WADENA — Astera Health and CentraCare hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new cancer center in Wadena on Tuesday, July 8.
The Coborn Cancer Center welcomed its first patient on Monday. Health care leaders say the goal of the center is to provide rural Minnesotans cancer treatment with a shorter drive.
Members of Astera Health and CentraCare leadership spoke at the ceremony, including Joel Beiswenger, president and CEO of Astera Health.
“This cancer center will have a massive impact on the quality of care available to the people in this region," Beiswenger said. "Traveling long distances during cancer treatment is difficult for patients and families. Their focus should be entirely on wellness and healing, and this cancer center accomplishes that."
Kenneth Holmen, president and CEO of CentraCare, and Paul Drange, chairman of Astera Health's board of directors, also spoke at the event, as well as Joanna Slominski, general manager at the construction and real estate company Mortenson.
Cancer deaths in the U.S. are on the decline, but rural areas are experiencing this trend at a slower rate than urban areas, according to the Rural Cancer Institute. A shortage and uneven distribution of cancer care in rural areas contributes to this gap of preventable deaths.
The cancer center includes eight private treatment rooms, six exam rooms, a PET/CT scanner and a linear accelerator, which is a machine that provides tattoo-free radiation treatment.
Planning for the cancer center began in 2021 with a focus on identifying opportunities to improve cancer care in the area, particularly improving access to radiation oncology.
The cancer center is attached to the west side of the Astera Health main campus. The building took two years to build and cost roughly $23.7 million paid through donations, grants and a tax-exempt loan.
The cancer center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 218-631-3510 or by scheduling online.
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