Cancer Center receives transportation grant

Cancer Center receives
$6,000 ACS transportation grant

Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center recently received a $6,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to provide transportation assistance to people with cancer during treatment from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026.

“We are deeply grateful to the American Cancer Society for their generous grant, which allows us to provide gas cards to our cancer patients,” said Tasha Harris, dosimetrist and Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County Radiation Oncology Director. “We have many patients who travel long distances to come to treatment every day. This becomes a financial burden. Transportation should never be a barrier to receiving life-saving care, and thanks to ACS, every gas card brings hope, healing, and the support our patients need.”

The grant is part of the ACS nationwide investment of $9 million that is expected to provide nearly 63,000 eligible patients with nearly 800,000 transportation and lodging services.

Access to high-quality cancer treatment impacts cancer outcomes. A lack of the transportation and lodging needed to receive quality care can lead to missed appointments, treatment interruptions, and delays in follow up care. In a 2023 Journal of the National Cancer Institute study, American Cancer Society researchers found that delayed care due to lack of transportation is associated with increased emergency room use and mortality risk among adults with and without cancer history.

“Transportation obstacles or the cost of a hotel room should not be barriers that determine the survival of those needing cancer treatment,” said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society. “Partnering with health systems and organizations across the country to provide funding to deliver the direct assistance needed helps to fill these equity gaps and improves cancer outcomes.

The American Cancer Society believes all people should have a fair and just opportunity to live a longer, healthier life free from cancer regardless of how much money they make, skin color, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or where they live. In addition to providing transportation and lodging funding to health systems and organizations, the American Cancer Society runs a Road To Recovery program that provides free rides to and from treatment and over 30 Hope Lodge communities that provide a free place to stay during treatment.

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The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

MHSC has more than 600 employees, including more than 40 employed providers in dozens of specialties including ENT/Otolaryngology, Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Neurology, Nephrology, Obstetrics and Women’s Health, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Urology, Pulmonology, Sweetwater Walk-In Clinic and Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center. MHSC services include Medical Imaging, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cardiopulmonary, Diabetes Education, Dialysis, Emergency Care, Intensive Care, Laboratory Services, a Medical and Surgical Unit, Nutrition Therapy, Rehabilitation, Sleep Disorder Lab, and much more. It is an affiliate of University of Utah Health and Huntsman Cancer Institute.