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Hope Lodge expansion to break down barriers to cancer care

In a move to break down even more barriers to world-class cancer care, the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Baltimore, MD, community broke ground April 8 on a new center across the street from its existing facility. The future 34-guestroom Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Hope Lodge Baltimore will feature eight more guest rooms and modern new amenities, increasing guest capacity by 30% over the present 26-guestroom Hope Lodge Baltimore built in 1987.

Harkins Builders is constructing within a vacant building on the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, and it is anticipated to be completed within 12 months. The $10 million Hope Lodge Baltimore Capital Campaign is less than $400,000 from completion. 

Pictured above, Dr. Kevin Cullen, former director, University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, and former ACS National Board Chair, swings a sledgehammer at the groundbreaking ceremony. 

Pictured at right are, left to right, Dr. Bert O’Malley, CEO, University of Maryland Medical Center; Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, chair, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Board of Directors; Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer, American Cancer Society; Dr. Bill Regine, chair, Baltimore Hope Lodge Capital Campaign, chair, Radiation Oncology at University of Maryland Medical Center, executive director of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center; Retired Lt. Col. Julie Walker, co-chair, Baltimore Hope Lodge Capital Campaign, cancer survivor, and former Baltimore Hope Lodge guest; Dr. Lisa Ishii, senior vice president, Operations, Johns Hopkins Health System; and Lisa Lacasse, president, ACS CAN.

Speakers at the groundbreaking event included:

  • Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer, American Cancer Society 
  • Tswana Sewell, Vice President, American Cancer Society, Greater DC/Baltimore 
  • Jamie McCann, Principal of Philanthropy, American Cancer Society Hope Lodge 
  • Therese Gustitis, General Manager, Hope Lodge Baltimore
  • Dr. William Regine, Director, Maryland Proton Treatment Center, and Chair of Radiation Oncology at University of Maryland Greenbaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Co-Chair of Hope Lodge Baltimore Capital Campaign
  • Lt. Col. (ret.) Julie Walker, cancer survivor and former Hope Lodge guest, and Co-Chair of Hope Lodge Baltimore Capital Campaign
  • Dr. Bruce Jarrell, President, University of Maryland Baltimore  
  • Dr. Kevin Cullen, Professor of Medicine at University of MD School of Medicine; Immediate Past Director, University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, and American Cancer Society 2018 National Board Chair 
  • Dr. Lisa Ishii, Senior Vice President, Operations, Johns Hopkins Health System
  • Alden “Smitty” Bradstock, President, Veteran Design & Construction Inc.; Baltimore Hope Lodge Captial Campaign Committee Member
  • Scott Fader, Chief Operating Officer, MileOne AutoGroup
  • Pete and Gail Mariner, Hope Lodge Baltimore Guests

Background on Baltimore

Hope Lodge Baltimore is consistently occupied and often has a waiting list. In 2024, Hope Lodge Baltimore provided more than 13,000 free night stays to more than 500 guests saving them approximately $1.6 million in hotel costs. With hotel rooms approximately $220 a night, the average Hope Lodge guest, who may stay four to eight weeks, saves approximately $10,000, helping alleviate financial challenges such as lost income and medical bills. Guests can prepare their own meals, saving on dining costs. Hope Lodge’s free transportation van gave guests 3,500 rides to treatment last year. Many volunteer groups host meals, donate supplies, and provide entertainment and activities for Hope Lodge.​

  • ACS awards 13 Addressing Barriers to Care grants

    The American Cancer Society’s Addressing Barriers to Care (ABC) grant program recently awarded more than $500,000 to fund 13 community organizations providing services that address food security and nutrition. ACS launched the Addressing Barriers to Care grant program in 2024 to complement its existing programs and grants focused on removing treatment barriers connected to transportation and lodging. This new cohort builds on the success of a 2024 pilot, which underscored the critical need to address food security and nutrition as key factors in improving cancer outcomes. By concentrating specifically on this pivotal social determinant of health, we are poised to create a meaningful and lasting impact within the community.

    According to a January 2024 ACS CAN Survivor Views Survey, 40% of cancer patients and survivors experience some degree of food or nutrition insecurity, and according to American Cancer Society researchers, these hardships are associated with delays in treatment, greater distress, financial toxicity, and a higher risk of relapse and death.

