Mercy Fort Smith says funding is complete for first phase of cancer center expansion

Mercy Fort Smith announced Wednesday (April 29) that the hospital system has raised enough money to fully fund the $41 million expansion of its Fort Smith cancer center. What is called the first phase of the expansion by Mercy began in the summer of 2025.

According to Wednesday’s announcement, a $2 million challenge grant from the Midland, Texas-based Mabee Foundation, helped reached the funding goal for the expanded center. Mercy said it is now fundraising for the second and third phases of an expanded center.

“Most everyone has had some experience with cancer, whether through a family member, friend or even their own personal health journey,” Patrick Pendleton, executive director of Mercy Health Foundation Fort Smith, said in the news release. “Battling the disease alone is daunting enough, but struggling to access care is an added burden patients simply shouldn’t have to bear.”

Mercy has said that funding for the center included a $12 million matching grant from Arkansas’ portion of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) approved by Congress in 2021. The act was a $1.9 trillion emergency relief package designed to help states respond to economic and public health issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Arkansas received more than $1.573 billion in ARPA funds. The St. Louis-based Mercy system matched the $12 million ARPA grant.

Another $8 million was donated in February 2025 by the Tahlequah, Okla.-based Cherokee Nation.

Work on the 50,000-square-foot expansion is expected to be complete by July 2027. Construction is being managed by St. Louis-based McCarthy, with design by HKS of Dallas.

According to Mercy, the expanded center will include a new positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scanner, an ION robotic bronchoscopy system, and up to three new linear accelerators to support advanced radiation therapy.

“Once complete, Mercy will double patient capacity for medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation therapy and infusion services,” Mercy noted in the statement.

It was initially expected that when the center opens it would expand from four oncologists to eight, and expand from eight advanced practice registered nurse oncologists to 12. Amy Fore, vice president of patient services at Mercy Fort Smith, noted in Wednesday’s announcement that more medical staff will be hired than initially projected.

“I’m thrilled to share that since we began the project, we have already started building on our strong foundation of four medical oncologists, one radiation oncologist and two surgical oncologists by expanding these teams to add three additional medical oncologists and another radiation oncologist. And we’re not finished yet,” she said.

Coincidentally, Mercy announced its funding goal Wednesday a few hours before Little Rock-based Baptist Health announced it plans to end several services at its Fort Smith hospital, including oncology.