Sierra Pacific Regional Cancer Center
Rodger Page of Dignity Health speaks about the need for their new regional cancer center during the press conference on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
A month before the groundbreaking, Dignity Health unveiled the name of its $70 million cancer center at a press conference on Tuesday.
The facility will be called Sierra Pacific Regional Cancer Center.
Dignity officials said the name is a tribute to the Emmerson family’s support of cancer-related causes in the north state. Mercy Foundation North launched its fundraising campaign for the cancer center two years ago, and the first donation of $3 million came from the Sierra Pacific Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Anderson-based lumber giant.
Sierra Pacific Industries co-founder Archie Aldis “Red” Emmerson attended the press conference but did not comment.
“For too long, cancer patients have had to walk all over town to get the services they need. Bringing all of these services under one roof will be critical for everyone. That’s why the Sierra Pacific Foundation has donated $3 million to this project. This donation is about people, families and lives. It’s about the hope and healing this center will bring to our community,” Andrea Howell, Sierra Pacific’s corporate affairs director, said Tuesday.
The cancer center will be built on a site south of the Cypress Avenue Bridge on the Sacramento River behind the Cobblestone Shopping Center, just north of the Nur Pon Open Space, formerly known as Henderson Open Space.
The ceremonial laying of the foundation stone is planned for September 24th. The opening of the center is planned for spring 2026.
Dr. David Civalier, a retired Redding family physician who spearheaded the cancer center’s fundraising campaign, said 40% of the population will develop cancer in their lifetime. That huge number means Redding can’t treat all cancer patients, he said.
Civalier also spoke about the need to build a facility where patients can receive the care they need under one roof.
“We don’t want to keep sending people up and down I-5 to get treatment away from home when they could get it closer to home. It’s already an expensive disease for the patient and their family. Let’s make it easier,” Civalier said.
After years of planning, delays and approvals, the Sierra Pacific Regional Cancer Center is finally becoming a reality.
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Jake Mangas, president of Mercy Foundation North, said the foundation has raised $10.5 million but hopes to increase that number to $11 million by June 30, 2025.
The original concept of the project was a healthcare campus called the Dignity North State Pavilion, which would include administrative offices, diagnostic imaging, family medicine and pediatrics, orthopedics, a pharmacy, physical therapy, physician offices, and a women’s health and wellness area.
But Todd Smith, president of Mercy Medical Center Redding, told the Record Searchlight earlier this year that they were aware that Dignity in the community already offers many of the components and services of a wellness campus.
“And then we reevaluated what we were doing there and pretty quickly came to the realization that we were providing cancer care at multiple locations and it made a lot more sense to bring those together and really focus on the needs of the community and offer patients all of those services in one building,” Smith said.
The Regional Cancer Center will cover an area of 4,180 to 4,600 square meters, about a third of the size of the originally planned health campus.
David Benda covers business, development and everything else going on for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly column “Buzz on the Street.” He is part of a team of dedicated reporters who investigate grievances, break news and tell other stories about your community. You can reach him at X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or call 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, subscribe today
