Longview, Wash. – After over a year of planning, construction and fundraising, PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center officially cut the ribbon on the new True Beam Linear Accelerator in the radiation oncology department.
PeaceHealth’s Lower Columbia Cancer Center is the sole provider of radiation oncology services, delivering more than 6,000 treatments annually in Cowlitz County. On any given day, 25-30 individuals receive treatment at the facility. The existing Linear Accelerator was outdated and increasingly inadequate for today’s treatment standards.
The new state-of-the-art True Beam Linear Accelerator enhances the team’s ability to manage complex cases involving tumors in hard-to-reach areas such as the brain, spine, lungs, breast and abdomen. This technology will improve treatment accuracy and patient comfort by delivering precise, high-speed and targeted radiation therapy. Without an advanced Linear Accelerator in Cowlitz County, patients would be forced to drive hours a day for treatment. Daily travel can be difficult for patients and their families, especially when already experiencing the side effects of their treatments.
This project was funded in large part by community support and philanthropic giving. $5 million of the $7 million project cost came from donors across our community who recognized the value in keeping quality care close to home. PeaceHealth invested an additional $2 million to complete the project.
The radiation oncology team will begin treating patients with the new machine starting this month. A blessing and ribbon cutting was held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, commemorating the caregivers and community members who contributed to bringing this technology to the community to ensure Cowlitz County has the best cancer care available.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a non-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, more than 3,000 providers, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
