Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, MO announced that construction of a new cancer center will bear the name of Mizzou’s all-time winningest basketball coach. Construction of the Virginia and Norm Stewart Cancer Center is set to begin this year. The inpatient unit project will cost $7.2 million to complete and will house 32 private rooms and be located on the sixth floor of the hospital’s south tower, which opened in 2011.
The new cancer center will be ready for patients in March of 2014. The 78 year old Stewart is a cancer survivor himself after his battle with colon cancer in 1989. Stewart helped establish the “Coaches vs. Cancer” program.
The Stewarts were out of town and unable to attend yesterday’s press conference, but released a statement:
“It’s a great honor to join our legacy with Boone Hospital. We look forward to working together to enhance cancer care in Mid-Missouri.”