COLUMBUS, Neb. -- This spring, Columbus Community Hospital is breaking ground on the Mead Family Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art facility promising a new era of cancer care. Imagine advanced treatments, cutting-edge tech, and a team dedicated to compassionate care, all under one roof.

The Mead Family Cancer Center is set to break ground this spring and plans to be open in the fall of 2026. The state of the art facility will house a wide range of life saving technology.

“We will have a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator, and that accelerator is made to externally deliver a prescribed radiation dose from almost all angles,” said Columbus Community Hospital Radiation Oncologist Dr. Christopher Veale. “It combines imaging and beam delivery with technology that rotates around patients to accurately and precisely target tumors with great speed.”

“So, It will treat a wide range of cancers that we currently have, but we were somewhat limited. So we'll be able to treat patients quicker, and more comfortably.”

 

According to the hospital, the center will also provide a PET (positron emission tomography) scan. “It will use a radioactive drug called a tracer to detect diseases before they show up on other imaging tests. A PET scan is an effective way to help discover a variety of health conditions, including cancer. CCH currently provides PET/CT; however, it is on a mobile truck that only comes to Columbus once per week.”

The hospital is also equipped to have Infusion services, but due to their cramped location on the second floor, it does not adequately allow patients privacy. The new building will have private rooms for our hospital infusion patients. Infusion services will also occupy a bigger space to meet our community’s needs. 

"One of the greatest impacts for our patients will be decreasing their travel time," said Columbus Community Hospital PA-C Shelley Reichmuth. "This will cut their time on the road, going in for their infusions, their radiation treatments. Now that all of those services will be in Columbus, they will not need to spend an hour or two on the road because for some, it can be tremendous."

The Mead Family Cancer will be a beacon of hope for patients in the region, providing them with advanced treatments and the support they need throughout their cancer journey. For more information, you can visit their website: columbushop.org