Pella Regional Health Center and Knoxville Hospital & Clinics have announced the State of Iowa’s approval of their Certificate of Need (CON) to construct a state-of-the-art radiation treatment facility and program.

This joint venture is a multi-year initiative to develop a radiation therapy cancer program in Marion County with the first step being State approval. The proposed new radiation facility complements the existing medical oncology services provided by both hospitals in partnership with Mission Cancer + Blood, and will improve the access and convenience to full-service cancer care, improving the quality of life for patients battling cancer.

With the Certificate of Need approval, the joint venture will begin a 24-month construction project and work to build a top-quality care provider team. Preliminary work to relocate existing utilities and site preparation will begin this fall. The 7800-square-foot radiation therapy center, located on the campus of Pella Regional Health Center, will be designed to promote patient convenience and accessibility. The center will significantly reduce travel burdens for radiation oncology patients to receive their necessary care.

The radiation therapy center project is budgeted to cost $14 million, with a portion of the funding to be raised through a capital campaign organized by the hospital foundations.