LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Giving cancer patients the best care in the most comfortable surroundings are a couple of reasons Norton’s downtown Louisville cancer center has undergone a massive makeover. There is $15 million worth of changes to the Norton Cancer Institute. Spectrum News 1 took a tour of the upgrades. 

There's an array of cozy, private patient rooms, and open, public space, for infusions and chemotherapy at the Norton Cancer Institute. Vice President Tammy McClanahan walks the halls to display the transformed space. Nearly 50,000 square feet is made over. 

"We have a combination of open bays for patients as well as a combination of private rooms for patients," McClanahan says, in passing. 

In newly renovated pharmacy space, McClanahan boasts of the capability for more clinical trials, now. 

"Many times patients in the past may have had to left the region to receive a clinical trial and they don’t need to do that," she explains. 

There's also some added technology. Certain lab tests can be conducted on-site, which can allow for less wait time between treatments. 

"We can push out our patient results a lot faster than if we send them out to the hospital and the patients a lot of times are waiting for their results for treatment," adds lab technician Rachel Andrews. 

Technology has evolved, as is evident in the dermatology center. A booth almost resembling a tanning bed is some of the latest equipment available to treat skin cancer. 

“This is a disease that is very humbling for those of us that treat it. There is no cure, but there is a lot of treatments being developed," says Dr. Jae Jung.

One patient, Eric Martinez, tells Spectrum News 1 he's experiencing the difference in comfort: "more comfortable, yeah."

Martinez has been doing chemotherapy for about one month. 

“This is a better place," says Martinez. "It’s a better place and the people who work here is the best. I’m happy. I’m happy with this.”

“We really feel that anytime you’re going through the cancer journey, that it’s not just about the treatment but it’s about the entire experience and we want to make it as comforting as we can for the patient as well as their support team," McClanahan says.