    The 2025 Addressing Barriers to Care grantees include:

    • AMOR Healing Kitchen – Charleston, SC
    • Coalition for Food and Health Equity – Jersey City, NJ
    • Ellie Fund – Needham, MA
    • Food & Friends – Washington, DC
    • Food Outreach – St. Louis, MO
    • God's Love We Deliver, Inc. – New York, NY
    • Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance – Philadelphia, PA
    • Moveable Feast, Inc. – Baltimore, MD
    • Pink Ribbon Good, Inc. – Dayton, OH
    • Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana – New Orleans, LA
    • The Ceres Community Project – Sebastopol, CA
    • The Heimerdinger Foundation – Nashville, TN
    • Vital Access Care Foundation – Fountain Valley, CA​

    ​The program’s grant cycle is 12 months long and runs from April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026.

  • Cancer Wellness Toolkits for employers now available on cancer.org

    The newly launched ACS Cancer Wellness Toolkits, sponsored by Aflac, are comprehensive resources developed to help the organizations that partner with the American Cancer Society impact the lives of their employees and their families by taking steps to prevent cancer and better understand their risk.

    Each toolkit includes guidance and best practices for communicating about screenings, content that can be used in internal communications and health and wellness activities, in addition to ways to get involved in the ACS mission.

    Five cancer-specific and four wellness and support toolkits will be available via the toolkit homepage:

    Cancer Specific Toolkits

    • Breast Cancer Employer Toolkit
    • Colorectal Cancer Employer Toolkit
    • Lung Cancer Employer Toolkit
    • Prostate Cancer Employer Toolkit
    • Skin Cancer Employer Toolkit

    Wellness & Support Toolkits

    • Caregiver Toolkit
    • Healthy Eating & Active Living Toolkit
    • If Your Employee Has Cancer Toolkit
    • Cost of Cancer Toolkit

    Employers can sign up to access the toolkits by visiting the toolkit homepage​

  • Join the Patient Support Virtual Summit April 23

    The Patient Support Virtual Summit will highlight the vital work our volunteers do to support people with cancer and their families. The celebration will occur on Wednesday, April 23, from 12 to 1 p.m. ET. All team members, volunteers, and partners are invited. All attendees are encouraged to register ahead of the event. 

    Event Highlights

    • A heartfelt tribute to the invaluable contributions of our volunteers.
    • Special awards presentation to honor those who have gone above and beyond in their dedication in 2024.
    • A special message Chief Patient Officer Dr. Arif Kamal.

    Event Details

    Attendees will also learn about patient support programs, their impact, and volunteer opportunities. The award categories are: 

    • National Volunteer Award Winners 
    • Patient Support – Reach To Recovery Volunteer Excellence Award, ACS CARES Student Standout Leadership Award, ACS CARES Community Volunteer Award, ACS CARES Health System Champion Award
    • Hope Lodge - Margot S. Freudenberg Rookie of the Year Award, Margot S. Freudenberg Memorial Award, Margot S. Freudenberg Group Volunteer Award 
    • Road To Recovery – Rookie of the Year, Pacesetter of the Year, Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Partner of the Year ​

  • ACS awards $9M in transportation and lodging grants

    Cancer care often means frequent medical appointments and travel far from home to get the best treatment. To alleviate the financial burden of cancer treatment, the American Cancer Society has awarded $9 million in transportation and lodging grants. These funds will provide 800,000 transportation and lodging services for approximately 63,000 eligible patients offered through 448 health system partners. The Patient Transportation and Lodging Grant program provides a chance for health systems to build a portfolio of services that meet their community's needs and deliver services to patients who need it most.

    “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. “Providing funding to health systems and organizations across the country to deliver the direct assistance needed helps to fill these equity gaps and improves cancer outcomes.”

    When the most effective treatment requires traveling away from home, patients facing a lack of reliable and affordable transportation and lodging can experience missed appointments, treatment interruptions, and incomplete follow-up care. In a 2023 Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) study, ACS 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.

    The program’s grant cycle is 12 months long and runs from April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026.

    ACS volunteers can help amplify the grants on social media

  • Watch the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast

    Throughout March, the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT) has been sharing content around three calls to action to support colorectal cancer (CRC) awareness: get screened, encourage your loved ones to get screened, and leverage ACS NCCRT resources to increase CRC screening and drive awareness in your community. 

    Each year, the ACS NCCRT hosts its National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month webcast celebrating national CRC achievements and covering the latest state of the field updates that inform the ACS NCCRT’s work as well as the work of its partners and members. 

    The recording of the 2025 webcast, which took place on March 12, is available now

    In the recording, you’ll hear from: 

    • Dr. Priti Bandi, scientific director, Risk Factors & Screening Research, American Cancer Society
    • Other special guests like the 2025 ACS NCCRT National Achievement Awards honorees.

    • ACS NCCRT chair and vice-chair, Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, and Gloria Coronado, PhD

    Follow the ACS NCCRT on LinkedIn and X to stay up to date on roundtable news and engagement opportunities. 

