A New Day for Our Region

We will usher in a new medical era with the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute — and a new era for Central Illinois. From economic growth that uplifts our region to life-changing survival stories to the most innovative and accessible treatment tools, there is no end to our ripple effect. Other leading cancer institutions have changed the face of their home communities, and we see the same future for Peoria: a national magnet of world-class cancer care, expanding our network of physicians and supportive care services. The building itself will reflect our Mission-minded care model, with a spacious environment designed to promote individualized care through close patient-specialist collaboration.

With what we expect to be our crowning achievement, our vision to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation could result in an economic impact in the hundreds of millions and help us change the future of healthcare. 

New Opportunities, Greater Growth

Breaking ground on this project will invite an influx of new medical talent, jobs and patient visitors into Central Illinois. Peoria will be elevated to even greater prestige once we achieve our goal of NCI designation.

How will we grow?

The economic impact that the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute will bring to Central Illinois will be monumental. Patients will travel to Peoria from across the Midwest to receive world-class cancer care. We will recruit and retain the brightest minds in medicine, as they plant their roots in our communities and build lives here.

Other NCI-designated cancer centers have contributed billions of dollars and thousands of new jobs to their economies. The OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute will usher in a new day of hope for ours. It will play an integral part in helping us to create an even stronger model of care, providing a spacious environment that has been carefully designed to promote healing and meeting the needs of our patients. This will be where humanity meets medicine, where a person becomes more than a diagnosis and where the Sisters’ Mission to serve all persons with the greatest care and love will come alive, from education and prevention through to diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

Healing Patients Together

OSF’s story has always been about our Mission, as we seek to broaden our ability to help and heal patients. Building the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria will propel our entire Ministry’s growth in the area of cancer care. There is no end to its impact. We can already see how it will fortify and bolster the standing of every location in our network — from our other five cancer centers to our community hospitals — leading to our ultimate goal of National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. We can already project how much our surgeons, Mission Partners and specialists will learn, grow and lead with access to advanced treatment options — ones that can transform cancer outcomes. Most importantly, we can already feel how the lives of our patients will move with greater ease and access to life-saving cancer care through the help of our entire Ministry.

A Stronger OSF Network

Every care provider in our OSF Ministry, from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the farthest boundaries of Illinois, will gain higher-level access to tomorrow's cancer-fighting resources, leaving a legacy of more survivors' stories.

How will we partner?

Through the new OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute, Peoria will become the central hub and greatest resource for the 14 other hospitals and five cancer centers within the OSF Ministry. With Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center and through our partnership with University of Illinois Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, the possibilities are limitless.

Through the Advanced Imaging and Modeling (AIM) Lab at Jump, we can apply VR and 3D technology to surgical planning, making an impact on both medical education and surgical oncology. Nearly 50% of current oncology cases viewed in VR result in a change to surgical planning thanks to this technology. Together, we will transform cancer treatment with a shared purpose to improve outcomes through innovation.

How will we improve patient care?

For our patients, expanded resources bring immeasurable advantages. With advanced technology available within the OSF Ministry, they will no longer have to travel outside our network to receive life-saving treatment, including proton therapy and FLASH therapy. This increased access within the OSF system will allow our medical teams to stay in constant communication with one another, assuring our patients get the best possible care.

Extending Our Reach into the Community

Our cancer treatment efforts begin within our walls, but our prevention measures extendpast our front doors and into surrounding cities and towns through community health initiatives. With our new teaching kitchen, we will offer accessible, educational programs that not only aide during cancer treatment and recovery, but prevent many cancers from occurring in the first place. We are also collaborating with the Harvard School of Public Health, focusing on data collection to identify and better understand healthcare disparities in our rural communities. This way, we can create equitable solutions around prevention for the most vulnerable and at risk among us. Everyone deserves access to screenings and services, surgical intervention and survivorship regardless of their status or resources. We commit to making every effort to reach everyone who needs our care.

Introducing the Teaching Kitchen

Nutritious food is powerful medicine. Through our new Teaching Kitchen, we will offer hands-on education to cancer patients and their families, helping them accelerate their healing journey and carry a healthy lifestyle back into their homes.

How will we bring a new day for nutrition?

When it comes to caring for our patients battling cancer, meeting their needs is of the utmost importance. One of our first needs as human beings is proper nourishment. Our new Teaching Kitchen will serve as a platform to explore food in a collaborative and engaging environment for our patients and their families. Through the Teaching Kitchen, we will build confidence and culinary skill sets, empowering them for a healthier lifestyle they can implement in their homes. This educational laboratory will be a hands-on experience that will show our patients how to eat to prevent cancer, how to eat while going through treatment and, for family members, how to cook  for loved ones fighting this awful disease. Our Teaching Kitchen will complement services already in place to promote education and prevention, including a Community Garden of Hope and our OSF Care-A-Van mobile health initiative.