SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Keeping up with the growing number of cancer patients is one of the reasons why Shannon Medical Center is expanding with a new cancer center.

The new Shannon Cancer Center is a two-story, 55,000-square-foot facility. It will provide care for patients from across West Texas, with out-patient oncology care and treatment in one place.

“One of the biggest things we’re excited about this awesome facility is the ability to serve in a larger fashion,” Roman Rodriguez, a Shannon oncology service line director, said. “We have a need for growth. Unfortunately, the incidence and prevalence of cancer diseases are still increasing in the state of Texas. We want to make sure we are equipped and ready to meet that demand for the Concho Valley and beyond.”

Rodriguez says the new facility is meant to be patient-centric. The first floor includes radiation oncology exam rooms, treatment spaces, a pharmacy and a lab for cancer patients. The second floor has spaces for patient education and support resources.

“We have a new PET CT scanner in-house,” Rodriguez said. “We’re going to have top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art linear accelerators that have image guidance stereotactic capability, surface guidance. We have a 28-chair infusion suite, which is a significant expansion versus the space we’ve previously had.”

The facility will also feature an outdoor garden. Rodriguez says the new technology and expansion of services will help bring in more medical and radiation oncologists to serve the Concho Valley community better.

“This is community-based care still, and what that means to me is that I can bring my loved ones, I can bring my wife and the people that are nearest to me to this facility,” Rodriguez said. “We can take care of each other, we can see our neighbors. I think that carries a lot of weight, knowing that we’re invested in and taking care of our own.”

The public is invited to a grand opening and open house on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m.