Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital celebrated the opening of its newest cancer center, a major expansion that strengthens access to coordinated, comprehensive oncology care for patients throughout Colorado.  

Designed over the past year with significant patient feedback, the new center reflects Intermountain Health’s commitment to creating a more comfortable and intuitive experience for individuals navigating cancer treatment.  

The space brings all major oncology services into one central location and offers expanded treatment capacity, updated clinical technology, and a layout tailored to patient needs.  

“Our goal was to build a space that reflects the dignity, comfort, and coordinated support every patient deserves,” said Sarah Pike, oncology service line director at Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital. “By expanding our treatment areas and bringing services together in one place, we’re able to provide more seamless, patient-centered care.”  

As the design came together, Pike said the team focused heavily on how patients move through their care.  

“This center was designed with our patients’ voices at the heart of every decision. Every design choice, from the layout of the infusion bays to the flow between clinics, was made to reduce stress and improve comfort,” she said. “Cancer care is complex, but the experience shouldn’t feel overwhelming.”  

The new space includes two treatment and procedure rooms, eight additional infusion bays with private and semiprivate options, an expanded rehabilitation gym, and an additional mammography machine. The breast surgery clinic has also moved to the same floor as breast imaging, creating a more efficient and coordinated experience for breast cancer patients.  

The celebration also included Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera and leaders from the Colorado Cancer Coalition and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, who introduced Colorado’s new Five-Year Cancer Plan. 

“This facility represents hope, innovation, and the very best in cancer care for our community,” said Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera. “Addressing cancer is deeply personal to me, as I have been diagnosed with four different cancers, on four separate occasions, so I understand firsthand the challenges that patients and their loved ones face medically, financially, emotionally and spiritually.”  

Intermountain Health clinical leaders highlighted how the expanded center will strengthen cancer care across the region.  

“This is an exciting moment, not just for our team, but for every patient and family we serve,” said Kevin Dryanski, oncology service line director for Intermountain Health’s Peaks Region in Colorado. “Our mission is to continually elevate the standard of care. By expanding our space and capabilities, we’re better equipped than ever to support patients throughout every stage of their cancer journey.”  

Dryanski added that the new center positions Saint Joseph Hospital as a strong partner in statewide cancer care.  

“This expansion strengthens cancer care not just at Saint Joseph Hospital, but across the entire Intermountain Health region,” he said. “It allows us to meet growing demand while improving coordination across our oncology programs.”  The new cancer center began seeing patients Feb. 24. 

Note for Media: Additional video and images available upon request.

Marcy Smith, of Glendive, Montana, is busy. 

From her work as a speech paraprofessional in Glendive public schools, following her son’s many sporting activities, and caring for two young foster children, she has just enough time to make sure she is caring for her own health. 

Her normal routine took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. 

In February, her medical provider insisted that she undergo a screening mammogram. 

"I remember thinking, 'I don't have time for this,' but my doctor didn't give me a choice," Smith joked. 

The screening mammogram revealed a lump, and further tests confirmed it was cancer. 

By May, Smith had undergone surgery to remove the lump and was advised to start chemotherapy, followed by radiation therapy. 

Living in rural eastern Montana, Smith faced the prospect of traveling long distances for her treatments. 

If she chose to travel more than 200 miles to Billings, the daily radiation treatments would require her to potentially spend weeks away from her family. These barriers made her uneasy. 

Fortunately, Smith’s provider informed her about the new Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Cancer Center in Miles City that was now providing radiation oncology treatments.  

"From the very moment I spoke with my radiation doctor in Miles City, I was wowed. The facility was brand new and very comfortable. Cancer stuff is scary, but this place made it a really good experience," Smith shared. 

The convenience of the cancer center was “a game changer" for Smith, she said.

An hour drive from Glendive, she was able to work her radiation treatments into her work and family schedules. 

"They fit me in during the afternoon. I was able to leave my last student at 3 o'clock, make it to Miles City by 4 o'clock, and be back home by dinner time," she said. 

