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ATLANTA, Dec. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Cancer Society (ACS) has awarded nearly $3.9 million in funding to 77 health systems across the country to alleviate the financial burden of lodging costs for cancer patients. This funding will provide an estimated 20,000 nights of lodging for cancer patients nationwide.   

The local health systems receiving the grant funding will work directly with hotels and other lodging facilities to secure nights of free lodging for patients and caregivers.

For cancer patients, getting the right treatment sometimes requires travelling away from home. Lodging expenses can present a significant financial barrier to receiving lifesaving treatment, and financial barriers are known to contribute to disparities in cancer outcomes. ACS patient support services, such as lodging grants, fill critical gaps and are aligned with the ACS goal of improving lives for cancer patients.

Lodging assistance is only one way the American Cancer Society is working to improve patient outcomes, complemented by direct patient support through education, navigation and transportation assistance. Each year, ACS typically provides more than 500,000 nights of free lodging through its existing Hope Lodge program. But a gap remains in many communities for cancer patients who travel to treatment centers without a nearby Hope Lodge facility. The newly awarded grant funding provides a boost of support to help address currently unmet needs. 

"We know that having to travel far from home to receive treatment can cause a large financial burden for cancer patients and their caregivers," said Dr. Karen Knudsen, the American Cancer Society's Chief Executive Officer. "The American Cancer Society is committed to removing barriers that prevent cancer patients from getting the care they need. The ACS grants to health systems nationwide will help thousands of cancer patients receive free lodging while they are in treatment and allow them to focus on what's most important: Getting well." 

The American Cancer Society believes all people should have the opportunity to live a longer, healthier life free from cancer regardless of how much money they make, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, gender identity, their disability status, or where they live. This means providing specific tools and resources based on individual needs to allow everyone the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Achieving health equity requires the removal of barriers, including transportation, that prevent people from receiving the care and treatment they need.

SOURCE American Cancer Society