LEWISTOWN — The Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown recently announced plans to add a comprehensive cancer center to their facility after receiving a $6 million dollar grant from the Leona M. And Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
The cancer center will fill a coverage gap for patients across nine rural counties in Central Montana, and will provide care closer to home for nearly 50,000 central Montana residents.
“The main reason why we’re doing this is because there is an unmet need for not only the community of Lewistown, but our entire service area, and trying to look at people and where they’re driving, and if Lewistown can be a closer drive than one of those other areas, we can keep them off the roads. We know Montana roads are not the safest place for people to be, especially in the winter time, but even in the summer,” said Cody Langbehn, CEO of the Central Montana Medical Center.
The new cancer center project has an $8.9 million price tag, and along with the grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the CMMC will contribute $1.9 million to the project.
Additionally, the Central Montana Medical Center Foundation plans to raise $1 million through a community capital campaign.
In partnership with the Billings Clinic Cancer Center, the CMMC will have a full time oncologist, as well as a part time radiation oncologist, and a linear accelerator machine.
The Central Montana Medical Center, along with their partners at the Billings Clinic, say they’re excited for the future of the new cancer center, that was made possible by the Helmsley Charitable Trust.
“This opportunity was made possible by the Helmsley Foundation and Helmsley’s been such a strong advocate for rural healthcare in our state, in Montana, in this region, it’s just great that they recognize and see the need for cancer care in the geography of Central Montana,” said Clint Seger, MD, Billings Clinic Chief Regional Medical Officer.
The Central Montana Medical Center plans to break ground on the new cancer center in Spring 2022, and hopes to open in Summer or Fall 2023.
Click here to visit the CMMC website.
Click here to visit the Rural Grants page of the Trust website.
