Richard Leal, vice president of strategy for Sutter Health’s Greater Central Valley, and Diane Walton, imaging supervisor for Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, high-five each other as other employees tour the newly remodeled diagnostic imaging center on 600 Coffee Rd., in Modesto on Aug. 18, 2025.
The first steps toward supporting Sutter’s new cancer center in Modesto start with its newly enhanced diagnostic imaging services that just opened.
The existing diagnostic imaging center at 600 Coffee Rd. underwent a significant remodel that will play a vital role supporting the four-story, 165,000-square-foot cancer center set to open on Sutter’s Memorial Medical Center campus in 2029. The 4,300 square foot-diagnostic imaging center was reconfigured to accommodate more patients and new, leading-edge equipment, including enhanced MRI capabilities to power earlier, more precise cancer screenings.
“This expansion fully supports the pathway we’ve set to build a cancer center equipped to deliver our patients elite cancer care,” said Gould Medical Group’s Dr. Ming Zhou, a medical oncologist who cares for local residents and serves as section chief for oncology. “This work is all part of our strategic plan to expand services and enhance patient access to high-quality cancer care in the Central Valley.”
Technicians and other support team members gather around the new MRI at 600 Coffee Rd. in Modesto.
Various screenings, like mammograms, are designed to help catch cancers sooner. Earlier detection can also lead to better outcomes since earlier stage cancers can be easier to treat. Sutter technicians at the remodeled site will be able to conduct more breast MRIs and biopsies with the new MRI equipment, as well as conduct superior imaging for urology care. The new MRI also has shown to improve the detection and diagnosis for a variety of cases involving the brain, spine and musculoskeletal system.
Another advantage to the new equipment at the enhanced diagnostic imaging center at 600 Coffee Rd. in Modesto is the expanded training capabilities they will offer. The new MRIs in particular offer qualified technologists the chance to broaden their knowledge and advance their skillsets.
Part of this training is made possible by the Care Alliance GE Healthcare and Sutter Health announced earlier this year. It is one example of Sutter Health’s commitment to ongoing professional development that includes other site-specific professional development courses; individual development plans with mentorship, and academic programs and scholarships.
Sutter Health announced the $380 million investment in the Modesto-based cancer center last August. The center will be an all-inclusive location offering clinic visits, infusion and radiation therapy, imaging, lab, pharmacy and multiple complementary therapies. The center will also feature greater access to clinical trials. By centralizing all services, patients can seamlessly access all their care in one place, closer to home. Sutter Health estimates that in the next decade-plus it can care for more than double the number of patients they see today through the new center.
Stanislaus County’s 2025 Community Health Assessment illustrates the need for more cancer support in the Central Valley. As reported by The Modesto Bee, the county’s cancer mortality rate of 157 deaths per 100,000 population is higher than both the state and the nation, which is 32.7 per 100,000 and 146 per 100,000, respectively.
“We’re advancing a unique model of comprehensive, integrated and connected care that’s driven by exceptional teams, innovative technologies, continual learning and pioneering research,” said Dr. Zhou. “By expanding access and investing in innovation right here in Modesto, we’re redefining cancer care from prevention to survivorship.”
