For people in our communities who need treatment, getting there can be a roadblock to healing. Thanks to donor support, patients who qualified for financial assistance received rides to appointments and stays at the Rosemary and George Dawson Inn, as well as medications and life-saving care.
After a diagnosis, some of our neighbors face a different challenge: getting to appointments for treatment. For patients who struggle to find a ride, your support paves the way for care.
“I was able to arrange approximately 140 rides last year through the Cancer Patient Support Fund,” said Tammy Anderson, LCSW, OSW-C, ACHP-SW, ACM-SW, supervisor of Social Work Services and behavioral health coordinator for the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center and Centra Southside Hematology Oncology Clinic. The rides were provided through donor support to the fund and a grant from the American Cancer Society.
It is one of several Centra Foundation funds that provide financial assistance for patients across Centra’s service area.
Elderly patients who live alone and do not have family nearby are especially at risk of not having reliable transportation, as are patients with a disability or other health challenge such as a recent stroke.
Tammy recalled one such patient who needed immediate care and called her oncologist to find out what to do. "He wanted to see her in the office, but she was too ill to drive. Because of funding received from donors, we were able to arrange transportation for the patient to be seen, get treatment and return to the comfort of her home.”