“We are incredibly proud of the strides we've made in expanding our cancer services,” said Katie Donnelly,” director of oncology care at Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Hospital. “Being able to offer comprehensive cancer care at Holy Rosary means patients like Marcy no longer have to travel hours for these treatments. Seeing the difference it makes, in the lives of our patients and their families, is what inspires us every day.”  

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In September, Holy Rosary opened the new cancer center, made possible with a $6-million grant from Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.  The new state-of-the-art facility now provides radiation oncology care in addition to the medical oncology, surgical oncology, and support services that Holy Rosary has provided for several decades. It is the only comprehensive cancer center in a 125-mile radius. Annually, Holy Rosary provides more than 1,500 infusion treatments and has more than 500 provider visits with patients. 

“With the opening of the new cancer center and now offering radiation oncology services at Holy Rosary, we will be able to serve even more patients, creating equitable cancer care for the region and our rural communities.” shared Ben Uhlich, president and chief nursing officer of Holy Rosary Hospital. 

Smith’s commitment to her family was evident throughout her treatment journey. Despite the challenges, she made sure to be there for her children and grandchildren. Her foster daughter, 5 and in kindergarten, often accompanied her to the cancer center, providing company and support.  

The support from her community also played a crucial role. "I have a very supportive community. People offered to help, sent letters of support, and provided words of encouragement," Smith says. This support network, combined with the accessible care at the Holy Rosary cancer center, made a significant difference in her journey. 

Smith's story highlights the importance of having access to critical cancer care in rural areas. Care close to home eases the economic and physical burden of travel and stress for patients like Smith. "It's such a relief to have a new center, new equipment, and very knowledgeable doctors from a great group," she said. 

Smith acknowledges the profound impact her cancer has had on her family. "It was harder on my family than it was on me. They didn’t have any control over what happened; they just sort of watched it go on. When they knew I was going to Miles City for radiation, they felt much better," she said.  

As Smith looks forward to the future with determination, she remains committed to her family and community. "I'm going to watch my foster son graduate, my grandson start as quarterback, and all the big things my family will do," she said.   

Now finished with her treatment, Smith starts a new year with gratitude and cautious optimism, caring for her family and students.  She also wants women to understand and prioritize the importance of accessing preventative care, even during the busyness and commitments of daily life.

“Get your tests! Get your mammograms, get your colonoscopies,” said Smith. “Early detection is literally, lifesaving.” 

En Intermountain Health asumimos el compromiso de ayudar a los pacientes a llevar una vida lo más saludable posible y, en el caso de las mujeres, esto incluye un atención proactiva y preventiva de las mamas. La mayoría de las mujeres consultan a sus médicos sobre la conveniencia de empezar a hacerse mamografías anuales alrededor de los 40 años. Desafortunadamente, algunas mujeres presentan un riesgo de cáncer de mama superior a la media y, para ellas, sería conveniente hacerse pruebas de detección más precoces o más completas. 

El Programa de Cáncer de Mama de Alto Riesgo del Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital está destinado a las pacientes de Grand Valley para identificar a las mujeres que tienen mayor riesgo de padecer cáncer de mama y ofrecerles información y recursos que les permitan minimizar este riesgo. 

“Diseñamos y pusimos en funcionamiento un programa integral centrado en la paciente, en el que nuestros expertos en salud mamaria identifican formas de reducir el riesgo de cáncer de mama de una mujer desde la perspectiva de múltiples profesionales de atención médica especializados en diferentes disciplinas. Trabajamos juntos para brindarle a cada mujer la máxima protección posible en función de sus características genéticas, sus antecedentes familiares y su estilo de vida”, afirmó la Dra. Alicia Swink, médica oncóloga del Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. 

El programa ayuda a las mujeres y a sus médicos de atención primaria a eliminar las suposiciones y los aspectos logísticos de las estrategias adecuadas para la detección y la reducción del riesgo de cáncer de mama. “Todos hemos visto a amigas, familiares y, por supuesto, a pacientes luchando por conocer su propio riesgo de cáncer de mama, y tratando de conseguir ayuda para controlar ese riesgo”, dijo el Dr. Lucas Gilbride, oncólogo radioterapeuta especializado en mama de Intermountain Health. 

