Family Reach is thrilled to announce that we’ve received a $50,000 CVS Health Community Grant, as part of CVS Health’s commitment to building healthier communities. The support from CVS Health will fund the Family Relief Direct Assistance Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to provide financial support and education to families who have a child or young adult in active cancer treatment and are experiencing financial hardship.
Cancer patients are 2.65 times more likely to go bankrupt than people without cancer. In addition, 46 percent of cancer patients cut back on basic necessities like food and clothing to pay for cancer care, with some skipping medication to save money. We are a national nonprofit dedicated to alleviating the financial burden of cancer for qualified families in need. For more than two decades, Family Reach has helped families pay the everyday bills – rent, groceries, gas and more – that quickly become overwhelming in the face of treatment.
With the recent announcement of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Proton Therapy Center, an innovative therapy that typically requires treatment five days a week for six to eight weeks, many families saw a dramatic increase in financial hardships due to travel costs, reduction in parental employment and relocation costs. With support from the CVS Health Community Grant, Family Reach will enable continued access to care through the hospital’s Family Relief Direct Assistance Program, improving overall adherence to treatment plans and ultimately impacting a patient’s survival by removing financial barriers and allowing families to focus on getting well.
“We see families lose everything because they miss work or lose their jobs altogether. They incur travel costs to and from the hospital and have countless expenses added to their daily budget. Families report having to choose putting gas in the car to access treatment over buying groceries or paying the utility bill,” said Carla Tardif, CEO of Family Reach. “We are honored to partner with CVS Health to bring support to the millions of families who are struggling financially simply because they are trying to care for themselves or a sick child.”
“As a pharmacy innovation company, we are committed to helping people on their path to better health. We are proud to support organizations that increase access to quality health care because we know their efforts are critical to delivering better community health,” said Eileen Howard Boone, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy, CVS Health. “We are pleased to support the work that Family Reach does in the community and we look forward to working with them to fulfill their program’s mission.”
Thank you, CVS Health, for awarding us a Community Grant to help fund this innovative program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. With your support, we’re enabling continued access to care, improving overall adherence to treatment plans and ultimately impacting a patient’s survival by removing financial barriers.
