AdventHealth to bring first cancer treatment center to Colorado town of Castle Rock

Every year, 650 Coloradans are diagnosed with cancer in Castle Rock alone. Right now, there's nowhere for them to get treatment in their community.

"We don't have cancer care in Castle Rock and you don't know that until you get cancer," said Castle Rock resident Marcy Blair.

Blair was 45 when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2002.

"It was the mammogram that found it and thank goodness it did," Blair said.

Loved ones drove her to Littleton nearly every day for the treatment that followed.

"I personally went through eight rounds of chemo, 37 rounds of radiation. So that's 45 round trips without any even doctor appointments," Blair said.

Eventually, Blair won her battle with cancer, but over 20 years later, Castle Rock's growing population still had to travel elsewhere for that treatment.

"Those are long drives. That anxiety builds as you're coming into treatment and the nauseousness kicks in as you're leaving treatment, so being able to have that in your neighborhood is just critical," Blair said.

She says those rides take a toll on both the patient and their support system.

"You think about like a single mom trying to figure out how to get a ride, who's gonna pick her kids up from school, who's gonna make meals," Blair said.

Blair now chairs the AdventHealth Foundation Board, where she's helping raise money for a cancer care center at the Castle Rock campus, a campaign called "the Rock of Hope" that's been going on since 2022.

Thursday, AdventHealth Castle Rock officially named the recently built Schrader building after a local family who donated $4 million to the cause.

"We have a family that has named this building. They're so generous, and they're offering another million-dollar match if another family comes forward. Other wonderful donors are naming infusion bays or the conference room, and we still have naming opportunities," Blair said.

Inside the building, radiation will be administered on the first floor, while chemo and other treatments will be on the third.

"So this is the waiting room where patients will come in and wait before their infusion treatments," said Lisa Hinton, director of business development and operations at AdventHealth Castle Rock. "All of the infusion bays will face out to the mountains so patients can enjoy these beautiful views while they're receiving their chemo."

Before the building was constructed, AdventHealth used drones to look at the views and determine the best spot for the treatment center.

Onsite, there will also be an oncology clinic, a pharmacy, genetic counseling services, survivorship classes, and even cooking classes to help patients prepare the types of food recommended during their treatment. 

The building will also include a surgery center on the first floor and orthopedic services on the second.

"It brings tears to my eyes, it really does. It makes me choke up just when you see the etchings and you realize this is really going to happen," Blair said.

AdventHealth hopes to start construction on the center in the next year and see their first patient by the end of 2025.

"I hope that nobody ever needs it. But if you do, you need to know that we've got it here in Castle Rock," Blair said.

AdventHealth is more than halfway to its $14.5 million goal. They're still looking for families and companies to donate to this cancer treatment center. If you're interested, you can contribute at Donate | Rock of Hope - RMAHF.