Covenant Health Foundations Receive $30,000 in Grants from American Cancer Society

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – October 20, 2022 — Covenant Health’s Thompson Cancer Survival Center Foundation and Fort Sanders Foundation recently received transportation and lodging grants totaling $30,000 from the American Cancer Society. The grants will help alleviate the financial burden of transportation and lodging costs for patients with cancer so they can focus on getting the care they need.

Fort Sanders Foundation received a grant of $25,000 for its Fellowship Outpatient Lodging Program, which provides lodging and hospitality for cancer patients and families traveling to Knoxville for treatment. Thompson Cancer Survival Center Foundation received a $5,000 grant for the Thompson Cares Fund, an emergency assistance fund for cancer patients that helps with transportation, housing, utilities, medications and other expenses. The grant funds will be designated specifically for patient transportation assistance.

“The American Cancer Society has always been an important partner in helping us address the needs of cancer patients in the communities we serve. With the rising costs of transportation and lodging over the last year, the value of this partnership to benefit our patients has never been more apparent,” said Scott Warwick, president and chief administrative officer of Covenant Health’s Thompson Cancer Survival Center. “These grants will be instrumental in ensuring that patients most affected by these rising costs will be able to access the cancer services they greatly need.”

Many cancer patients need daily or weekly treatment, often for several months. Family and friends may help, but they may not always have the time or resources to provide every ride. When treatment requires traveling away from home, lodging is also needed.

The Foundation grants are two of 600 grants totaling over $10.8 million awarded across the U.S. by the American Cancer Society in 2022. Based on assistance provided through previous grant funding, the ACS grants will provide more than 328,000 rides to treatment for nearly 25,000 people nationwide, and over 9,000 nights of free lodging.

In 2022, more than 1.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States. In a national study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) in April, American Cancer Society researchers found a higher mortality risk in U.S. cancer survivors who reported medical financial hardship.

“The financial burden of cancer treatment directly contributes to disparities in cancer outcomes,” said Dr. Kathy Goss, regional vice president of cancer support for the American Cancer Society. “We’re working to increase access and remove barriers to timely, high-quality cancer care. Providing these grants directly to local health systems and partners allows us to deliver assistance directly to patients when and where it’s needed most.”

 

About Thompson Cancer Survival Center

Covenant Health’s Thompson Cancer Survival Center has been serving patients at locations in East Tennessee region for over 30 years. Our physicians are supported by a team of patient navigators, dietitians, genetics counselors, clinical trial specialists, physicists, pharmacists, therapists, technologists, oncology nurses, social workers and counselors who work together to treat and beat cancer. Visit ThompsonCancer.com to learn more.

About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is on a mission to free the world from cancer. We invest in lifesaving research, provide 24/7 information and support, and work to ensure that individuals in every community have access to cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. For more information, visit cancer.org.

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