120 Cancer Patients Receive Transportation Assistance
Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Maine Cancer Foundation, around 120 cancer patients will receive transportation assistance. Many of St. Mary’s pat
ients experience barriers to care, which may include inequities in their support infrastructure of financial circumstances and/or burdensome travel times and distances; others simply may be too sick to transport themselves. Thanks to this new funding, oncology staff will be able to help those in need by providing gas cards, cab fare, ride share fare or van/ambulance transport. The goal of this program is to decrease the rate of no-shows and cancellations and, in turn, improve cancer patients’ health by following recommended therapy, treatment and follow-up plans.
“I need to come in person to review my CT scan results with my provider,” says an anonymous cancer patient. “but I rely on my daughter for transportation, and she was out of town. Thanks to the help of the Maine Cancer Foundation grant, I was able to make the appointment, get my results and change my treatment plan – all within 48 hours. I am truly grateful.”