Cancer treatment often requires months of chemotherapy, radiation, imaging, and specialist visits — a demanding schedule for patients and moreso for those facing transportation or financial barriers. Harris Health’s planned cancer center will bring those services together to ease that burden for its patient population, which is younger than the national average and predominantly from racial and ethnic minority communities.
The cancer center will also help Harris Health keep pace with growing demand for oncology services. Its cancer case volume has increased nearly 11% over the past four years, and its outpatient oncology services are projected to grow approximately 20% over the next decade.
The Teaching Hospitals of Texas member plans to bring specialized treatment, diagnostics, and patient support services together in a freestanding facility on the new John M. O’Quinn Hospital campus. The four-story, 125,000-square-foot center is expected to open in 2029.
“Every patient deserves access to advanced cancer care close to home,” said Esmaeil Porsa, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Harris Health. “This center will expand access to specialized treatment, advanced technology, patient navigation and supportive services while creating a more seamless experience for patients and families. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that residents across Harris County have access to high-quality care close to home.”
Responding to Growing Demand
The planned center will house radiation therapy, an infusion center with up to 50 stations, PET/CT imaging, and two floors of outpatient clinics. Patient navigation and supportive services will help patients complete recommended treatment and manage challenges that can come with prolonged treatment.
The center will serve residents across Harris County, including traditionally underserved Northeast Houston communities such as Fifth Ward, Settegast, and Kashmere Gardens. Bringing multiple services under one roof is intended to reduce travel between facilities and improve coordination among care teams.
Extending Specialized Care to Underserved Patients
The project reflects the commitment shared by Texas’ public and teaching hospitals to locate care where access traditionally is limited. Nearly 90% of member hospitals’ outpatient clinics are in neighborhoods with access challenges related to income, insurance coverage, health status, or transportation. Most are in neighborhoods where residents experience multiple barriers. These neighborhood investments are part of teaching and public hospitals’ long-term strategy to increase access, reduce costs, and improve care.
“A cancer diagnosis brings enough uncertainty without patients having to wonder how they will reach their next appointment or obtain the care they need,” said Maureen A. Milligan, Ph.D., president and CEO of Teaching Hospitals of Texas. “Harris Health’s planned cancer center reflects our members’ commitment to making specialized care more accessible to underserved Texans.”