“La amenaza de cáncer de mama es bastante difícil de concebir y manejar para cualquier mujer; queremos simplificar el proceso para ayudar a las pacientes a conocer y controlar su riesgo”, añadió. 

La detección precoz del cáncer de mama es esencial, afirmó la Dra. Joyce Sekharan, cirujana de mama y directora médica del Programa de centros oncológicos contra el cáncer de mama de Colorado en el St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. “El cáncer de mama en estadio 1 se asocia a una tasa de supervivencia del 99 %. Una de cada ocho mujeres padece cáncer de mama; sin embargo, se ha demostrado que las estrategias de detección precoz son extremadamente útiles”. 

“Muchos tipos de cáncer de mama pueden evitarse por completo; por eso ayudamos a las mujeres a que identifiquen y modifiquen los factores de riesgo que pueden cambiar. En el caso de los tipos de cáncer de mama que no pueden evitarse, la detección precoz de la enfermedad es fundamental para la cura. Nos aseguramos que expertos en el tema observen de cerca a las mujeres con mayor riesgo de cáncer de mama, de modo que cualquier enfermedad se detecte pronto, en una fase curable”, añadió. 

Muchas mujeres tal vez creen que el riesgo que tienen de padecer cáncer de mama es normal o bajo porque son jóvenes o no tienen antecedentes familiares importantes de cáncer de mama; por desgracia, las estadísticas demuestran que esto no siempre es así. 

“Recomendamos encarecidamente a todas las mujeres que, a partir de los 20 años, consulten a su proveedor de atención médica primaria para evaluar cuál puede ser su riesgo individual y qué pueden hacer para minimizarlo. Estamos aquí para hacer recomendaciones que protejan a la paciente y ayuden a su proveedor a cuidarla durante toda su vida”, dijo la Dra. Swink. 

Katie Lemas, asesora genética certificada del hospital, es una de las principales responsables del Programa de Cáncer de Mama de Alto Riesgo. 

“Cada vez sabemos más sobre cómo nuestra genética nos predispone a padecer cáncer de mama y otros tipos de cáncer. Si sabemos que una mujer tiene una predisposición genética al cáncer de mama, podemos protegerla mejor mediante pruebas de detección optimizadas, medicamentos y un plan de atención personalizado. El conocimiento es poder: podemos intervenir en lo que conocemos o, incluso, cambiarlo por completo. Toda mujer debe tener la oportunidad de conocer cuáles son los factores que puede controlar”, indicó Lemas. 

El Programa de Cáncer de Mama de Alto Riesgo está destinado a todas las mujeres de cualquier edad con riesgo de padecer cáncer de mama. Las pacientes pueden acudir al programa por iniciativa propia o remitidas por su ginecólogo, médico de familia, médico de medicina interna u otro proveedor de atención médica primaria. 

“Una vez que están en el programa, evaluamos el riesgo de cáncer de mama, brindamos asesoramiento genético, hacemos pruebas genéticas (si están indicadas) y pruebas de detección de vigilancia, proporcionamos educación para la reducción del riesgo y realizamos intervenciones en el estilo de vida”, explicó Page Kanopsic, enfermera titulada de Intermountain Health. 

“Trabajamos junto a las mujeres para encontrar la mejor manera de mantenerlas sanas; las ayudamos a cambiar las cosas que pueden cambiar para mejorar la salud y hacemos todo lo posible para protegerlas de los factores que no pueden cambiarse. Estamos con ellas en todo momento”, continuó. 

El Programa de Cáncer de Mama de Alto Riesgo ofrece una comunidad a la que las mujeres pueden acudir para hablar de su salud y sus preocupaciones, y les proporciona apoyo ante situaciones de ansiedad relacionadas con la atención médica. 

“El objetivo de este programa es enseñarles a las mujeres cómo controlar su propia salud y su propio riesgo. No hay nada inevitable en el cáncer de mama; podemos cambiar la predisposición y disminuir la cantidad de mujeres afectadas por la enfermedad. Podemos hacerlo juntos y estamos orgullosos de ofrecer este programa como centro integral para las mujeres en situación de riesgo”, declaró la Dra. Sekharan. 

