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Huntsman Cancer Institute breaks ground on new treatment and research facility

Posted at 8:21 PM, Sep 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-05 23:24:23-04

SALT LAKE CITY — The Huntsman Cancer Institute is expanding once again with the groundbreaking of a new building to help treat more patients in the area.

The new facility will focus on women’s cancers and providing services to patients to help them deal with the pain of cancer.

Terri Jones is a breast cancer patient at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, she says the new Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers, will be a dream for other patients.

“You add another phase to this facility, and you see all the new things that they’ll have space for and it will just draw even more excellence which will serve the community,” said Terri Jones.

Part of the plans for the new building will include larger rooms and spaces for families to visit their loved ones as they're going through treatment.

“I think family traveling from outside, family in the community will feel more a part of the process and all of that will just increase your ability to heal and have hope and the courage you need to get through what becomes kind of an unexpected journey,” said Jones.

Other perks of the new building include an entire floor dedicated to women’s cancers, space for blood and marrow cancer care, an endoscopy center and an expansion of the Wellness and Integrative Health Center which provides over three dozen services to help patients with the pain of cancer treatment.

“We’ll have 7,000 sq. ft. expansion which will include a cooking demonstration kitchen, doubling the space for acupuncture and massage therapy, we’ll be able to offer group music therapy sessions, writing therapy sessions, and also additional art-making sessions,” said Shelley White, Manager of the Wellness and Integrative Health Center at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The building is projected to cost $148 million, much of which has been provided by donors. The expected completion date is August of 2022.

“Inside this structure that’s about to be built, I know that there are going to be more spaces for more amazing care givers and that’s really the blessing here today,” said Jones.