Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Stanford Medicine Cancer Center in Redwood City will serve existing and future Stanford Health Care patients from the region and in some cases, from across the globe, as Stanford Health Care is often uniquely positioned to provide new cutting edge-treatments and clinical trials. 

Stanford Health Care patients will have access to care at the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center in Redwood City. This facility will increase our capacity to serve more patients in need of care.

Both inpatient and outpatient services for cancer patients will be available at the cancer center. Among other services, this center will include patient exam rooms, inpatient rooms, infusion suites for chemotherapy, imaging and radiation oncology facilities, and urgent care for cancer patients.

Additionally, Stanford Medicine is deeply committed to serving our community through comprehensive cancer education and prevention programs.  In collaboration with a variety of community partners, we currently provide free mammograms at local events, cancer education and screening opportunities, as well as health education seminars and wellness resources designed to address the unique needs of our diverse community. 

As we plan for our new cancer center in Redwood City, we are committed to these community-based programs and strengthening our partnerships to ensure that members of our community have access to cancer prevention, early detection, and education.

As Stanford Health Care’s biggest cancer center facility, combining outpatient, inpatient, and scientific research in one location, the Redwood City Cancer Center will further strengthen our overall cancer care network. We anticipate that our Palo Alto campus will continue to provide care for cancer patients. Furthermore, our commitment to providing broad access to Stanford-level care includes continuing our cancer services through the South Bay Cancer Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and our new joint venture with Sutter Health in the East Bay.

The cancer center will be licensed as an acute care hospital.

Yes, Stanford Health Care accepts Medicare as a form of health insurance. Almost half of the patients we see at Stanford Health Care have some form of Medicare insurance. The cancer center will increase our care capacity with continued support of Medicare. 

Yes, Stanford Health Care accepts Medi-Cal as a form of health insurance. To learn more about specific Medi-Cal plans we are contracted with, visit our dedicated website. 

You can learn more about the health insurance plans Stanford Health Care is contracted with here. We understand that navigating healthcare coverage can be challenging. To continue delivering world-class care, we are thoughtful in how we collaborate with insurance plans that support the level of care patients and families trust and expect from Stanford Health Care.  

Please note that even if Stanford Health Care is contracted with your insurance provider, it does not mean our providers are in network for your specific plan. To confirm your benefits and if Stanford providers are in network for your specific plan, contact the Member Services Department for your insurance provider (phone number is on the back of your ID card). Stanford Health Care is committed to excellence and innovation that enables life-changing discoveries and the best possible outcomes for patients. 

Stanford Medicine invites the community to visit the existing publicly accessible greenspace on the southwest corner of the campus near Second Avenue and Bay Road, which will remain part of the broader Stanford Redwood City campus. The existing Campus Greenway that weaves throughout the center of the campus will also extend into the new cancer center. 

Our goal is to promote healing through access to natural outdoor spaces.  Further engagement with the city and community will inform the design of future landscaped areas, and we will share more information when available.

The cancer center is expected to generate between 3,200 and 3,700 jobs once construction is complete, bringing the total number of employees in the entire Stanford Precise Plan area to between 6,900 and 7,400. In addition to the contributions to the community’s economic vitality through jobs in clinical care, research, and operations, the updated project would foster indirect employment and local spending at area businesses, as well as create additional jobs during construction. 

To see current job listings please visit:

Stanford Health Care jobs: https://careers.stanfordhealthcare.org/us/en/

Stanford University jobs: https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/careers

Stanford Children’s Health jobs:  https://careers.stanfordchildrens.org/search-jobs

We are dedicated to ensuring that this updated project embodies our shared community values and priorities. We invite the community to share feedback on our proposed plans at upcoming community events, through our survey, and via email to cancercenterredwoodcityinfo@stanford.edu.

This facility will not have an emergency room. The new cancer center will include spaces that will be used for inpatient and outpatient cancer care, research, and clinical trials. 

Housing is not included in the plans for the cancer center.

Yes, there will be parking available to meet the needs of patients, staff, and visitors to the cancer center. 

Not all projected employees will be at the cancer center at one time, and parking is spread throughout multiple parking structures to minimize traffic constraints and improve cancer center access for patients and visitors.  Additionally, many staff will utilize Stanford commuter programs that incentivize sustainable commute modes such as bikes, buses, carpools, and Caltrain.

We prioritize pedestrian safety to keep our patients, caretakers, community, and staff out of harm’s way. As we develop our plans for the cancer center, our team is designing pedestrian-safe intersections and taking measures to ensure pedestrian visibility.

We understand traffic impacts are of great interest. Our team is prepared to integrate traffic mitigation efforts into our updated project plans. A traffic impact analysis will be conducted during our application for this updated project, which will help us better understand how much traffic will be generated by the proposed cancer center and transportation efforts Stanford can support. 

Stanford is committed to sustainable transportation. Commuters and visitors can catch a free shuttle between Caltrain and Stanford Redwood City. Commute.org offers free peak commute service and Stanford’s free Marguerite shuttle provides midday service.

Expanding the research capacity of Stanford Medicine will provide opportunities for new discoveries and cutting-edge treatments that will advance our ability to treat cancer.