BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. – Construction is underway on the UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center‘s $25 million regional cancer center and Center for Rural Cancer Education and Research. The new center will increase access to comprehensive cancer care in South, Central and Western Kentucky.
Located along the growing Interstate 65 corridor, the cancer center will become part of the UofL Health – South Hospital campus in Bullitt County. This expansion of cancer care is made possible with funding support from the Kentucky General Assembly.
“As we break ground on this new cancer center, the University of Louisville is extending the reach of innovative cancer care, education and research across the commonwealth,” said Gerry Bradley, BDS, MS, Dr.Med.Dent., University of Louisville President. “I want to thank our state leaders for their support in establishing this new regional site for our Brown Cancer Center. This Center for Rural Cancer Education and Research is an investment to increase access to more Kentuckians, particularly those in our rural counties and mid-sized cities, who will benefit from our expertise, research and innovative clinical trials.”
The 26,440-square-foot, two-story facility will provide much-needed resources for individuals facing cancer, providing care closer to home for patients in South, Central and Western Kentucky. The center will deliver innovative care in a compassionate, supportive environment with the goal of improving outcomes for cancer patients in the region. It will also serve as a hub for education and outreach across the state.
“For years, Bullitt County could only dream of having a hospital like UofL Health – South Hospital. We are now celebrating another milestone, the opening of the Brown Cancer Center,” said Sen. Mike Nemes. “This center will serve patients across the commonwealth at a time when they need it most. Groundbreaking research and treatment will take place right here in Bullitt County. We have come a long way from only dreaming of a hospital. I am grateful to my colleagues in the legislature for supporting this transformative project. Projects like this don’t happen without strong leadership and vision.”
“We believe access to quality and affordable health care is a basic human right, and that means having access in your region and community,” said Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman. “I know firsthand how difficult it is to manage appointments, work and family on top of the worries a cancer diagnoses brings. The new UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center and Center for Rural Cancer Education Research will provide much-needed, high-quality, local-access cancer treatment, research and education to many of Kentucky’s rural communities.”
“I am thrilled to see the continued expansion of the Brown Cancer center here in the 26th District,” Kentucky Rep. Peyton Griffee said. “This hospital has and continues to be a gamechanger for Bullitt and surrounding counties. Bullitt County is a proud partner of UofL Health, and we are thrilled to continue to improve the improve the lives of our citizens.”
Kentucky has the second-highest death rate from cancer in the U.S. (182.8 per 100,000), with almost 10,000 Kentuckians dying of cancer each year. Twice as many Kentuckians died of cancer than of COVID-19 from 2020-2024, and cancer rates are expected to increase by 50% in the next 20 years. Cancer health care costs in Kentucky are $2.74 billion per year, while productivity losses from morbidity and early deaths in Kentucky cost an additional $3.1 billion per year.
“The Brown Cancer Center has one unifying mission: To make cancer a disease of the past,” said Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D., director and chief administration officer of the Brown Cancer Center. “Our goal is to reduce the cancer death rate by 50% in the next 10 years. Kentucky, West Virginia and Mississippi vie for the top spot in terms of cancer-related deaths per capita each year, but our goal is to drop Kentucky’s cancer death rate from No. 2 to No. 5 in the next five years. We are getting closer to that goal, and this new regional cancer center brings cutting-edge cancer care and lifesaving clinical trials closer to more Kentuckians.”
Subspecialty cancer care with comprehensive clinical trial programs and multidisciplinary clinics have been proven to reduce cancer deaths. Currently, no comprehensive cancer centers outside of Lexington and Louisville offer multidisciplinary subspecialist care, clinical trials, access to state-of-the-art screening, and educational and support programs for cancer patients.
“Three of the worst words to hear are ‘you have cancer.’ But the Brown Cancer Center has a word of its own: Hope,” said Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. “We take on the diagnosis through innovation, compassion and our expertise. It is our mission, and it is why we have partnered with the University of Louisville, the commonwealth, our physicians and nurses to bring state-of-the-art care to Bullitt County, South, Central and Western Kentucky. A cancer diagnosis can feel isolating , but at the Brown Cancer Center, you are never alone. Our team is your team.”
