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Hospital receives transportation grant

Cancer patients can get help through Wellness Wagon program

Rock Springs — Cancer patients undergoing treatment frequently require assistance getting to and from facilities, often creating a financial and logistical burden. This added stress often leads to missed appointments and can negatively affect a patient’s recovery.

That’s why the American Cancer Society has awarded a transportation grant to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center will use this money to address the transportation needs of cancer patients in the Sweetwater County area through its new Wellness Wagon program.

“We are excited to team up with the American Cancer Society to help our cancer patients get the care they need,” said Tasha Harris, Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center director. “Our goal is to prevent missed appointments and reduce the stress of getting there.”

An estimated 2,600 Wyoming residents will learn they have cancer this year and getting to their scheduled treatment may be one of their greatest roadblocks. To help patients get the care they need, American Cancer Society community transportation grants are awarded at a local level to health systems, treatment centers, and community organizations. These grants are available in select communities through an application process and focus on addressing unmet transportation needs of cancer patients, particularly vulnerable populations experiencing an unequal burden of cancer.

Transportation assistance is available in many forms from Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and the Memorial Hospital Foundation.

The wide range of help available includes money for gas, rides to and from appointments, and the Waldner House, which can provide a home away from home for those who don’t wish to travel long distances daily. Long-distance transportation for treatment also may be available if necessary.

“The American Cancer Society collaborates with community health partners to reach individuals in areas with higher burdens of cancer and limited or no access to transportation because even the best treatment can’t work if a patient can’t get there,” said Bill Junge, ACS program manager.

Ensuring patient access to treatments at Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center and its affiliates is a priority. To find out more about the Wellness Wagon program, call (307) 212-7760.

For more information about the American Cancer Society, call (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.