ST. GEORGE – A part of Dixie Regional Medical Center’s $300 million expansion was approved by city officials Thursday, making way for a cancer treatment center that will not only provide treatment, but also be a place where research is done to ultimately aid those being treated.
The St. George City Council approved a zoning amendment to DRMC’s primary campus to allow the three-story, 118,000 square foot treatment and research facility. The Intermountain Cancer Center will house Intermountain Healthcare’s Precision Genomics research brand and be partnered with researchers from Stanford University.
“There will be a lot of research done in that building,” said Scott Wyckoff, strategic planning director for Intermountain Healthcare’s Southwest Region. “We’re really excited about this project.”
In addition to cancer research, Wyckoff said research into behavioral health and other conditions like Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s would also be conducted at the cancer center.
“It’s amazing,” St. George Mayor Jon Pike said. “There’s going to be some amazing things happening in this building and some amazing partnerships.”
Wyckoff said a theme of the facility is that of “scientific advancement and discovery coming out of the red rock.”
As it is a place where patients will be cared for while research is being done under the same roof, Wyckoff said it’s hoped the patients and researchers may draw mutual hope and inspiration from each other.
“They’re all right next to each other so as patients come in to receive their care, they can see the science that is being done to advance their care,” he said. “It also gives the researchers the opportunity to see the patients they are going to be helping.”
The new facility will be a wonderful addition that will greatly benefit the area, City Manager Gary Esplin said.
Other business
The City Council approved the purchase of four new vehicles for the Police Department – a pickup truck for the drug task force, a vehicle for detectives to use, and two vehicles for K-9 units – for $127,155.
The purchase of lighting equipment for the Bloomington Little League Field – the replacement for the former Elks baseball field – was approved for $65,000.
The council also approved a $201,985 bid for the city’s annual crack seal work on city streets.
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I love to see the growth! Hopefully parking will be addressed in a proper way. Very challenging for employees and patients as it is right now.
Yeah that’s what I was going to mention. It’s is a problem
I hope they get their new software update act together by the time this is built.
All I see is chickens running around w/o their heads at the existing facilities.
About $32,000. for each new vehicle? We need a new shopper to make better deals on vehicle purchases.