Mission Cancer + Blood standalone clinic opens in Ankeny's Prairie Trail

Chris Higgins, Des Moines Register
·2 min read

A new cancer treatment cancer, part of a planned medical park, has opened in Ankeny's Prairie Trail as the neighborhood continues to fill in.

Mission Cancer + Blood opened its first standalone clinic at 1950 S.W. Magazine Road in rapidly-growing Ankeny on Nov. 13. The 11,000 square-foot facility, which has seven physicians alongside nurses and other staff, offers services like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, an in-house lab, genetic counseling, access to clinical trials and supportive services.

CEO Phil Stover said at a Nov. 14 news conference that having care close to home reduces stress, allows family and community members offering support to more easily join, and can make treatments more available to help improve outcomes.

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Officials said care is more efficient and cost-effective for patients and their loved ones when it's nearby and travel times are cut down. Having a standalone clinic means easier parking and building access for patients, they said.

"It's not an exaggeration to say this facility will be life-changing for patients in central Iowa," Stover said in a statement.

Dennis Albaugh, founder of DRA Properties and the developer behind the 1,000-acre Prairie Trail development that was built on a former research farm, said at the news conference that the new Mission clinic is part of a planned medical park with six or seven buildings.

The new clinic is near the Prairie Trail Sports Complex. Mission Cancer + Blood, which started in 1981, has 19 other outreach sites across Iowa, including some in the Des Moines area.

Iowa has the second-highest incidence rate of cancer in United States, and Polk County is estimated to have 13% of Iowa's new cancer cases, according to a news release from Mission. The Iowa Cancer Registry's 2023 annual report found Iowa to be the only state with a significant increase in cancer rates from 2015 to 2019.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mission Cancer + Blood clinic opens in Ankeny's Prairie Trail