Las pacientes pueden acceder al programa de manera virtual o en persona en el Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital de Grand Junction, Colorado. Se ofrecen servicios de interpretación. Para obtener más información, llame al 970-298-7500. 

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Intermountain Health is committed to helping patients live the healthiest lives possible, and for women this includes proactive and preventive breast care. Most women talk to their doctors about starting to get annual mammograms around age 40. Unfortunately, some women are at higher risk for breast cancer than the average and would benefit from earlier or more complete screening. 

The High-Risk Breast Cancer Program at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital is now available to patients in the Grand Valley to help identify those at higher risk for breast cancer, and then provides education and resources to help them minimize their risk. 

“We’ve designed and implemented a comprehensive, patient-centered program where our breast health experts identify ways to reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer from the perspective of multiple healthcare professionals representing different disciplines. We work together to protect each individual woman the best we can, given her genetics, family history, and lifestyle,” said Alicia Swink, MD, medical oncologist with Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. 

The program helps women and their primary physicians take the guesswork and logistics out of appropriate breast cancer screening and risk-reduction strategies. “We’ve all seen friends, family, and certainly patients struggle to understand their own risk of breast cancer, and how to get help managing that risk,” said Lucas Gilbride MD, breast radiation oncologist with Intermountain Health. 

“The threat of breast cancer for every woman is hard enough to think about and manage; we want to simplify the process to help patients understand and manage their risk,” he added. 

"Early detection of breast cancer is crucial, said Joyce Sekharan, MD, breast surgeon and medical director for the Breast Program of Cancer Centers of Colorado at Intermountain St. Mary’s Hospital, “Stage 1 breast cancer is associated with a 99% survival rate. One in 8 women get breast cancer; however, early detection strategies are proven to be extremely helpful.” 

“Many breast cancers may be completely preventable, and we’re helping women identify and change the risk-factors they can. For those breast cancers that cannot be prevented, catching the disease early is key to curing the cancer. We’re making sure women at higher risk of breast cancer are closely monitored by breast cancer experts, so any disease is caught early, at a curable stage,” she added. 

Many women may think they’re at normal or low risk for breast cancer if they are young or have no significant family history of breast cancer; unfortunately, statistics show this may not be the case. 

“We strongly encourage every woman to discuss what her individual risk might be, with her primary care provider starting in their 20s to see what she can do to minimize that risk. We’re here to help make recommendations that protect the patient and support her provider in watching over her throughout her life,” said Dr. Swink. 

Katie Lemas, the hospital’s certified genetic counselor, is a key leader of the High-Risk Breast Cancer Program. 

“Were learning more and more about how our genetics predispose us to breast and other cancers. If we know a woman has a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, we can better protect her through enhanced screening, medication, and a personalized care plan. Knowledge is power – what we know about, we can influence or even change altogether. Every woman should have the opportunity to know what factors she can control,” said Lemas. 

The High-Risk Breast Cancer Program is available to all women of any age with a concern of developing breast cancer. Patients can self-refer or be referred to the program by their gynecologist, family physician, internal medicine physician, or other primary care provider. 

“Once in the program, we perform breast cancer risk assessments, genetic counseling and testing (if indicated), surveillance screening, risk-reduction education and lifestyle interventions,” said Page Kanopsic, nurse practitioner with Intermountain Health. 

“We partner with women to find the best way to stay healthy; we help them change the things they can for better health, and do our best to protect them from factors that cannot be changed. We’re with them through every step,” she continued. 

The High-Risk Breast Cancer Program provides a community where women can go to discuss their health and concerns and provides support for women as they face any anxiety about healthcare. 

“This program is about giving women the power to take control of their own health and their own risk. There is nothing inevitable about breast cancer; we can change the trends and decrease the number of women who are affected by the disease. We can do this together and are proud to offer this program as a comprehensive hub for women at risk,” said Dr. Sekharan. 

Patients can access the program virtually or in person at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. Interpretation services are available. For more information, call 970-298-7500. 

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