Confluence Health Announces Approval of New Cancer Center
information released; artist renderings courtesy of Confluence Health
Confluence Health announced today that a new cancer center at Confluence Health Hospital Central Campus was recently approved by the board and had moved into the schematic design phase after having undergone an initial feasibility study. The cancer center – budgeted at nearly $60 million – is anticipated to start construction in November 2026 with the first patient arriving in mid-2028.
“This project will bring expert care close to home, unify our teams around each patient, and shape our services to meet the real needs of the community we serve,” commented Dr. Andrew Jones, CEO of Confluence Health. “With growing demand, gaps in access, and a desire for compassionate, local cancer care, this center is being built not from the top down, but from the community up. It is our mission to provide local care and having this state-of-the-art care close to where the patient calls home is what our families, neighbors, and future patients deserve. This is what we would want for our own loved ones, and our community deserves nothing less. In addition to meeting a very real need and supporting our teams in their vital work for our patients, it’s also the right thing to do.”
The new facility will greatly expand the space available for care, while also consolidating services into one location. Exam rooms available will increase 38%, medical infusion chairs by 76%, and the number of linear accelerator vaults will increase from one to two, doubling capacity.
Delivered through a design-build agreement with the team of AldrichVKP Construction Company and Mahlum Architects, it will be incorporated as an addition to the current Central Campus, to the north and east of the tower.
At the new center, care is being intentionally designed to be as coordinated, seamless, and patient-centered as possible, with cancer care teams under one roof so that no one faces the treatment journey alone.
Artist Rendering
“It is important with cancer care to have a prompt, accurate diagnosis and then to move quickly into a treatment plan, coordinating all of these important moving parts to not only provide the best service to the patient, but to make sure care is timely,” said Dr. Nicolas Kummer, radiation oncology physician manager for Confluence Health. “Delays in diagnosis and treatment due to distance is not in the best interest of our patients and their care. By having local treatment options alongside where patients receive their diagnosis, and where they will then receive follow-up care, goes a long way to helping close this gap.”
In addition to the space the new facility provides for the expansion and development of the oncology treatment options available at Confluence Health, another focus of the new cancer center is to bring cancer care closer to a patient’s own support network.
“Cancer treatment often requires frequent visits; radiation therapy, for example, can be five times a week for several weeks,” explained Spencer Green, oncology service line director for Confluence Health.“For rural patients, this could potentially mean traveling two to four hours daily for a 20-minute session, which is exhausting and financially draining. Having this care near a patient’s support from friends and family, not to mention being close to their own home and bed, makes treatment less stressful and helps ensure it is easier for a patient to consistently get that needed care without yet another challenge. We want patients to be able to focus on healing, not worrying about travel or having to sacrifice being with their support network in order to make treatment possible.”
Enhancing the patient experience at the new cancer center involves more than reducing travel distances; it requires effective coordination among all members of the multidisciplinary cancer team working together in a purpose-built facility. Central to this approach is the commitment to partnering with patients throughout every stage of their cancer treatment journey.
“Integrating cancer care in this new center will help to consolidate many services, bringing medical oncology, radiation, infusion, labs, and supportive care together under one roof,” explained Dr. Ensi Voshtina, cancer care service line medical director at Confluence Health. “This continuity of care reduces fragmentation, shortens wait times, and simplifies navigation for patients and caregivers. Instead of constantly moving between systems or relearning ways of doing things with different teams, your care is part of one team in largely one location from diagnosis to survivorship. This new cancer center aims to create a sanctuary for patients – a calm place to heal in the tumult of a cancer diagnosis – that streamlines this crucial multidisciplinary care.”
“This support system is in it for the long-haul for our patients and the journey will be filled with familiar, supportive voices,” added Dr. Jones. “Though this new facility will be centered on the patient, they won’t be alone; they will be supported by many, an entire team working together in care. Things work better when every support system works with unity of purpose as a coordinated team, not a collection of disconnected appointments. This is comprehensive, compassionate, and community-driven care—exactly what we would want for our own loved ones.”
About Confluence Health
Confluence Health serves the largest geographic region of any healthcare system in Washington State, covering over 12,000 square miles of Okanogan, Grant, Douglas, and Chelan counties. Confluence Health is one of only two locally-lead healthcare systems in the state with the purpose of maintaining availability and access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services for North Central Washington. The Confluence Health Board of Directors provides governance for Confluence Health and includes nine community board members and six physician board members.
