CE160039

AVERA RURAL CANCER CARE EQUIPMENT MODERNIZATION - AVERA HEALTH PROPOSES THE AVERA RURAL CANCER CARE EQUIPMENT MODERNIZATION PROJECT, A COORDINATED RURAL CANCER CARE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT TO STRENGTHEN ACCESS TO ONCOLOGY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA. THE PROJECT WILL INSTALL A FIXED PET/CT SCANNER AT AVERA SACRED HEART HOSPITAL IN YANKTON AND REPLACE AGING LINEAR ACCELERATORS (LINACS) AT AVERA ST. LUKE’S HOSPITAL IN ABERDEEN, AVERA QUEEN OF PEACE HOSPITAL IN MITCHELL, AND AVERA ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL IN PIERRE. TOGETHER, THESE FOUR REGIONAL CANCER CARE SITES SERVE RURAL AND FRONTIER COMMUNITIES WHERE PATIENTS OFTEN FACE SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL DISTANCES FOR SPECIALTY ONCOLOGY SERVICES. BY IMPROVING THE AVAILABILITY AND RELIABILITY OF LOCAL DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING AND RADIATION THERAPY, THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT TIMELY CANCER STAGING, TREATMENT PLANNING, AND CONTINUITY OF CARE CLOSER TO HOME. THIS INVESTMENT RESPONDS TO DOCUMENTED RURAL ACCESS BARRIERS AND THE ESSENTIAL ROLE THESE SITES PLAY IN SOUTH DAKOTA’S ONCOLOGY CARE NETWORK. AMONG AVERA CANCER PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITHIN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, 47.9% TRAVELED MORE THAN 50 MILES FOR CANCER CARE, INCLUDING 17.4% WHO TRAVELED MORE THAN 100 MILES. MANY PATIENTS ARE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES, MAKING LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL ESPECIALLY BURDENSOME BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION, FINANCIAL, AND LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES. AT THE SAME TIME, DEMAND FOR LOCAL ONCOLOGY SERVICES REMAINS STRONG. IN 2025, THE ABERDEEN SITE DELIVERED 3,176 RADIATION THERAPY TREATMENTS TO 140 PATIENTS, MITCHELL DELIVERED APPROXIMATELY 2,000 TREATMENTS TO 117 PATIENTS, AND PIERRE DELIVERED 1,460 TREATMENTS TO 73 PATIENTS. REPLACING AGING LINAC SYSTEMS WILL REDUCE THE RISK OF SERVICE DISRUPTION CAUSED BY EQUIPMENT FAILURE, PARTS OBSOLESCENCE, AND EXTENDED REPAIR TIMELINES. CPF/CDS FUNDING WILL SUPPORT ALLOWABLE CAPITAL EXPENSES, INCLUDING EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION, INSTALLATION, SITE PREPARATION, FACILITY MODIFICATIONS, FIXED EQUIPMENT, AND RELATED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NEEDED TO BRING EACH SYSTEM INTO CLINICAL OPERATION. AVERA HEALTH WILL PROVIDE INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING FOR ANY REMAINING PROJECT COSTS NOT CHARGED TO THE FEDERAL AWARD. IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE PHASED TO MAINTAIN PATIENT CARE CONTINUITY, COORDINATE SPECIALIZED VENDOR AND MEDICAL PHYSICS RESOURCES, AND MINIMIZE DISRUPTION ACROSS ACTIVE ONCOLOGY SITES. BY MODERNIZING RURAL CANCER CARE INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS PROJECT WILL PRESERVE RELIABLE RADIATION THERAPY CAPACITY, EXPAND ACCESS TO ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING, REDUCE AVOIDABLE TRAVEL BURDEN, AND HELP ENSURE THAT PATIENTS ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA CAN RECEIVE TIMELY, HIGH-QUALITY ONCOLOGY SERVICES CLOSER TO HOME.

Avera Health

NOT APPLICABLE

93.493 - Congressional Directives

HRSA Office of Federal Assistance Management (OFAM) [HHS - HRSA]

South Dakota United States

State-Wide

Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending (CPF/CDS): Construction (HRSA-26-107)