The state Public Health Council approved Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s request for a determination of need to develop a new hospital plan, following nearly three hours of discussion.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received key state approval for its $1.7 billion, 300-bed cancer hospital proposal in Boston's Longwood Medical Area. The project, developed in partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was approved after a public hearing and is expected to create approximately 2,400 jobs while expanding critical inpatient cancer care services.

The Massachusetts Public Health Council unanimously approved a Determination of Need for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to build a 300-bed adult inpatient cancer hospital in the Longwood Medical Area. The project, which includes a collaborative clinical partnership with BIDMC and Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, is expected to enhance cost-effective, specialized cancer care in the region.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's move to end its affiliation with Brigham and Women's Hospital and establish a new partnership with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, accompanied by a plan to build a new 300‐bed inpatient cancer hospital, has sparked a debate among state officials. Critics argue that the proposed changes risk fostering a high‐cost duopoly in the region, potentially undermining community hospitals and increasing healthcare expenses, while pointing to concerns over conflicts of interest in cost analyses commissioned by Dana-Farber.