H. Jones Rotary House International has accommodated more than 300,000 M. D. Anderson patients and their families since opening in 1993.

Connected to M. D. Anderson by an overhead walkway, the 198-room hotel will soon begin a major expansion that features a 12-story addition to its east wing and 126 rooms. The new facility is expected to be complete by 2001.

Owned by M. D. Anderson, Rotary House was created to meet the special needs of patients. It is operated for M. D. Anderson by Marriott International and provides affordable lodging, convenient access to the cancer center and several unique services.

The Oaks restaurant and lounge, deli, gift shop, beauty/barber shop, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, and a business and learning center are among the hotel’s many amenities. A variety of services offered by the Patient/Guest Relations Office, such as language assistance, support groups, concierge, travel services and evening specimen collection, also are available. In addition, hotel staff host social activities for patients and families each month.

In 1984, the institution was the first cancer center to adopt a Code of Ethics, which was updated a decade later and continues “to bond patients and staff together in the difficult task of contending with cancer.”

The appointment in 1993 of Dr. Rebecca D. Pentz as the first clinical ethicist signaled a new era for focusing on ethical dilemmas. The Clinical Ethics Committee she developed now includes 26 members from several disciplines, who can provide consultations 24 hours a day.

“Teams of committee members that include one physician, one nurse, one other staff member and me are always reachable by beeper, no matter the time of day. Right now, I am reviewing and responding to about 20 calls concerning ethical issues each month. An average of three of those requires a formal consultation,” Dr. Pentz explains.

At least a quarter of the ethics consults involve patients in the medical intensive care unit, where family members often struggle with unfamiliar medical treatments and complications. Dr. Pentz routinely rounds with medical staff there so she can keep abreast of the complicated issues that confront faculty, staff and patients who are seriously ill.