Holy Rosary Healthcare Announces Construction of Comprehensive Cancer Center Serving Eastern Montana

Holy Rosary Healthcare, part of Intermountain Health, has announced plans to build a state-of-the-art, comprehensive cancer center serving eastern Montana.

The 12,000-square-foot center will provide radiation, medical and surgical oncology services to address the needs of cancer patients in rural Eastern Montana.

The project will eliminate distance and access barriers to care for the people living in the region. Currently, patients needing radiation oncology treatment may have to travel long distances to receive that care, potentially impacting their treatment plan and outcomes.

This will be the only comprehensive cancer center within a 125-mile radius.

“The new cancer center in Miles City will create equitable cancer care for the region,” shared Karen Costello, president of Holy Rosary Healthcare. “The project will bring high-quality radiation oncology care to Holy Rosary’s existing cancer center, which currently offers medical and surgical oncology care, along with survivorship programming and other health and wellness services. This new center will provide an environment that not only has the most advanced technology, but it will be easily accessible for patients and family.”

The new center will be built on the existing Holy Rosary campus in Miles City, connected to the hospital and all its services. The project will include adding the region’s only permanent medical linear accelerator, which delivers radiation treatments quickly and accurately.

“Bringing this cancer care closer to home for our communities in Eastern Montana means so much to our patients,” added Patrick Cobb, MD, medical director of SCL Health Cancer Centers of Montana, part of Intermountain Health. “They will now be able to receive these lifesaving treatments without having to travel long distances, allowing them to recover and heal with family and friends nearby. Research has shown that providing care close to home in rural communities may improve survivorship rates.”

Construction of the project will begin this spring and the $17 million project is expected to be completed in late 2024. The new cancer center will be funded through capital investments by Holy Rosary and Intermountain Health, and grant and philanthropic support.

Community members interested in supporting the project can contact the Holy Rosary Healthcare Foundation online or at 406-233-2664.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.