Enloe’s Comprehensive Cancer Center halfway to completion, aims for August 2026 opening
Enloe Health’s Comprehensive Cancer Center is swiftly taking shape in Chico’s Meriam Park. The state-of-the-art facility will significantly expand Enloe’s ability to provide essential cancer-related services to the Northstate community.
Designed with patient care in mind, the center will feature cutting-edge technology, including specialized linear accelerator vaults, which will enhance treatment options and ensure precision in delivering radiation therapy.
“Which is basically a radiation-producing piece of equipment that targets that into tumors in the body to break them up. It’s about 6 million pounds of concrete that creates the three vaults,” said Keith McCurry, Senior Project Manager of Swinerton Builders.”
The third floor of the center will host infusion therapy stations and a dedicated observation area, thoughtfully designed to create a comforting atmosphere for patients during their treatment.
A new pharmacy space will be expanded to prioritize safety and efficiency. The area will enable healthcare workers to safely mix chemotherapy drugs in a controlled environment, while ensuring that all materials remain sterile and safe for patient use.
In addition to serving more patients in Butte County and beyond, the cancer center will attract much-needed healthcare providers to the community, according to Enloe Health officials.
“The patients that we will be seeing will be from all over the Northstate because there won’t be a facility as advanced as this one between Sacramento and the Oregon border. When you have a facility that is state-of-the-art and beautiful on top of that in a community like Chico, it really helps drive that recruitment effort,” explained Jolene Francis, Chief Development Officer of Enloe Health.
The 107,000 square foot project, which includes the construction of a facility and its equipment, has an estimated cost of approximately $154 million. The facility was funded through sold bonds, with over $20 million raised through a regional campaign. The center is being built on a 13-acre lot donated by Dan and Dawn Gonzales. On any given morning, McCurry says around 110 people are working at the site to expedite the completion of this much-needed facility.
