Nebraska Medicine starts construction on $33 million Kearney Cancer Center

KEARNEY, Neb. (NCN) - Nebraska Medicine is doubling down on its pledge to serve central Nebraska.

The health network is the clinical partner to the University of Nebraska Medical Center and has only had a physical presence in Omaha until recently. Two years ago, Nebraska Medicine partnered with Heartland Hematology and Oncology. Now, they’re starting construction on a 53,000 square foot facility.

“We’re really excited to be showing our commitment to this community of building a truly state-of-the-art facility here locally,” Nebraska Medicine Vice President of Oncology and Pharmacy Kyle Skiermont said.

The $33 million cancer center expands on the practice built by Dr. Nick Hartl and others at Heartland Hematology and Oncology.

“With a bigger facility we’ll be able to provide the care to the patients that we’ve been doing for a long time, but we’ll have more resources and more space to do that,” Hartl said.

Services will include medical oncology, radiation oncology, lab, pharmacy, infusion, survivorship program, genetics counseling and a healing garden. Nebraska Medicine Vice President of Oncology and Pharmacy Kyle Skiermont says the building’s sheer size is one of the biggest benefits.

“With this building, we’ll be able to at least double the number of patients we’re seeing currently in Kearney,” Skiermont said. “There’s room to potentially expand the building further as we go down the line if it needs to be even larger.”

Construction started this week on the northwest corner of University Village, a mixed-use development spearheaded by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Chancellor Doug Kristensen says the cancer center fits the vision of an urban village in a rural community.

“We think University Village is a perfect place,” Kristensen said. “It’s so close to the Health Science Education Complex and the future home of rural health. They’re a very welcome partner.”

Skiermont says the cancer center plans to tap in to the local student base.

“Having a presence on the UNK campus, helping to train healthcare providers for central Nebraska but really all of Nebraska,” Skiermont said.

The cancer center expects to start seeing its first patients in December 2024.

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