By Allison Peck
Sidney, Ne. — Sidney Regional Medical Center is moving forward with a major expansion of cancer and surgical care, breaking ground Thursday on a new Cancer Care Center and an expansion of its surgical suite.
Hospital leaders, employees, board members and community representatives gathered Thursday morning for the groundbreaking, marking what SRMC officials describe as a significant investment in rural health care.
SRMC CEO Jason Petik said the project is about more than adding a new building to the hospital campus.
“This is much more than a building,” Petik said. “It's about our commitment to rural health care and keeping all this kind of extraordinary care close to home.”
The new Cancer Care Center is expected to bring additional cancer services to Sidney, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment and specialized care.
According to SRMC, the center will be connected directly to the hospital's Radiology Department and will provide comprehensive cancer care in one location.
One of the major additions will be PET/CT imaging available five days a week. The technology can help physicians diagnose and monitor cancer, evaluate a patient's response to treatment and identify possible recurrence.
The project will also bring in-house radiation therapy to Sidney Regional Medical Center for the first time. Radiation therapy uses targeted high-energy radiation to treat cancer and can be an important part of treatment for many patients.
The Cancer Care Center is expected to open in November 2028.
Petik said keeping those services in Sidney is particularly important for patients who are already dealing with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
“When someone receives a cancer diagnosis or needs surgical care, the last thing that they need to be thinking about is traveling long distances, traveling away from their support system,” Petik said.
The project is also designed to serve a much larger area than Sidney and Cheyenne County.
Petik said SRMC's goal is to provide regional outreach to patients throughout the Nebraska Panhandle as well as parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
“Everybody in the world is affected some way by cancer,” Petik said during the ceremony. “And to have this kind of dedication, to have this kind of commitment to our community and to taking care of people in our community is amazing.”
He also pointed to the broader investments SRMC has made in the community, including its nursing home, hospital facilities and emergency medical services.
“It's really more than just cancer, too,” Petik said. “It's the commitment that you guys have done to the community.”
The Cancer Care Center is part of a larger project that also includes an expansion of SRMC's surgical suite. Hospital officials say the additional space and resources will allow physicians, nurses and other staff to continue expanding services for patients in the region.
“We know that rural health care has challenges, but we also know the strength of rural communities,” Petik said. “We take care of our neighbors. We support one another.”
Petik said the project represents a commitment to ensuring patients living in rural communities have access to the same quality of care available in larger communities.
“We believe that living in a rural area should not limit your quality of health care or your health care abilities,” he said.
During the ceremony, SRMC Board Chairman Bill Pyle also recognized the hospital's approximately 450 employees and credited their work with helping the medical center earn a five-star designation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Pyle said the recognition reflects the dedication of the hospital's employees.
“They're a very dedicated group of people that got all the horse floating away and in the same direction,” Pyle said.
Petik thanked the SRMC board, medical staff and employees, along with the project's design and construction teams and the USDA, which is providing financing for the project.
The project is being developed with the assistance of Samson, Leavy Daily and Ferris, along with the USDA.
For Petik, Thursday's groundbreaking represents a long-term investment in the people SRMC serves.
“Today we're putting a shovel in the ground to build … what will serve our community for many years to come,” Petik said. “But what we are really building is much more than a building. It's a future and it's hope for our friends and families and neighbors who might need care.”
The new Cancer Care Center is currently scheduled to open in November 2028.