Mead Family Cancer Center: A Path Toward Progress
Columbus Community Hospital is proud to announce significant progress on its newest facility, the Mead Family Cancer Center, which officially began construction this summer. This exciting milestone represents a major step forward in CCH’s mission to bring comprehensive, patient-centered cancer care to Columbus and the surrounding communities.
The 25,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in fall 2026, will house all of CCH’s oncology services in one convenient location. These services include radiation oncology, medical oncology, infusion therapy, positron emission tomography (PET) and patient navigation. In addition to advanced cancer treatment options, the center will provide a variety of supportive offerings such as counseling, physical therapy, nutritional guidance, wellness programs and support groups. All these resources are designed to treat not just the disease, but the whole person — physically, emotionally and mentally.
Construction milestones and site progress
Throughout August, construction teams have been hard at work preparing the site and laying the groundwork for this advanced cancer care facility. Crews recently wrapped up substantial earthwork across the property, including excavation and grading for both the building pad and south parking lot.
Early in the month, work began on the cancer center’s geothermal system — an innovative and energy-efficient way to regulate the building’s heating and cooling functions. This involved drilling 72 vertical geothermal wells beneath the site’s north parking lot. Each well extends 300 feet underground and will support a high-efficiency system designed to reduce long-term energy costs and environmental impact.
The drilling phase is now complete, and crews are using horizontal piping to connect the wells and tie the entire system into the building.
With the earthwork for the south parking lot completed, crews poured concrete last week. This surface will provide a clean and stable foundation for job trailers and essential construction staging.
Preparing for critical infrastructure
A key feature of the Mead Family Cancer Center is its linear accelerator, which will be housed in a specially engineered concrete vault known as the LINAC vault. This room is designed to safely contain the high-energy radiation used in some of the most advanced cancer treatments available. The vault’s walls and ceiling will be up to seven feet thick, ensuring the utmost safety for patients and staff.
Construction of the LINAC vault has already begun, and it’s expected to continue through September. Because of the vault’s highly specialized nature and strict safety requirements, this phase is one of the most complex elements of the project.
Simultaneously, underground utility work will begin, including plumbing and electrical installations, which will prepare the site for upcoming structural development. These efforts are scheduled to start in late August and continue into September.
What’s next?
As the foundation work progresses, the next major construction milestone will be the concrete slab pours. These are expected to begin by mid-September, laying the groundwork for vertical construction. Delivery of structural steel is projected for late September, signaling the start of the next exciting phase of the project: steel framing and the building’s skeleton taking shape.
With each step, Columbus Community Hospital is moving closer to offering expanded, state-of-the-art cancer care right here in our community. The Mead Family Cancer Center will not only streamline and enhance cancer treatment options for patients, but it will also create a healing environment that supports patients throughout their entire care journey — from diagnosis through survivorship.
Learn more and get involved
For more information about the Mead Family Cancer Center and how you can support this transformative project, please visit columbushosp.org.
Together, we are building something truly special for Columbus — a place of hope, healing and cutting-edge cancer care.