Carilion Clinic broke ground Wednesday on a new cancer center.
The facility with six stories of clinical, research and office space will go up on Carilion’s Riverside campus in Roanoke, replacing an existing operation that’s more than 40 years old.
It will also provide more access to clinical trials and research opportunities in collaboration with Blue Ridge Cancer Care and Virginia Tech.
Carilion’s former CEO, Nancy Agee, said it’s important to bring more cancer care resources to Southwest Virginia.
"Throughout my career, many times people have had to go elsewhere for care, including my husband," Agee told reporters. "And that was part of our determination. Nobody should have to go elsewhere for care."
Virginia Tech head athletic trainer Mike Goforth echoed that sentiment. Goforth was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2023.
"I cannot begin to tell you how meaningful that is, that your family can come see you and can go back and take a shower or grab a phone charger, or whatever. But it wasn't just convenience, it was also excellence," Goforth said, praising the team that treated him.
Carilion is in the process of raising $100 million dollars for the facility. It will be named the Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in honor of a $25 million donation from Nicholas and Jenny Taubman. It’s expected to open in 2027.
Agee said the dream is to have a nationally recognized cancer center, designated by the National Cancer Institute. She said there are only a couple of dozen such centers in the entire country.
Carilion is in the midst of a series of major construction projects, including an expansion of Roanoke Memorial Hospital, a new Carilion Childrens treatment center and a cardiovascular institute.
Agee said some of the plans for expansion in facilities and services were developed before the pandemic in a ten-year development plan. And she acknowledged new demands for services as the population of Southwest Virginia changes.
"With people aging, more chronic illnesses, more heart disease, cancer, orthopedic injuries, orthopedic needs, we knew we needed to expand and provide more services to the region. COVID stalled that for a little bit and we’re continuing now," Agee said.
