Markey Cancer Foundation Receives ACS Grant to Help Patients Overcome Access to Care Barriers

Cancer patients undergoing treatment sometimes travel far from home to receive the right cancer care, which can create a financial burden. That’s why the American Cancer Society has awarded a lodging grant to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Foundation. These funds will be used to address the lodging needs of cancer patients receiving treatment in Lexington.

“Some patients don’t have access to the financial resources they need to pay for lodging that enables access to treatment far from home,” said Michael Delzotti, president and chief executive officer of the UK Markey Cancer Foundation. “Access to care is a big problem in our country, with low-income people of color and those living in rural communities suffering the most from disparities. Lodging and other access to care programs, like transportation, are vital for these patients to get the treatments they need and deserve.”

An estimated 30,270 Kentucky residents will learn they have cancer this year and lodging near their treatment center may be one of their greatest roadblocks. To help patients get the critical care they need, American Cancer Society lodging grants are awarded at a local level to health systems and treatment centers. These grants are available in select communities to focus on addressing unmet lodging needs of cancer patients, particularly vulnerable populations experiencing an unequal burden of cancer.

“Disparities predominantly arise from inequities in work, wealth, income, education, housing and overall standard of living, as well as social barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services,” said Kathleen Goss, Ph.D., vice president of cancer control, American Cancer Society. “The society collaborates with community health partners to reach individuals for whom those inequities create a barrier to cancer treatment.”

“The support ACS has provided Markey Cancer Center patients throughout the pandemic has been invaluable,”  said Joan Scales, director of psych-oncology services at Markey. “This grant will make managing the many appointments that our patients navigate much easier and will help to alleviate the worry some have about paying for lodging.”

For additional information about the American Cancer Society,  call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.