Patients from South, Central and Western Kentucky have relied on the Brown Cancer Center for a long time. In 2023, the Brown Cancer Center oncologists saw patients from nearly every Kentucky county, including more than 15,000 outpatient encounters from South, Central and Western Kentucky.
The new cancer center will serve as a network base for clinical trials, enhanced nursing and physician educational programs, cancer screening and outreach with partnering oncologists throughout the region. These academic pursuits will be integrated with the comprehensive and multidisciplinary programs at Brown Cancer Center. The programs attract cancer patients from all over the U.S. for second opinions, and innovative and highly effective treatment options unavailable at other cancer centers in our region.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brown Cancer Center to our community,” said Hillview Mayor Jim Eadens. “Their dedication to cutting-edge cancer treatment and life-changing research will provide hope and healing to families across Kentucky, especially in our rural areas. This partnership marks a significant step in ensuring that world-class care is accessible to all who need it.”
Shirley Hatfield, a lung cancer patient from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, currently drives an hour to reach the Brown Cancer Center location at UofL Health – Medical Center Northeast and is excited to have a new location close to home.
“I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my three doctors—[Drs. Chesney, Victor van Berkel and Andrew Dunlap]—who came together to make a plan for me,” Hatfield said. “I have friends who had cancer, and most of them didn’t make it because they didn’t get the treatment they needed. Closer is better. But even if this location wasn’t getting built, I would keep driving to see this team of doctors who saved my life. I tell anybody to please go to Brown Cancer Center.”
Key features of the new facility include:
- 16 Private Dual-Purpose Infusion and Exam Rooms: These rooms offer a comfortable, private space for treatment and consultation, ensuring patients feel at ease throughout their care journey.
- Patient Resource Center: This is a dedicated area to support patients and their families with various services, including:
- Wig dressing room
- Art therapy
- Dietitian office
- Massage therapy
- Financial counseling
- Psychotherapy
- On-Site Lab: This lab is equipped with advanced diagnostic tools to support accurate and timely testing for cancer patients.
- Research Lab and Clinical Trials: Space is dedicated to specimen processing and data collection to support translational cancer research and clinical trials, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatment options and scientific advancements.
- 10 Private Research Offices: These offices provide a collaborative space for researchers and medical professionals to work on innovative cancer therapies.
- Video Conferencing Spaces: These spaces enable communication between providers and researchers in different locations for additional educational, training and outreach efforts.
- Flex Meeting Room: This is an adaptable space for hosting support groups, events and community oncologists.
- Oncology Pharmacy: This is a state-of-the-art pharmacy focusing solely on oncology infusions, such as chemotherapies and immunotherapies.
- Patient Lounge: This is a comfortable area for patients and their families to relax between appointments and treatments.
- Kentucky Cancer Program (KCP) Office: This new KCP location will function as a centralized hub for serving South, Central and Western Kentucky.
“This new cancer center extends the reach and hope of addressing cancer all across Kentucky,” said Jeffrey Bumpous, M.D., FACS, dean of the UofL School of Medicine, and UofL Physicians head and neck cancer surgeon. “From the Kentucky Cancer Program’s outreach and screening programs to the opportunities to recruit and train future oncology physicians, nurses and other specialty staff on the opportunities to serve and make such a difference among an underserved patient population.”
“I am proud to be part of this announcement,” said Senate Health Services Chair, Sen. Stephen Meredith. “Initiatives like this are vital in improving cancer care and providing innovative treatment options. This project represents a critical step toward strengthening our health care infrastructure and ensuring that all Kentuckians, no matter where they live, have access to the care they deserve.”
JRA Architects and Kelley Construction have been selected for the project. The center is expected to open in the latter half of 2026.
Additional media coverage:
- Construction Underway for new, $25 million cancer center in Bullitt County (WAVE)
- UofL Health breaks ground on new cancer center in Shepherdsville (WLKY)
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center breaks ground on new facility in Bullitt County (WDRB)
- UofL Health announces $25 million cancer treatment, research expansion for rural Kentucky (WHAS)
