Maurice Greenberg, a member of the Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) Board of Overseers, and Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the board, have put their stamp on the outside, as well as the inside, of the college's just-completed ambulatory care and medical-education building: It is now the Weill Greenberg Center.

"The real architects of this building are Sandy Weill and Hank Greenberg," said Antonio Gotto, dean of WCMC. "We took to heart everything they said during their visits to the building regarding design and amenities. And their generosity and vision is what built this building."

The building was designed by Polshek Partnership, New York City, and the health-care floors were designed by Ballinger of Philadelphia. The name of the new building was unveiled during a Jan. 26 ceremony, attended by Cornell President David Skorton and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, among others, in the center's lobby.

Weill and Greenberg donated a combined $150 million to WCMC's "Advancing the Clinical Mission" capital campaign, of which the ambulatory and medical-education building is the centerpiece. With additional gifts, the building was financed entirely by philanthropy.

More than anything, the building is an embodiment of the notion of patient-centered care, note WCMC administrators.

To deal with Manhattan's notorious parking problems, patients' cars are parked by valet in a garage beneath the building; once inside, patients glide past a 58-foot waterfall and a specially commissioned chandelier of more than 1,000 glass pieces as they ride an escalator to the Patient Welcome and Resource Center on the second floor. The spa-like environment is dotted with reflective pools and still-water images to promote the healing process and provide a sense of well-being. When the building is quiet, sounds of moving water can be heard throughout. A Best of 2006 Award of Merit for health-care centers and hospitals by New York Construction magazine cited the building's "elegant, innovative" design.

"As a cardiologist and a cardiac researcher, I've spent most of my life in medical facilities, and I can tell you that interactions in a center like this create a higher level of professional patient care and a high level of personal growth," said Skorton. "People are changed forever through their work in a center like this."

In addition to clinical-care and research facilities, the 13-story Weill Greenberg Center also will house the Clinical Skills Center, providing students with a state-of-the-art facility to practice clinical skills on standardized "actor" patients.

"Before this, we practiced diagnosing patients in a regular exam room, and the actor patients reported back to the doctors. In the new center, doctors will be able to observe us as we work, which is a real opportunity," said Ankit Patel, a WCMC medical student.

"We've dedicated a lot of buildings, but I have a real sense that we're witnessing history for Cornell University," said Skorton. "This building will be a flagship -- people throughout the region will come here for medical care and the college's students will carry their medical skills to every region of the globe."

Gabriel Miller is a writer with Weill Cornell Medical College's Office of Public Affairs.