Sutter starts building $380 million cancer care center in Modesto. What to know
Healthcare leaders and Modesto-area officials gathered Thursday to signal the start of construction on a $380 million cancer care center next to Memorial Medical Center.
A building was demolished at the northeast corner of Coffee Road and Spanos Court to clear the site. Now, crews will start building a four-story center that will feature the latest diagnostic equipment and outpatient services for cancer patients.
The Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex is expected to open in 2029 with 120 physicians and 400 staff members serving thousands of patients each year.
Sutter Health said it’s providing an all-inclusive location for visits with cancer specialists, for cancer screenings, infusion and radiation therapy. The center also will put imaging and lab services, a pharmacy and complementary therapies all under one roof.
“Patients and families will really benefit from having outpatient and specialty care services in one centralized location,” said Dr. David Peterson, chief medical officer of Gould Medical Group, a longtime Sutter partner. “The center’s design is a great example of how connected care can help us diagnose and treat patients more efficiently, reduce delays and improve outcomes.”
Sutter Health will consolidate its Modesto-area cancer services at the new 1800 Coffee Road center, which will have additional space for growth.
A same-day surgery center on the third floor will have four operating rooms, four procedure rooms and space for four additional ORs. The fourth floor will provide space for 50 examination rooms and 25 clinicians and have extra capacity for more patients coming from Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced and other counties.
“This new complex will serve as a destination for care in the Central Valley,” said Warner Thomas, president and chief executive officer of Sutter Health, who spoke at Thursday’s ceremony. “It ensures patients can count on coordinated, high-quality care across multiple specialties, all in one location. It also helps patients experience fewer sleepless nights knowing they can access treatment faster, soon after their initial diagnosis.”
Stanislaus County has recorded a cancer mortality rate of 157 deaths per 100,000 residents, which is higher than California’s rate of 132.7 per 100,000 and the national rate of 146 deaths per 100,000.
Almost 2,000 patients with cancer received care at Sutter facilities in the Central Valley in 2024. The Sacramento-based nonprofit health system is a source of cancer care for 17,000 patients annually in Northern California.
The Modesto center will have numerous cancer specialists to perform advanced diagnostic testing and treatments, molecular testing, specialized surgeries, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and other advanced techniques.
Dr. Alex Garcia Young, a Gould Medical Group radiation oncologist and cancer service council member for Sutter Health, said the team sees many cases of breast cancer, as well as prostate, gastrointestinal, colorectal and advanced lung cancer.
Cancer care services have been fragmented
The care for breast cancer has tended to be fragmented, with patients going to multiple places for tests and treatment.
With the new center, the goal will be seamless care requiring patients to go up or down only one floor for various services. The center will allow patients to meet with a surgeon and radiation oncology in one visit. It also will feature a rehab gym, pharmacy service and complementary therapy classes to support patients facing a life-threatening disease.
“We’re trying to create a world-class experience for cancer patients focused on the whole person,” said Rochelle Lonn, vice president of cancer services for Sutter Health. Lonn began a career at Sutter as a nurse supporting cancer and infusion services in Modesto.
Patients needing care for more complex cancer still will be referred to facilities in Sacramento or San Francisco. Sutter Health said the center should provide better access for patients to about 150 clinical trials.
Garcia Young and Lonn were part of a design effort that listened to input from patient and family advisory council members. One thing patients wanted was reserved parking in one location and a quiet meditation space for sorting through their emotions.
Garcia Young noted that patients with treatment side effects don’t want to deal with the parking process or a long walk from their cars to the center.
The former building at the site was used for employee health, administrative services and cardiac and pulmonary rehab clinics that have been relocated to 1401 Spanos Court.
Recruiting physicians for the new center
Sutter Health is adding 25 more clinicians between last year and next year to prepare for opening the Modesto building.
Amber Campbell, chief executive officer of ambulatory services for Sutter’s Central Valley division, said Sutter is recruiting doctors from its own clinics and residency programs; in addition, physicians are relocating from the Bay Area and across the country.
Sutter said the Modesto center is the latest example of investment in Central Valley healthcare facilities. Sutter opened the doors last year to new care centers in Lodi, Manteca, Modesto, Turlock and Tracy.
It launched a family medicine and internal medicine residency program in Modesto in July 2025.
Tracy Roman, CEO of Sutter’s Memorial Medical Center, said the Coffee Road center will offer ease of access to a comprehensive list of cancer services. “Having one location is everything to patients,” she said.
This story was originally published January 15, 2026 at 12:50 PM.
