OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Breaks Ground on Major Tulsa Expansion

176,100-square-foot facility targets state's high cancer mortality rate and expands clinical trial access

TULSA, Okla., Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center today celebrated the groundbreaking of its new 176,000-square-foot facility on the University of Oklahoma's Schusterman Center campus, marking a transformative step forward in expanding access to National Cancer Institute-designated cancer care for thousands of residents in northeast Oklahoma.

Set to open in 2028, the facility will directly address the state's significant cancer burden — ranked fourth in the nation for cancer deaths. In 2025, it is estimated there will be about 24,000 new cancer diagnoses in Oklahoma, with approximately 8,300 occurring in northeast Oklahoma alone — a region with some of the state's highest cancer mortality rates. This region's need for outpatient cancer care is projected to increase by 14.2% through 2034, driven by high rates of pancreatic, hepatobiliary and other complex cancers often resistant to traditional therapies.

This expansion fulfills a vision more than two decades in the making.

"Today reflects our unwavering mission to ensure every Oklahoman has access to the very best cancer care, no matter where they live," said Joseph Harroz Jr., president of the University of Oklahoma. "Stephenson Cancer Center delivers the gold standard of research-driven care as Oklahoma's only NCI-designated cancer center – a distinction achieved by just 2% of cancer centers nationwide. This expansion brings that level of care for northeastern Oklahoma, closing a gap that has existed for far too long. The Stephenson family's extraordinary generosity, combined with support from our Tribal partners, the Legislature and community philanthropists, makes this life-saving work possible. Together, we are building a legacy that will serve generations of Oklahomans."

The expansion of Stephenson Cancer Center to Tulsa is facilitated by a robust public-private partnership involving key stakeholders led by Charlie and Peggy Stephenson. It includes appropriations from the Oklahoma Legislature from the American Rescue Plan Act and the state General Revenue Fund to the University Hospitals Authority and Trust (UHAT). Contributions from the Cherokee Nation as well as gifts from the Norton, Trussell and Croteau families underscore the collaborative endeavor aimed at enhancing cancer care in northeast Oklahoma.

Advanced Cancer Care, Closer to Home

Despite northeast Oklahoma's high rates of cancer, the region has historically had the lowest clinical trial participation rates at Stephenson Cancer Center. The new facility in Tulsa aims to reverse this trend and reflects the critical importance of accessible cancer care.

"As Oklahoma's only NCI-Designated Cancer Center, we have a responsibility to ensure every Oklahoman has access to the most advanced cancer care available," said OU Health President and CEO Richard Lofgren, M.D., MPH. "This expansion reflects our commitment as the state's flagship academic health system — providing access to destination programs, complex care, and research-driven therapies that lead to better outcomes. It also fulfills our winning aspiration to care for the sickest of the sick as a top-tier academic referral center."

The National Cancer Institute designation is awarded only to cancer centers that demonstrate scientific leadership, robust clinical research and a commitment to reducing cancer incidence and mortality. As Oklahoma's only NCI-Designated Cancer Center — a distinction first earned in 2018 and renewed in 2023 — Stephenson Cancer Center meets rigorous standards for transdisciplinary research, community outreach and delivery of leading-edge therapies. This prestigious recognition places Stephenson Cancer Center among an elite network of fewer than 75 institutions nationwide.

The new facility in Tulsa will feature 70 exam rooms, 45 infusion spaces, three linear accelerators, comprehensive imaging capabilities including MRI and PET-CT, and dedicated clinical trial space designed to expand as the center grows. Patients will have increased access to early-phase clinical trials, removing barriers to treatments that are often a last resort for those with complex cancers that don't respond to standard regimens. It ensures patients in northeast Oklahoma receive the same caliber of care found at the nation's top cancer centers, without having to leave Oklahoma.

"Our vision at Stephenson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Oklahoma and beyond. Our mission is to provide patient-centered, research-driven, multidisciplinary cancer care," said Robert Mannel, M.D., director of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. "Clinical trials offer hope for patients facing complex, rare or treatment-resistant cancers, and many of these early phase trials are only accessible in Oklahoma through Stephenson Cancer Center and our statewide network."

In addition to advancing Stephenson Cancer Center's long-term goal of achieving Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute — the organization's highest designation held by only an elite group of cancer centers nationwide, the expansion directly supports Pillar 4 of OU's "Lead On, University" Strategic Plan: Lift the Health of Oklahoma.

Building on Partnership and Progress

The expansion also strengthens OU Health's collaboration with Hillcrest HealthCare System, which began in 2024, to deliver advanced cancer therapies and clinical trials to the residents of northeast Oklahoma. The new building will provide even more clinical space and serve as a clinical home for both local medical oncologists and academic physician scientists.

Stephenson Cancer Center has been phasing in clinical trials at Hillcrest and has enrolled more than 20 patients so far this year, including those for complex cancers like pancreatic and lung.

"Partnering with OU Health on cancer care has already brought more clinical trials and specialized expertise to northeast Oklahoma," said Hillcrest Regional President Jeff Johnston, MHA, MBA. "We are excited for this addition to help even more patients with nationally recognized cancer care closer to home."

Much of this expansion builds on the foundation laid by the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), whose grants have funded the lung cancer screening bus, the TSET Phase I Clinical Trials Program and ongoing research across the University of Oklahoma's academic health system. Stephenson Cancer Center opened a location with Norman Regional Health System in June 2025 and has plans to open a facility in McAlester, Oklahoma, this year — further extending its reach across the state.

About OU Health

OU Health is radically transforming health outcomes as the University of Oklahoma's academic health system. We are the destination of choice for complex care — with an unstoppable drive to change lives through discovery and healing. Patients turn to OU Health for leadership in clinical care, research and education, where advanced treatments and leading-edge therapies are developed and delivered by a nationally connected network of experts.

Our physicians serve as faculty at the OU College of Medicine and collaborate across all seven health professions colleges on the University of Oklahoma Health Campus — training the next generation of healthcare professionals and accelerating innovation that drives patient outcomes and fuels economic development.

With more than 11,000 employees and over 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers, we serve all 77 Oklahoma counties and beyond with the state's only comprehensive children's hospital (Oklahoma Children's OU Health); National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center (OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center); and the flagship academic hospital and Oklahoma's leading Level I trauma center (OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center). With selfless collaboration and Oklahoma Proud spirit, we deliver care that reflects our deep commitment to the communities we serve.

For more information, visit OUHealth.com.

About OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is radically transforming cancer care as Oklahoma's only National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center. As one of the nation's elite centers, representing the top 2% of cancer centers in the country, we excel in patient care, research, education and prevention. Our mission is to end cancer for patients and their families worldwide. With our flagship location in Oklahoma City on the University of Oklahoma Health Campus, as well as sites in Tulsa and Norman and a mobile cancer screening fleet, we bring breakthroughs to communities across Oklahoma — serving all 77 counties and beyond with unshakable optimism and selfless collaboration. As a leading research organization, our physician-scientists are relentlessly pursuing breakthroughs in cancer treatments. Through Oklahoma's only Phase I clinical trials program, we are developing lifesaving therapies that are transforming patient care and advancing medical science. At Stephenson Cancer Center, we deliver patient-centered, multidisciplinary care with Oklahoma Proud spirit, fighting every type of cancer with empathy, excellence and a belief that healing belongs to everyone.

For more information, visit StephensonCancerCenter.org.

About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state's flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.

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SOURCE University of Oklahoma