Cancer patients in the Omineca region will soon have their own clinic at the St. John's Hospital in Vanderhoof.

The hospital is now being renovated to provide the $250,000 per year service slated to open by the end of March.

During the announcement Thursday, Charles Jago, Northern Health board chair, said the new service "is part of the integrated system of cancer care for the North, which focuses on prevention, early detection, treatment and palliative care as required."

Right now patients from the Lakes and Omineca travel to Prince George for services like chemotherapy, which will be locally provided, ranging from prevention to follow-up services.

Although patients will continue to be referred by the area's family physicians, their treatment plans will be guided by specialists like oncologist, Dr. Winston Bishop of Prince George.

The clinic will reduce travelling for many local patients and boost existing cancer services in an area where care providers have advocated for years for a clinic.

An anonymous donation of $200,000 paid for the set-up costs of the clinic and specialized pharmacy equipment. Additional donations will go towards supporting comfort needs for patients.

Health providers who are taking, or have taken, additional training to provide cancer services at the clinic include Dr. Shannon Douglas, general practitioner in oncology, Chona Dick, certified oncology nurse, Dr. Nicole Ebert, palliative care, Mary Sommerville, oncology nurse, Drs. Suzanne Campbell and Karen Muir, G.P oncologists and palliative support, and Dr. Laurie Perkins, G.P. oncologist.

The cancer services will also benefit from the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North to be based at Prince George Regional Hospital, which is scheduled to open in 2012.

The centre will provide a full range of of cancer care services, including radiation treatment, for northern B.C. patients.