CMMC Cancer Center Campaign
Almost two years ago volunteers and CMMC staff began a capital campaign to bring a comprehensive Cancer Center to Central Montana.
One in three of us are diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime and annually our friends, our family, neighbors are traveling 165,000 miles for cancer care.
The comprehensive Cancer Center at CMMC would include radiation oncology on the first floor and an infusion center on the second, adding 16,700 square feet to the Central Montana Medical Center campus.
The catalyst for this project was The Helmsley Charitable Trust, which saw local cancer care as a significant need in Central Montana, something community surveys had repeatedly identified in recent years. The Helmsley Charitable Trust believes no person should travel more than 100 miles to receive cancer care and has made that its mission in the Northwest Region. To demonstrate their commitment to improving health care in rural communities, they made a $9 million gift to CMMC to help build a Cancer Center. Highlighting this campaign was a key matching gift of $1 million by Larry and Kathleen Carrell (in memory of their son and brothers). The total project cost with significant enhancements was $19.5 million.
Thanks to each person who gave, two major gifts have completed fund-raising for the cancer center!
Two major gifts have completed the capital campaign to build a Cancer Center in Central Montana.
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust awarded Central Montana Medical Center a $500,000 grant for construction purposes, and Norm Asbjornson, who had already gifted $1.5 million, gave an additional $1.85 million.
These two large gifts put the campaign to bring comprehensive cancer care to Central Montana over the finish line. And they were made possible, in part, by the strong support for the campaign from you and other Central Montanans. Both of these major donors were impressed by the broad and strong support of Central Montana for this project. Thank you to the more than 800 households who donated to make this project a reality!
“The generosity of those in our community is always so heartwarming,” said one CMMC nurse when told the campaign had crossed the finish line. “Bless all these folks!”
The cancer center campaign raised $8,423,783 from 807 households. Gift amounts ranged from one dollar to $1.85 million. These local funds, combined with the $9 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust and $2 million in interest-free debt financing by CMMC, have made possible the new CMMC cancer center and CMMC patient reception lobby and entrance.
The Asbjornson gift, in particular, allowed significant enhancements to the project, which had been removed due to construction costs, to be put back into the project.
“The positive impact the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust grant and Norm Asbjornson’s major gifts will have on local access to comprehensive healthcare is profound, both in construction jobs and local purchasing and in providing medical and radiation oncology services,” said CMMC CEO Cody Langbehn.
“This new medical facility is vital to the economic development of our community, and this new Cancer Center will provide a level of specialty care that currently is not available locally.”
Donations continue to be made to support the Cancer Center, said Medical Center Foundation director Abby Franks. “These will held at the Foundation and will be used for ongoing needs such as future equipment replacement costs, cancer treatment advancements and growth of the facility.
“Every gift to this campaign has been vital. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has chosen to be involved! Together is how this was achieved. Again, thank you to everyone involved and thank you to these two special donors who, due to their generosity, helped us quickly cross the finish line.”
The cancer center and new CMMC lobby and reception area should be completed in the spring of 2025 with an open house planned for the entire community afterward.
Do not hesitate to reach out with questions to the Foundation Director, Abby Franks at afranks@cmmccares.com, 406.535.6309 or 406.366.3919. Campaign volunteers, Scot Solberg or Dave Byerly, can be reached at 406.366.4369 (Scot) or 406.366.0131 (Dave).
- Scot Solberg, Chair
- Dave Byerly, CO Chair
- Corry Arntzen
- Cathy Barta
- Melissa Bell
- Barb Berg
- Bob Bjelland
- Bret Carpenter
- Amy D’Autremont
- Karen Durbin
- Abby Franks
- Gen Geda
- Joe Irish
- Angie Jenni
- Derree Kamp
- Joe Kenser
- Cody Langbehn
- Janine Merrill
- Jennifer Saunders
- Ashley Senter
- Jeff Southworth
- Julie Walsh
- Ashley White
- Tilda Whiteman
- Jim Wier
A Look Inside the Future Cancer Center
More than a Cancer Center
Patient
- Centralized registration area – efficiency for patients & their caregivers
- Covered canopy for easy & safe patient drop off
- Inviting, comfortable lobby area
- Parking lot upgrades: Increased handicapped parking, added parking spaces, improvements to drainage to prevent ice build up
Community
- Strengthen Lewistown’s role as the medical hub of Central Montana
- Positive growth for our area with new jobs and highly skilled cancer care staff
- Attracting people from much larger region to receive medical care in Lewistown
- Leveraging the generous grant from the Leona M. & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to improve the quality of life in Central Montana
- Allowing central Montanans to support and strengthen our local hospital
Hospital
- Positioning CMMC for the next century
- Thoughtful and needed upgrades to CMMC infrastructure (heating, cooling, ventilation) to improve capacity to serve this region well into the future
- Increase in highly trained staff to care for the patients and region CMMC serves
“This is an amazing project that, thanks to the many knowledgeable people involved, is well thought out. CMMC feels this endeavor will not only bring an incredible Cancer Center to central Montana, but will also provide advancements for the overall facility that will be carried forward for our region’s benefit for decades to come.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Breaking Ground for the Future of Care
“My kids did not know what was going to happen to Mom, so I drove back and forth for my cancer treatments so that I could be home each night to comfort my kids. This Cancer Center makes me so happy. I would not understand the need if I hadn’t just experienced the exhausting task of balancing work, mom, wife and cancer patient – but now I am beyond passionate to make this project a reality so others can be at home for their cancer care.”
Make a Difference for Local Patients
Help ensure individuals in our community can receive cancer treatment without traveling far from home. Your gift helps expand access to cancer care for patients and families in Central Montana.
Department Contact:
Abby Franks, Foundation Director
Phone:
Location:
408 Wendell Ave
Lewistown, MT 59457
Email: