Hannibal Regional receives $10,000 patient assistance grant from American Cancer Society

HANNIBAL, Mo. — To alleviate the financial burden of cancer treatment, the American Cancer Society recently awarded a $10,000 transportation grant to Hannibal Regional Healthcare System. 

The grant is one of 380 transportation grants totaling $6.2 million awarded to health systems nationwide. The funding will allow health systems to provide eligible patients an estimated 577,350 rides to treatment.

In a press release, Wendy Harrington, president and CEO of Hannibal Regional Foundation, said, “When someone is faced with a cancer diagnosis, they are overwhelmed with many things to manage and worry about.  We want to assist in any way we can, including with transportation, so they can worry less and focus on their cancer treatments and getting better. We are so appreciative of the American Cancer Society for their continued support of this program and the positive impact it has on our patients.”

Lack of transportation to treatment prevents many people living with cancer from getting high-quality care which worsens cancer outcomes. In a study presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium, American Cancer Society researchers found 2.8 percent of cancer survivors reported delays in care due to transportation barriers. Cancer survivors who delayed care due to lack of transportation were more likely to use the emergency room and had the highest risk of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.

According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Facts and Figures 2022-2024, cancer survivors experience greater financial hardship than the general population for many reasons, including the inability to work. They also have higher out of pocket medical costs compared to people without a history of cancer.  The economic burden of cancer is more profound in survivors who are younger or were diagnosed in childhood, underinsured or uninsured, and have lower incomes.

“Not having access to high-quality cancer treatment due to where you live contributes to the disparities we see in cancer outcomes. It’s important to provide the funding and programming needed to keep a lack of transportation from impacting survival,” said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society. “The local health systems we partner with across the country use this funding to deliver assistance directly to the patients who need it most.”

For more information on services provided at the Hannibal Regional Cancer Institute or James E. Cary Cancer Center, call 573-406-5813 or visit hannibalregional.org.