Officials at the WMCHealth healthcare network announced Thursday that the company would maintain and reinvest in a Kingston cancer support facility that provides counseling and other services to patients and survivors in a homelike setting. The announcement follows months of lobbying by patient advocates, city and county officials to abandon plans to close the Herbert H. and Sofia P. Reuner Cancer Support House and move the services provided there to a new location.

“Our patients and their families told us how much the Reuner House means to them, and we listened,” said David Lubarsky, MD, CEO of WMCHealth in a statement Thursday announcing the change in plans. “Cancer care doesn’t end when treatment does. This investment ensures people in Kingston and the surrounding area will have a warm, welcoming place close to home to find support, connection and hope.”

Occupying a former single-family home on Mary’s Avenue near WMCHealth subsidiary HealthAlliance Hospital, since 2003 the Reuner Cancer Support House has served as home base for non-clinical cancer support services including peer support, professional counseling, wellness classes and support groups. In August 2025, the hospital chain placed the house on the market and announced plans to move the services provided there to the former Kingston Hospital campus at 396 Broadway where it would share space with an infusion center.

The announcement touched off fierce opposition from patient advocates and others who argued that the homey environment where volunteers might bake cookies in the kitchen while a support group met in the living room, could not be replicated in a medical environment like the infusion center.

Among those advocating to maintain the Reuner house was Kingston Common Council President Andrea Shaut. At an April caucus meeting to discuss a memorializing resolution in support of maintaining services there, Shaut revealed for the first time that she had undergone treatment for breast cancer in 2022 and 2023 and that staff at the house had reached out to her to offer their services. In a statement Thursday, Shaut praised WMCHealth officials for listening to voices in support of the program.

“As a survivor, I know the fear and uncertainty of a diagnosis, and that its impact lingers long after we hear "no evidence of disease," so having a place to share experiences with others who have walked a similar path is an extraordinary gift,” said Shaut. “The Reuner House is truly a home, not another medical facility, but a place of support, friendship, and love where people facing some of life's hardest moments can feel they belong, and I applaud WMC, the community, and the advocates for preserving it.”

Along with preserving the program, WMCHealth officials say they plan to invest in upgrades at the Reuner House. The renovation, expected to begin this year will include interior painting, wood floor refinishing, new lighting, kitchen and bathroom improvements and more.