LEWISTOWN, MT, June 6 —CMMC has opened a new, state-of-the-art cancer center with the support of a $9 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to better serve the needs of communities in Central Montana. In addition to the generous grant from Helmsley Charitable Trust, Norm Asbjornson donated over $3.35 million, and Larry and Kathleen Carrell donated $1 million to make the project a reality.
With the opening of the new 16,700-square-foot center, CMMC now offers radiation oncology services in addition to medical and surgical oncology services to address the needs of cancer patients in rural central Montana. The project eliminates distance and access barriers to care for the people living in the region. Before opening the new center, patients needing radiation oncology treatment have had to travel long distances to receive that care, potentially impacting their treatment plans and outcomes. The new center is the only comprehensive cancer center within a 100-mile radius.
“Our dedicated Cancer Care team at CMMC cares for patients through more than 2000 infusion treatments each year. As the number of patients we serve has grown each year, we continue to grow our services to meet their needs including both medical and radiation oncology,” shared Cody Langbehn, CEO of CMMC. “With the opening of the Helmsley Cancer Center we will be able to serve even more patients, creating equitable access to cancer care for the region and our rural communities.”
“The Helmsley Charitable Trust is proud to support Central Montana Medical Center in bringing life-saving cancer care closer to home. This new cancer center is a transformative step toward ensuring that patients and families across central Montana no longer have to endure the burden of long-distance travel in order to receive care,” said Walter Panzirer, a Trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “We believe everyone deserves access to the best possible treatment, regardless of where they live, and this project exemplifies that commitment.”
The new center is connected to the hospital and all its services. The center is home to the region’s only medical linear accelerator, which delivers radiation treatments quickly and accurately. It has a patient and caregiver-centered design with several unique elements, including large windows in the medical oncology and infusion treatment areas that offer views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The new center also adds a CT Simulator, a centralized registration desk, additional infusion chairs with massage capabilities and four clinic exam rooms for radiation and medical oncology appointments.
Construction began on the project in fall of 2023, and the $19.5 million project was completed in June. In addition to the grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the project was funded through the generous support of community members with over 840 households making donations of varying amounts.
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About Central Montana Medical Center
Nestled on top of a hill with a view of 5 majestic mountain ranges is our community hospital: Central Montana Medical Center, or informally known as “CMMC.” CMMC is a 25-bed critical access hospital. CMMC provides a full range of services from rehab, cancer care, home health/hospice, in/outpatient surgical services to obstetrics, emergency, intensive care and high tech radiology services accompanied with a complete staff of specialty physicians. The Mission of Central Montana Medical Center is to be the leader in assuring community based quality healthcare.
About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $4.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $800 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and two U.S. Pacific territories, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.
Media contact:
Stephanie Prater
Phone: (406) 535-1444
Email: sprater@cmmccares.com