    The ACS National Roundtables are a recommended and proven model for creating sustained partnerships across diverse sectors and communities to collaboratively address the most complex problems across the cancer continuum. ACS provides organizational leadership and expertise to support the roundtables and their members in advancing a shared commitment to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. 

  • Patient Support Pillar releases annual impact report

    ​The Patient Support Pillar is excited to release its second annual Patient Support Impact Report. The report is themed “Bold Together” to recognize our commitment to every person with cancer and their families and the collaboration and teamwork it takes to achieve our ambitious goals. It covers our program of work in cancer care, reducing the risk of cancer, and cancer navigation. 

    ​Inside this interactive digital report, you’ll find details on some of our key successes this past year, including: 

    • ​Reaching 111 million lives, providing critical support to people facing cancer and their families through essential programs, services, and expert information. 
    • Saving $73 million in hotel costs for people facing cancer through our Hope Lodge communities, ensuring no one faces cancer alone.
    • A celebration of the thousands of people facing cancer served by our transportation programs, ensuring that not having a ride never gets in the way of making it to critical appointments. 
    • Exciting reporting on how we addressed food and financial insecurity, and interruptions to cancer care so people facing cancer can continue treatment. 
    • An ambitious new program that is leading the field of professional patient navigation, ACS LION. 
    • Our efforts to make cancer information more understandable and easier to find for anyone who needs it. 
    • A mini documentary celebrating the patients who found a home away from home in our Hope Lodge locations. 
    • ​Sneak peeks into some of the bold new initiatives we have planned for 2025. 
    How You Can Help 

    All team members and volunteers are encouraged to amplify social media posts made by the enterprise and the Patient Support Senior Leadership Team on LinkedIn​ over the coming days and weeks. You can select the repost option and share your comments indicating your involvement in the work. Team members and volunteers are also encouraged to share the report with partners in your network.​​

  • Global Cancer Patient Support receives Merck Foundation grant

    ​On Feb. 27, ACS launched a new initiative – SPARK (Supporting Patient Navigation, Adoption, Replication and Knowledge-exchange) – to strengthen and enhance patient navigation and improve care for people living with cancer in Indonesia, Kenya, and Nigeria. This initiative is supported by a six-year, $3.5 million commitment in grant funding from the Merck Foundation, a private charitable organization funded by Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA (known as MSD Foundation outside the United States and Canada). 

    SPARK builds on and extends ACS’ groundbreaking work to develop cancer patient navigation in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) through the ACS BEACON (Building Expertise, Advocacy and Capacity for Oncology Navigation) Initiative. Participating health institutions and cancer organizations navigated more than 152,000 patients globally in 2024. While the BEACON Initiative supports efforts to pioneer patient navigation at the country level, SPARK will build the capacity of multiple health facilities and cancer organizations in national cancer care delivery systems in Indonesia, Kenya, and Nigeria to enhance access to care for more patients throughout each country. 

    “The global burden of cancer is expected to almost double in the next three decades, with the largest burden of increased cancer incidence and mortality in countries with lower resources. With a scale-up of cancer services in these settings, we have an opportunity to positively change these outcomes,” said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer. “Patient navigation is a proven, effective method to increase equitable access to cancer care in the United States, and we at the American Cancer Society have a rich history of translating domestic lessons learned to other countries. We are excited to expand this collaborative work so more patients across the globe can access high-quality care through navigation.” 

    According to ACS’ 2024 Global Cancer Facts & Figures, an estimated 20 million cancer cases were newly diagnosed and 9.7 million people died from their disease worldwide in 2022. By 2050, the number of new cancer cases is predicted to reach 35 million. Seventy percent of these deaths are in LMICs, primarily due to lack of or inadequate early detection and treatment services. For example, the breast cancer mortality rate is twice as high in Nigeria as in the United States (27 versus 12 per 100,000) despite a 48% lower incidence rate (52 versus 100 per 100,000). 

    "In a country as vast as Indonesia, where access to care is a challenge along with other complex barriers to care, we must bring patient-centered solutions closer to patients needing them most. SPARK provides us with an opportunity to expand patient navigation partnerships between regional hospitals and local cancer organizations to ensure that every patient receives timely and effective diagnosis and treatment," said Dr. Soehartati A. Gondhowiardjo: Cipto Mangunkusumo National Referral Hospital, Indonesia. 

    With support from the Merck Foundation, SPARK will apply the capacity development resources and efforts of the BEACON Initiative to develop a robust network of patient navigation programs at the sub-national level. SPARK will promote a groundswell of interest and awareness in patient navigation by building the capacity of local cancer organizations and health facility partners, promoting connections and collaborative efforts, and guiding governmental policy efforts in each country to prioritize and sustain patient navigation as essential for equitable and accessible high-quality patient care. 

