Deaconess Announces Transformational Cancer Center Bringing ‘Hope Close to Home’
Deaconess Health System today announced plans for a new, state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer center that will transform cancer care across the Tri-State region. The Cinelli Cancer Center is set to open in 2028 on the Deaconess Gateway campus.
“This is a milestone moment,” Deaconess CEO Shawn McCoy said. “We are not just adding services—we are transforming the experience of cancer care, bringing new hope close to home.”
The more than $150 million Cancer Center will bring together medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, nurses, genetic counselors, navigators, researchers, rehabilitation specialists and numerous other providers and services in one coordinated, patient-centered model.
“Patients will no longer have to navigate cancer alone—they will be supported by an entire team every step of the way,” said Dr. Samer Schuman, Deaconess’ Medical Director of Cancer Services. “This is about redefining cancer care in our region, elevating quality, transforming the patient experience and making care more coordinated, personalized and compassionate at every stage.”
“This Center will bring prevention, screening, treatment and survivorship programs all under one roof—creating a seamless experience that we have never been able to offer before,” said Lisa Hirsch, Deaconess’ Vice President of Cancer Services.
Key features of the Cinelli Cancer Center will include:
- Multidisciplinary oncology specialists in one location
- Personalized treatment plans
- Seamless coordination across services
- Prevention, screening and a consolidated Diagnostic Breast Center
- Multi-specialty clinics and flexible infusion spaces
- Expanded radiation oncology, rehabilitation and oncology urgent care
- Comprehensive support services, including dedicated mental health care, counseling, nutrition and education
- Embedded clinical trials and research
- Survivorship programs
Philanthropy is critical to making this vision a reality. To date, more than $35 million has been committed by the community, including a transformational and historic gift from the Cinelli Family Foundation, for which the center is named—one of the most significant philanthropic investments in Deaconess history.
Founded by Al and Sharon Cinelli, the Cinelli Family Foundation is driven by a bold vision to help create a future where leukemia, pancreatic and breast cancers are curable. The Foundation focuses on transforming cancer prevention, early detection and treatment through strategic partnerships and sustained investment in innovation.
The Cinelli family’s commitment to cancer care is deeply personal. Al Cinelli lost both of his wives to cancer—his first wife, Lois, to leukemia, and later Sharon, who overcame breast cancer before ultimately passing from pancreatic cancer in 2020. In honoring Sharon’s final wish, the foundation expanded its mission to focus on finding cures for the cancers that impacted their family.
“Our family knows firsthand the challenges cancer can bring. This gift comes straight from our hearts to the people of Evansville and the Tri-State area. We are deeply grateful to this community, where we were able to build a family of companies including Metronet, KDL and others over nearly 30 years,” said Janet Cinelli, executive director of the Cinelli Family Foundation. “Supporting the Cinelli Cancer Center is our way of saying thank you to our Associates who worked tirelessly to help us build these organizations. We’ve seen how profoundly a world-class cancer center can strengthen a community, and we’re honored to help bring that level of care to Evansville.”
Their investment in the Cinelli Cancer Center reflects a shared belief in accelerating life-saving discoveries and expanding access to advanced, high-quality care—ensuring patients can receive world-class treatment close to home.
“This is more than a building—it’s a promise,” McCoy said. “A promise that no patient should have to leave home for world-class care. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Cinelli family and so many others, we are creating hope, healing and innovation for generations to come.”
To learn more about the Cinelli Cancer Center or to get involved in supporting this vision, visit deaconess.com/cancercenter
