(Rendering courtesy of St. Charles Health System)
In June of this year, the City of Redmond saw a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Cancer Center through St. Charles Health System. The new facility is planned to open sometime in 2026, expanding cancer care and making it more accessible for Redmond and other communities in the region.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone for our new Cancer Center, which shows our commitment to providing world-class care to cancer patients throughout the region,” said Dr. Steve Gordon, president and CEO of St. Charles, in a press release. “This new facility will have a tremendous positive impact on our community, as it will expand access and services to Redmond and surrounding communities, serving 300 or more cancer patients every day.”
“The new facilities will include services for radiation oncology, chemotherapy infusion, surgical oncology as well as expanded support services,” said Public Information Officer of St. Charles Alandra Johnson. “These services are already available at the Cancer Center in Bend.”
The new facilities will be around 53,000 square feet — about nine times larger than the existing Cancer Center in Redmond. Aside from a significant size upgrade, the new Cancer Center will feature world class technology that will provide cancer patients types of treatment in their hometown that used to have to drive to Portland for.
“The facility will include a high-dose brachytherapy suite,” said Alandra. “Brachytherapy delivers localized cancer treatment through internal radiation. St. Charles just began offering brachytherapy in Bend last year, so this will mark an expansion of access for this service which patients used to have to travel over the Cascades to get.”
Alandra spoke on the importance of the location of this new Cancer Center, remarking how many patients to the existing Bend Cancer Center travel from all around the region.
“More than 40 percent of patients currently treated at the Cancer Center in Bend are coming from Sisters, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Warm Springs and Terrebonne,” she said. “By building this new center, we are increasing capacity and access and reducing the burden of travel for our patients, some of whom have to travel an hour every day to receive treatment.”
To add a personal touch to the new facilities, St. Charles invited attendees to the June groundbreaking ceremony to write something meaningful — an emotion, a loved one’s name, etc. — on a rock. The rocks were gathered at the end of the ceremony, and they will be used in an art display in the new Cancer Center.
St. Charles board member and longtime Redmond resident Jon Bullock says that this Cancer Center is a positive development not just for cancer patients and their families, but for Redmond overall. “We have the chance to be a special place in the world, where families can get the compassionate care they need at the most difficult time of their life. Our community can be there to take care of them,” said Bullock. “This could be a catalyst to positively impact the culture of Redmond forever.”
