Sutter Health acquires treatment centers, expanding cancer services in Modesto, Stockton
Sutter Health has purchased radiation oncology centers in Modesto and Stockton as it expands cancer treatment services in the Central Valley and other regions in the state.
Sutter acquired the GenesisCare treatment centers at 1316 Nelson Ave. in Modesto and 4722 Quail Lakes Drive in Stockton. The transactions closed Friday. Treatment services will continue as usual at the GenesisCare centers during a 90-day transition, a Sutter representative said.
The Sacramento-based nonprofit health system said it acquired three other radiation oncology centers from GenesisCare in Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and Templeton.
A news release Friday said Sutter will make capital investments to the facilities, starting with new radiation oncology equipment, technology and patient care support. Most of the GenesisCare staff will join Sutter Health, ensuring continuity of care for current patients, the release said.
Todd Smith, chief physician executive for Sutter Health, said in the release that the cancer services are expanding because a growing aging population will mean more people diagnosed with the disease.
“These trends drive the need to expand clinical cancer expertise to support these communities,” Smith said.
Sutter Health said acquiring the centers will ensure treatment services are offered close to home for its patients in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Sutter Health has medical groups, hospitals, surgery centers, urgent care clinics and home health nurses serving almost 3.5 million patients in California.
The release said the centers acquired from GenesisCare will incorporate Sutter’s clinical best practices and additional cancer resources and technologies. Sutter’s radiation oncology care is accredited by national organizations including the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
Cancer mortality has remained stubbornly high in Stanislaus County, while California has decreased its cancer mortality in the past seven years. The county’s cancer mortality rate was 157.1 deaths per 100,000 residents, well above the statewide rate of 131.4 per 100,000, according to an annual public health report released in December 2022.
Cancer-related deaths were one reason for a drop in life expectancy in Stanislaus County to an average 74 years, compared to 81 years statewide. Medical experts suspect that air pollution and higher than normal tobacco use contribute to the higher cancer mortality, plus a decrease in early screenings that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
