Through our Patient Relief Program, we provide assistance for breast cancer patients who are struggling to continue their treatment because of financial obstacles. TBCRF works with hospitals, clinics, and other cancer treatment institutions across the United States that identify patients in need and have an established system to qualify them for assistance. This program is administered by each institution’s social services office to aid patients with the some of the many costs associated with treatment while away from home. Examples of assistance include the following: 
Transportation for Patients – prepaid gas cards or reimbursement to patients that have to travel moderate/long distances or take public transportation to their required physician appointments or treatment.
Lodging Assistance – hotel/motel funds for patients who travel long distances and must remain near the hospital for multiple days for assessment of their condition or to receive treatment.
Nutritional Supplements/Meals for Patients – purchase of nutritional supplements to help the patients gain or maintain weight. Funds to purchase food on day of physician appointments/treatments for those patients who travel long distances.
Medications/Co-pays for Therapy – purchase of prescription or over the counter medicine costs not covered by insurance or other programs. Fund co-pays in needy circumstances.
Mammogram Screenings – mammogram screenings, etc. so that underserved women can have the opportunity to detect their cancer at the earliest stage by providing funds to meet expenses not covered.
Through this program, we have found an overwhelming need for this type of financial assistance and our goal is to expand the program to alleviate financial factors which hinder the patient’s ability to receive treatment away from home.
Recent Relief Recipients:
Baptist Memorial Hospital–Huntington located in Tennessee was awarded a financial grant from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. This hospital serves a rural community in Carroll County in West Tennessee. These funds will provide support to breast cancer patients to assist them with transportation, lodging, medications, meals, and/or mammogram screenings.
The Montefiore Medical Center for Cancer Care serving the residents of Bronx, New York received grant funding from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. This area is one of the most diverse and medically underserved communities in the nation. This grant will provide transportation as needed for breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatments including medical appointments, tests, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana received a grant award from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. This center provides cancer treatment services to the parishes in North Louisiana. These funds will be used to offset costs to breast cancer patients receiving treatment at this facility.
Vida Y Salud Health Systems, Inc. located in Crystal City, Texas received a financial grant from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. These funds will continue to provide additional breast cancer screenings to the underserved women in this area.
The Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation location in Lakewood, Colorado was awarded a grant from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. These funds will be used to support the Colorado Financial Assistance Program which provides non-medical financial support for basic living needs to breast cancer patients receiving treatment in Colorado.
New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation located in Albuquerque, New Mexico received grant funding from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. These funds will be used to assist their on-going financial support to breast cancer patients in Gallup, Sliver City, Ruidoso, and Albuquerque. These clinics serve many very impoverished rural areas and Native American reservations throughout New Mexico.
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center located in Cheyenne Wyoming was awarded a financial grant from the Patient Relief Program of The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation. Wyoming is primarily a rural state where women can drive 300 miles to receive health care services. These funds will be used to remove the transportation issue for women of low income by providing gas cards to get them to the mammogram screenings as well as appointments and treatment.
