Santa Cruz, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a transformative act of generosity, the Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Foundation has committed $30 million to Sutter Health to establish a new, state-of-the-art cancer center in Santa Cruz. This historic gift, one of the largest philanthropic gifts in the community’s history, will serve as the cornerstone of a $50 million campaign to revolutionize cancer care and research for residents across Santa Cruz and the greater Monterey Bay Area.
“This extraordinary gift from the Kvamme Foundation will make a generational impact on healthcare and cancer care in Santa Cruz,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. “We are honored to build on the Kvamme family’s legacy of compassion and innovation, and to create a center that reflects the heart of this community.”
The forthcoming Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Advanced Cancer Center, scheduled to open in 2030, will be located at 2260 Soquel Drive, the former site of Santa Cruz’s popular flea market and Skyview Drive-In—symbols of the city’s rich local culture. Now, this community landmark will take on a new life, offering hope and healing to thousands of people battling cancer.
The Kvamme Foundation, based in Aptos and led by E. Floyd Kvamme, has a long-standing legacy of charitable giving across Northern California and beyond. For the Kvamme family, this donation is deeply personal. Jean Kvamme, a devoted mother, philanthropist and community member, courageously battled cancer and passed away in 2020 after more than 60 years of marriage to Floyd. The exceptional care she received made a lasting impression on the family and inspired this landmark gift.
“We are honored to make this commitment and investment in memory of Jean and in support of all families affected by cancer,” said E. Floyd Kvamme of the Kvamme Foundation. “We did not want to sit on the sidelines when we can be part of the solution. Our hope is that this center not only brings comfort and care to those in need but also helps accelerate the journey toward a cure. Jean’s spirit will live on through every life touched by this facility.”
“This gift from the Kvamme Foundation is a powerful testament to what’s possible when philanthropy and purpose align,” said Ken McNeely, chair of the Sutter Health Board of Directors. “The new cancer center will not only elevate the standard of cancer care in Santa Cruz—it will serve as a beacon of hope for families across the region. We are deeply grateful to the Kvamme family for their vision and generosity.”
The 44,000-square-foot Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Advanced Cancer Center will unite cutting-edge services—including radiation oncology, medical oncology, infusion therapy and advanced imaging to treat early- through late-stage cancers—under one roof.
“The Kvamme family’s commitment to advancing cancer care is both humbling and inspiring,” said Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group’s Matthew F. Hansman, a surgeon based in Santa Cruz. “When it opens, the Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Advanced Cancer Center will allow us to deliver truly comprehensive, compassionate care—right here at home. It’s a milestone moment for our patients, clinicians and community.”
The Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Advanced Cancer Center is part of Sutter Health’s broader effort to expand cancer care access across Northern California, with additional centers planned in Santa Rosa, Modesto, Yuba City and the Silicon Valley and East Bay regions.
Sutter Health is the largest healthcare system on the Central Coast. Today, approximately 115,000 patients from Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas rely on Sutter Health’s integrated network of patient-centered primary and specialty care, which includes the nationally acclaimed Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz, a 30-bed acute care hospital, and Palo Alto Medical Foundation outpatient clinics and medical offices in Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Soquel, Aptos, Capitola and Scotts Valley.
Sutter Health is further enhancing access to care in the Santa Cruz area with the expansion of its Watsonville Care Center on Green Valley Road. The expanded Watsonville center will provide space for five additional primary care physicians as well as rotations for specialists in obstetrics, nursing and behavioral healthcare.
About Sutter Health
Sutter Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to providing comprehensive care throughout California. Committed to advancing innovative patient care, healthy outcomes and community partnerships, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent healthcare more connected and accessible. Currently serving more than 3.5 million patients, thanks to our dedicated team of more than 60,000 employees and clinicians, and 14,000+ affiliated physicians, with a unified focus on expanding care to serve more patients.
Sutter delivers exceptional and affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health, and hospice services. Dedicated to transforming healthcare, at Sutter Health, getting better never stops.
Learn more about how Sutter Health is transforming healthcare at sutterhealth.org and vitals.sutterhealth.org.
- The Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Advanced Cancer Center