Estimated $380 million will expand services and increase patient access to innovative, comprehensive cancer and surgical care closer to home

MODESTO, Calif. — Sutter Health today announced, as part of its strategic plan to expand services and enhance patient access to high-quality care in the Central Valley, a $380 million investment in Modesto. Sutter will build a new, four-story, 165,000-square-foot cancer center on the Sutter Memorial Medical Center campus. The new location, planned in collaboration with Gould Medical Group physicians, is scheduled to welcome patients in 2029.

“We’re making meaningful progress in expanding access to the specialized care that our communities need,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. “This investment—one of our biggest yet—is all about meeting the real needs of people in the Central Valley. We’re thrilled to be working alongside our physician partners to bring top-notch cancer care and surgical services to Modesto in this new, state-of-the-art facility.”

The new Sutter Health Cancer Center will feature:

• A New Standard in Cancer Care: Spanning the first and second floors, this center will further elevate top-tier cancer care services in the region. As part of Sutter’s Integrated Network Cancer Program designated by the Commission on Cancer, it will meet the high demand for cancer care, serving patients from San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties and beyond. 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 access all their care in one place, closer to home. This center will also connect patients with additional advanced Sutter cancer specialists in the Bay Area and greater Sacramento area as needed.
• Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC): Expanding Surgical Options: Located on the third floor, the ASC will include four operating rooms, four procedure rooms and additional space for future expansion, helping support efforts to meet the community’s evolving needs. This will be the first Sutter ASC in Modesto, offering patients a trusted nearby option connected to Sutter’s larger integrated system for high-quality outpatient surgery.
• Outpatient Clinics: Growing with the Community: The fourth floor will be designed to feature more than 25 clinicians and 50 exam rooms, supporting continued growth in outpatient and clinical care, and increasing capacity to serve the region for future generations.
• Greater Number of Physicians: The location will also enable Gould Medical Group to bring new physicians to Modesto, with plans to recruit 44 clinicians for the cancer center and ASC. Twelve additional clinicians will also support the outpatient services offered.

“The Central Valley is experiencing considerable growth and is forecasted for more,” said Dr. Robert Altman, president and CEO of Gould Medical Group. “Additional physicians in our community will contribute to achieving our mission to offer integrated, top-quality care across the region.”

Special Focus on Advanced Cancer Care

Sutter Health is committed to offering the highest quality cancer care available in every community it serves. This is a particularly poignant focus in the Central Valley, where statistics show cancer diagnoses increasing in the next decade-plus. According to statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov, the area is expected to have more than 8,000 people with cancer by 2037.

“It is important we continue to evolve how we care for individuals living with cancer and how we support their loved ones. Our aim is to provide patient-centered, comprehensive care that is based on the most advanced care standards while being rooted in the community,” said Gould Medical Group’s Dr. Allen Li, a medical oncologist who cares for local residents and serves as section chief for oncology. “This cancer center will bring together different cancer care specialists to perform advanced diagnostic testing and treatments, including molecular testing, specialized surgeries, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and other advanced cancer therapies. It will be the place where these synergies merge, giving patients and family members peace of mind and streamlined access to Sutter’s award-winning cancer care.”

“The cancer center will be an important component of our overall cancer service line,” added Dr. Steven Hao, chief medical officer, Sutter Service Lines. “Our patients will benefit from the best practices, collaboration and coordination between the cancer specialists across our network who are continually focused on high-quality, equitable patient outcomes, helping ensure that our patients get our very best, every day, no matter what door they enter.”

Long-Term Commitment to Central Valley, Northern California

Sutter Health is committed to addressing the health care access challenges facing patients in California by investing significantly in new and enhanced care facilities and services across the geography. This multi-year construction project, which will replace the existing 1800 Coffee Rd. building, is the latest example of the continued investment in the Central Valley. Most recently, the system unveiled plans for multiple new care centers throughout the greater Central Valley area. This is part of Sutter Health’s larger plans to open 27 new ambulatory care centers by 2027 and adding more than 160 hospital beds by 2025. Additionally, Sutter announced newly accredited Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residency programs set to begin in summer of 2025. Sutter plans to grow its Graduate Medical Education programs to train 1,000 physician residents and fellows each year by 2030 and create more academic partnerships to foster diverse clinical talent reflective of the communities it serves.