OhioHealth opens new cancer treatment center

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- OhioHealth opened its new Grant Cancer Center Tuesday located on the campus of OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.

It’s a nearly $25 million investment and approximately 30,000 square feet and two floors. The services included are as follows; infusion services, medical oncology and hematology, radiation oncology, lab services, and pharmacy.

It’s designed to provide a more collaborative approach to cancer care for the most frequently used cancer services, whether it be regular screening, active treatment or survivorship support.

“Cancer is one of those top 5 leading causes of death and so that ability to be able to identify cancer early on is key and being close to home or where you work is really important for getting treatment and access,” said the Chief Operations Officer for Grant Medical Center, Jean Halpin.

The Grant Cancer Center is just one of the many projects that will be coming to the downtown area. There will soon be a $400 million investment to build a new ambulatory facility and trauma center, emergency department, and critical care pavilion. It will be breaking ground soon and is set to be complete in 2028. This is all part of OhioHealth's “Keep Making Plans” cancer campaign.

“Our campaign to keep making plans is really important because what we want to do is, first of all, focus on screening. The more people aware of the signs and symptoms to look for and to get care fast is key because if we can get you into treatment we often can give you a life-saving plan.”

With many people working from home, due to the pandemic, it’s important that access to healthcare keeps expanding and getting closer to the homes of the people you serve.

“You see that all of our healthcare systems now have emergency rooms, independent emergency rooms all around town that aren’t just at their main headquarters. Again, making that access to care more accessible and closer to their home more approachable,” Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said.

Roberts added that since the pandemic, it’s been easier for health facilities to provide access closer to the homes of the communities they serve.

“In order to meet more people and make healthcare more accessible for them, we have to remove that barrier of distance and bring the services closer to where those individuals are living,” Roberts said.

For more information on the new cancer center, click here.