One year ago, hope found a new home.
On Oct. 23, 2025, Lakewood celebrated our new cancer center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a much-anticipated community open house. The day marked the beginning of a new chapter for cancer care in our region.
One year later, that excitement has grown into something very meaningful: more care, more support and more time at home for patients and their families.
For Dr. Wade Swenson, an oncologist and hematologist who has been with Lakewood since September 2022, the significance of this first year goes beyond the building itself.
“What has been most meaningful to me this first year is seeing patients walk into a space that was built for them. For years, our team provided excellent cancer care at Lakewood, and now we have a home that matches the quality and compassion of that care.”
Through September, our team has provided:
* 3,617 infusion treatments
* 2,202 radiation treatments
* 4,253 oncology patient visits
We’ve also welcomed 11 new oncology team members since the opening. Today, we average 14 infusion patients, 10 radiation therapy patients, and 17 oncology clinic visits each day.
For Jamie Nordick, Director of Oncology Services, the people behind that care are her greatest source of pride.
“I’m most proud of the team we’ve built. Every day, they show up with a genuine passion for caring for our patients and their families. They treat people like their own, leading with kindness, encouragement, and a commitment to providing the best care possible,” Nordick said.
That commitment has guided the center from its earliest planning stages through its first year of serving patients.
“We’ve built this cancer center from the ground up, always keeping our patients and families at the center of every decision,” Nordick said.
Behind each treatment and visit is a person navigating a cancer diagnosis, as well as families whose daily lives have been affected by it. Receiving care nearby can ease some of that burden, said Dr. Swenson.
“Every day I see the difference it makes when a patient can receive treatment close to home, surrounded by people who know them, rather than driving hours each way while they are already tired and unwell,” Dr. Swenson said. “Cancer care closer to home means less time on the road and more time with family. It means fewer missed days of work for spouses and adult children who serve as caregivers. These things matter. They are part of healing.”
Nordick shared that watching the team grow while maintaining those personal connections has been very meaningful too.
“Watching our team grow while continuing to care deeply for our patients, their families, and each other has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “Joining Lakewood has restored my faith in what healthcare can be when people truly care and work together toward a shared purpose.”
That shared purpose brings together everyone who makes each appointment, treatment and moment of support possible.
“I am deeply grateful to our nurses, pharmacists, schedulers, social workers, and everyone at Lakewood who made this possible, and to the communities who supported it,” Dr. Swenson said. “Rural patients deserve the same high-quality cancer care as anyone, and this past year has shown that we can deliver it right here in Staples, Minnesota.”
As we mark this first anniversary, we celebrate more than a new space. We celebrate the people who fill it with compassion and expertise, and we are grateful for every patient and family who has trusted us with their care.
“I’m proud of the care we provide and the difference we’re making for families who choose to receive their care here,” Nordick said. “This team continually makes me proud to be part of what we’re building together.”
🔗 To learn more about oncology care at Lakewood Cancer Center, go to: Comprehensive Cancer Care | Lakewood Health System
At the Lakewood Cancer Center's ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23, 2025.