|
|
|
Representatives from Mercy Memorial Health Center and the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce Foundation signed an agreement Tuesday to build a new state-of-the-art cancer center in Ardmore.
The chamber foundation will act as project developer, own the building and lease it to the hospital.
The new center will cost an estimated $8 million, and it will cost another $5 million for equipment and furnishings.
“We already have cancer care that rivals the big cities, but with a new facility and the latest in technology, we will be able to offer cancer patients shorter treatment times and greater convenience,” Mercy Memorial President Mindy Burdick said.
The new cancer center will sit on an acre and a half on Hall Place, just east of the Southern Oklahoma Medical Plaza. Although the chamber foundation will own the property and building, the center will become part of Mercy Memorial’s campus.
Burdick said it was impractical to renovate the existing cancer center, which is located on the first floor of the rehabilitation building on the south campus.
Participants in the Ardmore 2020 visioning process identified a new cancer center as a priority for the community, but finding funding for the facility was a challenge, especially in light of the hospital’s other projects. However, through the cooperation of several local banks, the chamber foundation and the hospital were able to reach an agreement for financing the project. The lending institutions involved include First National Bank, BancFirst, Citizens Bank and First Bank.
The center will include both radiation and chemotherapy services and is expected to open by the end of this year. Burdick said the new facility will offer PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and CT (Computed Tomograpy) scans.
Thanks to donations from foundations, such as the Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, and other private donors, the Mercy Memorial Health Center Foundation has already raised more than $3 million for equipment and furnishings for the center. Anyone interested in making a donation for additional equipment and furnishings should contact André Moore, Mercy Memorial Foundation executive director, at (580) 220-6711.
The Arbuckles to Ardmore Race for Mercy in March will also raise money for the new center. Race organizers said 100 percent of all funds raised will go toward the new facility.
Wes Stucky, Chamber of Commerce and chamber foundation president, said the new facility will be twice as large as the current cancer center and should create almost 30 new jobs over the next five years.
Glenn Gee, chairman of the chamber foundation, said the project came about because of the teamwork, cooperation and partnership between Mercy, the chamber foundation and local banks.
“I am confident more positive projects will grow out of the Ardmore 2020 visioning program.” Gee said. “That’s what happens when citizens become involved in positive action.”
Representatives from Mercy Memorial Health Center and the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce Foundation signed an agreement Tuesday to build a new state-of-the-art cancer center in Ardmore.
The chamber foundation will act as project developer, own the building and lease it to the hospital.
The new center will cost an estimated $8 million, and it will cost another $5 million for equipment and furnishings.
“We already have cancer care that rivals the big cities, but with a new facility and the latest in technology, we will be able to offer cancer patients shorter treatment times and greater convenience,” Mercy Memorial President Mindy Burdick said.
The new cancer center will sit on an acre and a half on Hall Place, just east of the Southern Oklahoma Medical Plaza. Although the chamber foundation will own the property and building, the center will become part of Mercy Memorial’s campus.
Burdick said it was impractical to renovate the existing cancer center, which is located on the first floor of the rehabilitation building on the south campus.
Participants in the Ardmore 2020 visioning process identified a new cancer center as a priority for the community, but finding funding for the facility was a challenge, especially in light of the hospital’s other projects. However, through the cooperation of several local banks, the chamber foundation and the hospital were able to reach an agreement for financing the project. The lending institutions involved include First National Bank, BancFirst, Citizens Bank and First Bank.
The center will include both radiation and chemotherapy services and is expected to open by the end of this year. Burdick said the new facility will offer PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and CT (Computed Tomograpy) scans.
Thanks to donations from foundations, such as the Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, and other private donors, the Mercy Memorial Health Center Foundation has already raised more than $3 million for equipment and furnishings for the center. Anyone interested in making a donation for additional equipment and furnishings should contact André Moore, Mercy Memorial Foundation executive director, at (580) 220-6711.
The Arbuckles to Ardmore Race for Mercy in March will also raise money for the new center. Race organizers said 100 percent of all funds raised will go toward the new facility.
Wes Stucky, Chamber of Commerce and chamber foundation president, said the new facility will be twice as large as the current cancer center and should create almost 30 new jobs over the next five years.
Glenn Gee, chairman of the chamber foundation, said the project came about because of the teamwork, cooperation and partnership between Mercy, the chamber foundation and local banks.
“I am confident more positive projects will grow out of the Ardmore 2020 visioning program.” Gee said. “That’s what happens when citizens become involved in positive action.”
