Topping off ceremony held for OSF Cancer Institute

OSF HealthCare marked  the next phase of construction for the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute on the campus of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois with the placement of the last steel beam on April 28.

Placing the last structural steel beam on a building is a project milestone. The beam used on the OSF Cancer Institute has been signed by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, OSF Mission Partners including those who will work in the building, as well as current and former cancer patients.

Following a brief ceremony, the beam was blessed and then hoisted by crane into place along with a Franciscan cross, an American flag and evergreen tree attached to the beam. The flag and evergreen are traditions in the construction industry when the final steel beam is placed on a structure and will remain in place until construction is complete. They symbolize growth and good fortune.

The Franciscan cross is raised as a reminder of where OSF started. The Mission, Vision and Values of the Sisters have carried the Ministry through generations, and the OSF Cancer Institute ensures that the same Mission of serving with the greatest care and love will carry on well into the future.

Some construction stats (as of April 28, 2022):
* Total of 55,000 cubic yards of soil hauled off of the site
* Over 11,000 cubic yards of concrete poured
* 1,700 tons of structural steel in the building


The $237 million project has a fundraising goal of $100 million. The first treatments at the OSF Cancer Institute are expected to take place by early 2024.