WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital has been awarded a $55,441 grant from the Ralph and Josephine Smith Fund at First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania to support the purchase of infusion chairs for the future cancer center being developed as part of WellSpan's expanding oncology services in the Central Susquehanna Valley.

The grant comes as WellSpan advances a phased investment to bring expanded cancer care services closer to home for residents across the region. Initial medical oncology and infusion services are scheduled to begin this fall, with plans for a comprehensive cancer center offering medical oncology, infusion and radiation oncology services expected to open in spring 2027.

The new infusion chairs funded through the grant will help create a comfortable, patient-centered environment for individuals receiving cancer treatment locally, reducing travel burdens and increasing access to care close to family, friends and support systems. This investment is part of WellSpan's broader effort to build a comprehensive oncology program through the WellSpan Cancer Institute at WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital and recent expansion of the Johns Hopkins Medicine collaboration for second opinions, clinical trials and other research opportunities.

"Community partnerships like this play a vital role in helping us build the cancer care resources our neighbors need close to home," said Allen Fasnacht, vice president, WellSpan Health, and president, WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital. "We are grateful to the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania and the Ralph and Josephine Smith Fund for investing in the future of cancer care in the Central Susquehanna Valley."

The future cancer center will connect local patients to the expertise of the WellSpan Cancer Institute, which brings together specialists across medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, imaging, pathology, genetics, supportive care and survivorship services. Through this coordinated model, patients benefit from multidisciplinary treatment planning, evidence-based care and access to the resources of a nationally recognized cancer program.

For more information about oncology services available through WellSpan Health, visit https://www.wellspan.org/cancer.