Kraus-Anderson to begin construction on The Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center in Bemidji
Groundbreaking ceremony to be held at 4:30 pm, Wed., July 19
BEMIDJI, Minn. (July 2017) – The Bemidji office of Kraus-Anderson (KA), one of the Midwest’s oldest and largest commercial general contractors and construction managers, is set to begin construction on the new Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19 in the field south of Sanford Bemidji Radiation Oncology at 1233 34th St. The event will celebrate cancer survivors with a special picnic and honor donors for their philanthropy in donating to the cancer center. Community members are invited to this free picnic and celebration.
The $12 million, 20,500 square-foot facility will include high-dose rate therapy, PET CT scanner, vault space for a second linear accelerator, inpatient chemotherapy, 20 infusion suites, 15 exam rooms, on-site pharmacy, infusion pharmacy and lab services, clinical trials, boutique, bistro, indoor garden meditation area and other patient-centered amenities. It will also create a hub for services like radiation and medical oncology, patient navigation, nutrition, financial counseling, social services, genetic counseling, the latest clinical trials, palliative care and survivorship. The Cancer Center is scheduled to open fall 2018.
“Twenty years ago, cancer services in Bemidji were non-existent, but we now have a comprehensive cancer program thanks to our generous donors and caring staff who support these offerings in the Bemidji area,” said Shari Hahn, director of cancer services at Sanford Bemidji. “The Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center means a continued future of cancer care excellence and ensures people can receive the care they need close to home, in one convenient location.”
The Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center is named in honor of the late grocery store owner Joe Lueken who owned Lueken’s Village Foods. In 2014, Joe passed away at the age of 72 after a battle with cancer. The Joseph and Janice Lueken Family Foundation provided a significant lead gift to the Sanford Health Foundation of Northern Minnesota as part of the Care Without Limits campaign, which enabled Sanford Bemidji to expand its cancer services and centralize them into one location.
If interested in attending this event, please RSVP by calling 218-333-5505 or emailing BemidjiRSVP@sanfordhealth.org.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas. It is one of the largest health systems in the nation with 45 hospitals and nearly 300 clinics in nine states and four countries. Sanford Health’s 28,000 employees, including more than 1,300 physicians, make it the largest employer in the Dakotas. Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have allowed for several initiatives, including global children’s clinics, genomic medicine and specialized centers researching cures for type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and other diseases. For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org.
About Kraus-Anderson
Established in 1897, Kraus-Anderson® Construction Company (www.krausanderson.com) is one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers. Kraus-Anderson, an Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and has regional offices in Madison, Wis., Bismarck, N.D., and Duluth, Bemidji and Rochester Minn.
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Sanford Contact:
Lindsey Wangberg
Sanford Marketing Director –Bemidji Region
218-407-7516 / lindsey.wangberg@sanfordhealth.org