OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For patients and families across the East Bay, a new era of advanced, comprehensive cancer care begins as Stanford Medicine and Sutter Health celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Stanford Medicine Sutter Health Cancer Center.
The five-story, 167,000-square-foot outpatient center at 3023 Summit St. on Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center campus in Oakland was developed through a collaboration between Stanford Medicine and Sutter Health. The new Cancer Center will give patients access to a broad range of cancer care services, specialists and resources in one location. Together, two national leaders in health care are creating a more connected approach to cancer care, giving physicians and care teams greater opportunities to collaborate while helping patients more easily navigate diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
“Stanford Medicine’s vision to revolutionize cancer innovation and care extends to communities across the Bay Area,” said David Entwistle, president and CEO of Stanford Health Care. “We are proud to partner with Sutter Health to advance detection, prevention, treatment and cure for patients and families in the East Bay. This Cancer Center unites our teams around a shared goal: expanding access to exceptional cancer care, comprehensive support and greater hope for better outcomes, close to home.”
“Cancer care is becoming more advanced and personalized, and patients should not have to leave their community to benefit from that progress,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. “This partnership brings together Sutter Health’s commitment to patients and communities with Stanford Medicine’s commitment to research. By combining our strengths, we can bring specialized treatments, clinical trials and comprehensive support closer to home, giving more patients across the East Bay access to the advanced cancer care they need.”
The best of two systems
Stanford Medicine and Sutter Health first announced their joint venture in February 2021 with a shared vision to expand access to high-quality, coordinated cancer care in the East Bay. The Stanford Medicine Sutter Health Cancer Center brings that vision to life, bringing together the complementary strengths of both organizations in one location. Stanford Medicine offers nationally recognized expertise in specialized cancer care, innovation and clinical research, while Sutter brings an extensive, integrated network along with a whole-person approach to cancer care, a longstanding commitment to supportive and complementary therapies, and deep roots in East Bay communities.
The collaboration is designed to expand access to specialized expertise and innovative treatments while creating a more seamless experience for patients and their families.
“Cancer care is inherently multidisciplinary, and this center creates new opportunities for physicians and care teams to work together around the needs of each patient,” said Rob Nordgren, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer for Sutter’s Greater San Francisco and East Bay Division. “By connecting specialized expertise, clinical research and comprehensive services in one location, we’re making cancer care more coordinated and accessible for patients across the East Bay.”
Comprehensive cancer care in one location
Designed around the needs of patients and families, the Stanford Medicine Sutter Health Cancer Center will offer outpatient cancer clinics, infusion, imaging, radiation oncology, ambulatory surgery, breast health and pharmacy services. Patients will also have access to clinical research, nurse navigation, genetic counseling, nutrition counseling, survivorship programs, complementary therapies such as acupuncture and massage therapy and other supportive services designed to care for the whole person throughout their cancer care.
“Opening the Cancer Center means opening the door to the latest clinical advancements in cancer care and a full bench of experts for East Bay patients,” said Kavitha Ramchandran, M.D., medical director of the Stanford Medicine Sutter Health Cancer Center. “At the Stanford Medicine Sutter Health Cancer Center, patients and their families can have peace of mind knowing that they have access to early detection, advanced treatments and wraparound services designed to provide patient-centered, whole-person care at every point of their cancer experience.”
“For patients facing cancer, having their specialists, treatments and support services connected can make an incredibly complex experience easier to navigate,” said Laura Crocitto, M.D., executive medical director of oncology services, Sutter Health. “Just as importantly, it allows us to care for the whole person, connecting patients with the supportive services and resources they need throughout treatment, recovery and survivorship.”
The patient experience extends beyond clinical care. The building’s design, furnishings and artwork were thoughtfully selected to help create a welcoming, healing environment for patients and their families. Throughout the Cancer Center, artwork created by local artists strengthens the center’s connection to the East Bay community it serves.
The Cancer Center is expected to begin seeing patients on Dec. 1, with services expanding as the center moves toward full operations in February 2027.
Expanding access to clinical trials
The Cancer Center will also connect East Bay patients with clinical research opportunities from Stanford Medicine and Sutter Health. Clinical research opportunities from both organizations are planned to be available on-site, allowing eligible patients to explore available clinical trials and new treatment approaches with their care teams.
“Bringing our clinical trials infrastructure into the East Bay means patients don’t have to choose between staying close to home and accessing the most advanced treatment options available,” said Maria Gonzalez, vice president of Stanford Medicine oncology, clinical research and healthcare administration. “Increasing access for East Bay patients not only helps advance discoveries for patients all over the world but, importantly, it gives people hope through new treatment options that are available only through clinical trials.”
Investing in the future of East Bay cancer care
The Cancer Center represents a significant, long-term investment in the future of cancer care in the East Bay. As a regional hub for comprehensive outpatient cancer services, the center brings together teams, technology and services from both organizations in one location, creating a foundation for continued innovation, growth and expanded access. The center also establishes a platform for future expansion of cancer services, clinical research and innovation to help meet the evolving needs of East Bay communities. Those needs remain significant throughout the East Bay. The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment for Alameda and Contra Costa counties found that cancer was the No. 1 cause of death in both counties in 2023. The assessment also identified substantial disparities in cancer mortality by race and ethnicity, with Black residents experiencing significantly higher mortality rates than other groups.
At launch, the Stanford Medicine Sutter Health Cancer Center is anticipated to include more than 70 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 300 team members. Physicians from the Stanford Medicine and Sutter Health systems will work in disease-based clinical teams, supporting greater collaboration and coordination for patients’ cancer care.
The center is the result of years of planning and collaboration among clinical, operational and technology teams from both organizations, working together to create a more connected, coordinated and patient-centered approach to cancer care.
About Stanford Medicine
Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.
About Sutter Health
Sutter Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to providing comprehensive care throughout California. Committed to advancing innovative patient care, healthy outcomes and community partnerships, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent healthcare more connected and accessible. Currently serving more than 3.5 million patients, thanks to our dedicated team of more than 60,000 employees and clinicians, and 14,000+ affiliated physicians, with a unified focus on expanding care to serve more patients.
Sutter delivers exceptional and affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health, and hospice services. Dedicated to transforming healthcare, at Sutter Health, getting better never stops.
Learn more about how Sutter Health is transforming healthcare at sutterhealth.org and vitals.sutterhealth.org.
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Media Contacts:
Lisa Kim
Stanford Medicine
(650) 723-6696
media@stanfordhealthcare.org
Monique Binkley Smith
Sutter Health
(800) 428-7377
binklemt@sutterhealth.org
Monique Binkley Smith Sutter Health 800-4287377 binklemt@sutterhealth.org Angie Sheets Sutter Health 916-494-9547 angeline.sheets@sutterhealth.org
