May 11, 2024 | By: Sammy Holladay
Groundbreaking for New Cancer Center in Wadena Provides a Beacon of Hope
Astera Health, in collaboration with CentraCare, will soon open a new cancer center at the Astera Health campus in Wadena. A groundbreaking ceremony took place this Tuesday.
Cancer affects everyone. Somewhere down the line, whether it is a family member, friend, or coworker, you probably have met someone who has had to deal with cancer. A cancer diagnosis sends shockwaves through a family, and the goal of the new cancer center is to improve access to cancer care in central Minnesota.
“It causes the individual and their family to go down a journey that they don’t want to go down,” said Ken Holmen, CentraCare CEO, at the ceremony. “And so this notion of how together we come together to create a network of not only cancer treatment, but a supportive family for somebody going through the cancer experience is really important today and for the future of this community.”
One of the biggest benefits of the new cancer center in the eyes of Astera Health is the time that patients will save on travel, where patients will be able to have their cancer treatments closer to home and spend more time with their loved ones.
“This facility is going to be a godsend to this community, to the people, not just in Wadena, but the surrounding area, to be able to stay home, to be able to not have to travel,” stated Wadena Mayor George Deiss.
“To think about having to drive to a community like Fargo or St. Cloud, you know, an hour and a half, two hours away, sometimes two-and-a-half hours that we really think door-to-door for a very short treatment,” Astera Health President and CEO Joel Beiswenger told Lakeland News. “It takes a lot of time. It takes a great deal of energy on the part of the support system. To turn that into a half-hour day instead of a four-hour day allows those patients to rest, have that social fabric of their lives in place, just more time through these tough battles.”
During the ceremony, eight speakers expressed the hope the center will bring to them and others. Powerful testimonials were given by Gloria Anderson, a cancer survivor and patient of Astera Health, and Dr. Steve Davis, who is battling a form of bone cancer.
“This made all these last months so less stressful for me and much more bearable, and I am thankful for that,” said Anderson. “So today I am so happy and I’m so excited that the cancer center at Astera Health is becoming a reality.”
“With this endeavor, we should be able to help six-year-olds play with their friends and graduate with their classmates, help 28-year-old moms watch their kids play hockey and have them grow up to be adults. Help a 50-year-old man get a chance to see his son graduate from medical school,” added Dr. Davis. “So, cancer indeed sucks. So let’s kick some dirt on cancer’s face today.”
The rain that day may have forced the ceremony inside, but for those in attendance, it would take a lot more for anything to stop this moment from shining a light on paths that were once so dark.
“We could do something unique and different in rural Minnesota, in a poor, older community to serve those patients that need this in their families,” offered Beiswenger in his speech. “We are so proud to be able to bring these services home for folks.”
Construction for the cancer center on May 8, the day after the groundbreaking ceremony. The center is expected to be open to patients in July 2025. More information on the cancer center can be found on Astera Health’s website.