LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – A new cancer center in Longview has caught the attention of a doctor from New York City.
The new CHRISTUS Health Cancer Center will eliminate the need for some residents to drive hours for the cancer treatments.
“Starting a new program from the ground up is really, very exciting,” Dr. Steven DiBiase said.
And that’s what brought DiBiase from the Big Apple to the Lone Star State.
As the incoming medical director for CHRISTUS Health’s new cancer center in Longview, he says it’s the mission that brought him nearly 1,500 miles across the country.
“We don’t want people to have to drive 2-3 hours to get the best and most sophisticated care. We want them to stay local where they be with family and friends and still get state of the art sophisticated treatment, but closer to home,” DiBiase said.
The $36 million dollar facility aims to close the gap for cancer incident rates.
A 2025 report from the Texas Department of State Health Services names Gregg County specifically above the 90th percentile for cancer incident rates in all of Texas.
“East Texas has a lot of cancer out there,” DiBiase said. “So, there’s a huge need for this. It’s not just the treatment, it’s all the stuff upstream, like screening, outreach, education…We really wanna run with that here so we can catch things early rather than when it’s a little bit tougher to treat.”
DiBiase spent the last 7 1/2 years working in medicine in New York.
He said his new role is an honor in his profession.
“This opportunity was really, really special for a physician to go into a program that’s brining in the best physicians, the best nurses the best help. It’s really fulfilling to start it from the ground up,” DiBiase said.
The new facility is equipped with infusion therapy areas, advanced mobile PET and CT imaging, laboratory testing and several other services that will create personalized treatment plans for each patient.
The cancer center’s ribbon cutting is set for September 30th, and the first patients to be scanned will arrive around October 5th.
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