Two grants of over $45,000 that the American Cancer Society gave to the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center in Albuquerque will help with cancer patients’ transportation and lodging.
The grants are $20,370 for helping patients with transportation to the center and $25,000 for lodging while the patients are getting treatments at the center, an announcement from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences said.
The grants help New Mexicans get medical care at UNM Cancer Center, which “is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center within 500 miles of Albuquerque,” the announcement said. The grants are helpful because “New Mexico is a largely rural state.”
“The costs associated with transportation and lodging continue to put pressure on patients and their families who struggle with how to get here for treatment and, in some cases, how to stay near their loved ones and support them through the process,” Jill Schulke, Patient Family Support Services director at the UNM Cancer Center, said.
“Programs like these ACS grants help us try to alleviate that stress so our patients can focus on getting better.”
For the fourth consecutive year, the UNM Cancer Center will obtain funding for transportation aid, with this year's amount exceeding last year’s $10,000.
In its second year, the American Cancer Society’s $25,000 grant for lodging assistance is the same as last year’s grant.
“For many years, the UNM Cancer Center has provided transportation and lodging assistance to patients and the money has been written into the Patient Family Support Services budget,” the announcement said.
“The ACS grants help to fund that budget, as do in-kind donations and money raised from the annual Lobo Cancer Challenge event every fall.”
The Lobo Cancer Challenge, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, has begun taking registrations. Registration is available online.
