Pella Regional Health Center and Knoxville Hospital & Clinics will break ground on the new South Central Iowa Radiation Center, located on the campus of Pella Regional Health Center. 

Community members are invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 8th at 5 pm, located at 404 Jefferson Street in Pella. The radiation oncology center is expected to be completed in 2027. The 7,800-square-foot facility will house diagnostic tools and treatment technologies that are crucial in diagnosing cancer and determining the best course of treatment. Pella Regional Health Center CEO Bob Kroese says the new radiation center will be a great addition to help improve access to cancer care for the residents of Marion County and surrounding communities.

“When you look at cancer, it’s something that touches so many of us. And being able to provide first the infusion side which both hospitals have been doing, but now to take it to the next step and be a comprehensive cancer center that we also will be providing the radiation part, that’s going to make it so much nicer for our patients. They have to travel, whether they’re from Knoxville or from Pella, either one, an hour or more to have a treatment that only takes a few minutes but they have to do it for days on end.”

Knoxville Hospital & Clinics CEO Kevin Kincaid says that this partnership, which is the first of its kind in south central Iowa, made sense since both organizations are committed to providing their patients the best possible care.

“We have a couple of organizations that have the same worldview on treating cancer, whatever it takes to take care of our community we’re going to do it. And geographically that comes together, so it just all made sense for us to collaborate in this new way.”

The South Central Iowa Radiation Center is budgeted to cost $14 million, with a portion of the funding to be raised through a capital campaign organized by the hospital foundations. Hear more about the South Central Iowa Radiation Center from Kroese and Kincaid on an upcoming In Touch with South Central Iowa.