Grand Opening Event for New Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center in Western North Dakota

September 23, 2026

McKenzie Health to Celebrate Grand Opening of Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center

New center brings expanded oncology, infusion and diagnostic services closer to home for patients across western North Dakota and eastern Montana

WATFORD CITY, N.D. —For patients with cancer in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, getting specialized care no longer has to mean spending hours on the road away from home, family and support systems.

McKenzie Health will celebrate that milestone on Wednesday, October 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. with the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center at 500 2nd Ave. SW in Watford City.

The community is invited to join McKenzie Health for an afternoon celebrating the elevation of cancer care for the region. The event will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, branded gifts for attendees and tours of the new facility, including its consultation rooms, on-site laboratory, infusion spaces, patient waiting area, and its Renewal Garden design to provide a peaceful space for reflection and respite.

“This is about bringing care home,” said Pete Edis, CEO of McKenzie Health. “Cancer affects entire families, and every hour spent traveling for treatment is an hour away from the people and places that provide support. This center allows us to bring more specialized cancer services to the patients and communities we serve.”

Specialized cancer care, closer to home

The Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center is led by Dr. Chad Pedersen, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist who is triple board-certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine. From Sidney, Montana, Dr. Pedersen has deep roots in the region. He brings more than a decade of experience in internal medicine, oncology, and hematology to McKenzie Health. He also served as past president of the Montana State Oncology Society.

Dr. Pedersen said bringing cancer care closer to patients is about more than convenience—it can make an important difference in the outcomes for patients and their families.

“When it comes to cancer, where you start matters,” said Dr. Chad Pedersen. “McKenzie Health has the most experienced cancer care team in the region, and our message to patients is simple: see us first, not second. Let our team help establish the right diagnosis and treatment plan from the beginning. We can treat most patients with most cancers. Starting locally enhances coordination and reduces delays.”

With Dr. Pedersen and the McKenzie Health oncology and infusion team, patients can access a growing range of services locally, including medical oncology, hematology, chemotherapy and infusion therapies, diagnostic services and supportive care. The center also provides infusion therapy for a range of conditions beyond cancer, including autoimmune, rheumatologic, gastrointestinal, neurologic and immunologic conditions.

The new facility was designed specifically around the needs of patients and their families. Its expanded space includes dedicated oncology treatment rooms, infusion services, an on-site laboratory, satellite pharmacy, consultation rooms and improved accessibility.

Guests attending the grand opening will be able to tour the facility and see the spaces where patients receive care, including the infusion areas, consultation rooms, laboratory, waiting area, and Renewal Garden—a dedicated space designed to provide patients and families with an opportunity for quiet reflection and respite.

A community investment in local health care

The new Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center represents an investment not only in cancer treatment, but also in prevention, early detection and the long-term health of the region.

McKenzie Health has continued expanding specialty services throughout western North Dakota and eastern Montana with a goal of making quality health care more accessible to rural and frontier communities. The organization’s Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center is part of that broader effort to provide more specialized services close to where patients live and work and is supported by a multi-specialty clinic of over 50 physicians & 25 advanced practice providers, the largest in the region.

“The response from our community has been incredible,” said Edis. “This facility is possible because people believed that patients in rural communities deserve access to high-quality specialty care without having to leave home. We’re proud to open the doors and invite the community in to see what they helped make possible.”

Community members, patients, families, health care providers and supporters are invited to attend the grand opening and ribbon cutting on Wednesday, October 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. at McKenzie Health Regional Cancer Care + Prevention Center, 500 2nd Ave. SW, Watford City.

For more information about oncology, infusion and cancer prevention services at McKenzie Health, call 701-842-2000 or visit McKenzieHealth.com. No referral is needed.

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About McKenzie Health:  McKenzie Health is committed to quality services, continuity of care, assurance of qualified staff, and family involvement for individual patients and clients. Headquartered in Watford City, ND, the organization consists of a 24-bed Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic, Specialty Clinics, Urgent Care, Good Shepherd Home (long-term care), Horizon Assisted Living, and Connie Wold Wellness Center.

MCKENZIE HEALTH MEDIA CONTACT
Lynn Welker-Fevold, MMHC, ACHE
307-399-4145
lwelker@mchsnd.org