On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new, centralized cancer center on the Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) campus in Cottonwood. The event, made possible by the NAH Office of Philanthropy, welcomed over 200 people from around northern Arizona and featured a variety of speakers, including NAH Chief Operating Officer Bo Cofield, Cottonwood Mayor Ann Shaw, former Cancer Centers of NAH patient Doug Von Gausig, NAH Medical Oncologist and Hematologist Deborah Lindquist, MD, and NAH Advanced Oncology Nurse Practitioner Tarra Young, FNP-C.
The audience heard impactful stories from the speakers, such as Dr. Lindquist’s journey of being the first oncologist in northern Arizona and her passion for taking care of her patients. Young talked about her grandparents, who were born in Jerome Hospital 100 years ago, and how her brother, who was diagnosed with cancer at 20 years old, had to travel down to Tucson to get treatment. Von Gausig spoke about his time as a cancer patient at the Cancer Centers of NAH and expressed gratitude to the medical providers who treated him throughout his toughest times.
The center will produce 30,000 square feet of clinical care and will incorporate all cancer services under one roof. NAH recently announced that the public walking trail on the VVMC campus will stay open during the entire construction process, although it will be shortened during the lifespan of the project. When the construction is completed, the full walking trail will reopen, and community members will be able to enjoy the trail through the new cancer center gardens.
NAH anticipates the new cancer center will open by fall of 2027.