American Cancer Society Provides Transportation Assistance to Cancer Patients at UHC
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on June 15, 2019 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
An estimated 12,440 West Virginia residents will learn that they have cancer this year. The American Cancer Society provides transportation.JPG)
to and from treatment facilities to help people with cancer get the critical care they need; however, for some patients getting to their scheduled treatment may be a challenge.
to and from treatment facilities to help people with cancer get the critical care they need; however, for some patients getting to their scheduled treatment may be a challenge.
Going to and from medical appointments is one of the greatest concerns cancer patients face. To ensure patients get to those much-needed treatments, the American Cancer Society (ACS) will be providing cancer patients at United Hospital Center (UHC) free rides through its Road To Recovery® program. The ACS is currently looking for volunteer drivers in North Central West Virginia (NCWV) so that all cancer patients at UHC have transportation when they need it.
“One cancer patient requiring radiation therapy could need anywhere from 20 to 30 trips to treatment in six weeks,” said Linda Carte, RN, MSN, AOCN, vice president of Oncology and Post-Acute Care. “A patient receiving chemotherapy might report for treatment weekly for up to a year. In many cases, a patient is driven to hospitals or clinics by relatives or friends, but even these patients must occasionally seek alternative transportation. That is where the American Cancer Society Road To Recovery® program can help.”
“The free program provides patients with rides to and from their medical treatment. To ensure that all patients have transportation when they need it, the ACS is looking for volunteer drivers,” said Mary Lough,Health Systems Manager for ACS.“Road To Recovery volunteers arrange their own schedules, with some volunteering as little as one afternoon a month and others driving patients as often as twice a week. If you have a car and some spare time, you can help someone keep a very important appointment.”
For information about the Road To Recovery program and other ACS programs and services, call 1-800-227-2345, or www.cancer.org/drive. For information concerning the Cecil B. Highland, Jr. & Barbara B. Highland Cancer Center at United Hospital Center, please go to www.wvcancercenter.org or call 681-342-1842.