    “Strong collaborators and innovative solutions are needed to improve cancer care. The Merck Foundation is proud to support the American Cancer Society in their efforts to advance patient navigation, ensuring more individuals in underserved communities receive the vital assistance they need on their cancer journey,” said Kalahn Taylor-Clark, vice president and head of Social Impact and Sustainability at Merck Foundation. 

    Learn more about the American Cancer Society’s Global cancer work and the BEACON Initiative on cancer.org

  • ACS NCCRT honors National Achievement Award winners

    ​Raising colorectal cancer screening rates is more critical than ever as incidence grows among people younger than 55 years of age. The findings in the American Cancer Society’s recent Cancer Facts & Figures, 2025 report show colorectal cancer death rates have been increasing by about 1% each year since the mid-2000s for people under 55 years old.  
    The American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT), founded in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, honored five organizations for their extraordinary work to increase colorectal cancer screening rates across the U.S. with the 2025 ACS NCCRT National Achievement Award. Like and share the news on X

    “The call to increase colorectal cancer screening rates has never been more urgent than today and we applaud our honorees who have stepped up to help save lives,” said Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, gastroenterologist with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and ACS NCCRT chair. “We are proud of the work our honorees have done and will continue to do in the fight to reduce the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer and make progress toward our shared goal to increase screening rates to 80% or higher.” ​ 
    The ACS NCCRT National Achievement Award honors individuals and organizations who dedicate their time, talent, and expertise to advancing initiatives that support the shared goal to increase colorectal screening rates in communities across the nation. The awards include one grand prize winner and four other honorees, each of whom receives a monetary award to support continued efforts to increase colorectal cancer screenings. ​

    This year's recipients are: Erie Family Health Centers, Chicago, IL; Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education, GA; Marshall, El Dorado County, CA; Peoples Health, LA; Project 80% at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Central, East, Southeast, and West TX and the Rio Grande Valley. Read more about their work below. 

    Grand Prize Winner: Erie Family Health Centers

    ​Category: Federally Qualified Health Center 

    Erie Family Health Centers (Erie) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves more than 95,000 patients at 13 locations across Chicago, IL and its northern suburbs. Eighty-eight percent of Erie patients are either Medicaid recipients or uninsured, and 45% speak languages other than English. Erie aimed to increase access to and rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening as well as ensure pathways to follow-up colonoscopies for patients aged 45 and above, specifically focusing on never-screened individuals. At the start of the project in 2023, Erie’s overall screening rate was 49%. Just one year later, their rate jumped to 59%. 16,603 patients were screened for CRC during the project period. Erie’s tactics are multi-pronged and thoughtfully coordinated, combining tailored community and provider education, marketing campaigns, direct patient outreach, appointment and financial navigation support, transportation assistance, and strong partnerships with local health systems to help remove barriers to screening and follow-up care. Erie is proud to have expanded CRC care to patients ages 45-49 earlier than required and is committed to continuing this work to improve access to CRC screening and care for medically underserved communities in the Chicago area. 

    ​ACS Regional Involvement: Gargee Patel, associate director, community partnerships, works with Erie Family Health Centers in Chicago, IL. ​​

    Honoree: Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education

    Category: Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP)

    Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE), a unique statewide organization formed in 2003, became a recipient of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) grant in 2020, and formed a collaborative partnership with Augusta University and Horizons, South Georgia’s Cancer Coalition. Together they built a program that includes 20 clinics in 18 counties from three separate Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to offer free CRC screening to eligible patients in a mostly rural and largely underserved area, employing five evidence-based interventions to increase screening. Of note, the partnership launched Augusta University’s TeleECHO CRC Screening project that has held 22 sessions since 2022, educating providers about how to increase CRC screening rates. Between 2021 and 2023, CRC screening rates in southeast Georgia rose from 34% to 45%, increasing 11 percentage points in just two years. Furthermore, in southwest Georgia, participating clinics screened more than 1,500 more patients for CRC in 2023 (6,309 screened versus 4,748 in 2022). They are most proud of building diverse and collaborative partnerships to best serve rural Georgians, including with FQHCs, health systems, an academic institution, and a regional cancer coalition.     

    ACS Regional Involvement: Kylie Jupp, associate director, state partnerships, has worked closely with Georgia CORE over the past few years, including nominating them for this honor.  ​

    Honoree: Marshall 
    Category: Health System ​​​
    Marshall is a health system located in and serving El Dorado County, CA, with a particular focus on engaging their rural community, the most vulnerable, and getting those aged 45-49 screened for colorectal cancer (CRC). Over the past year, their overall CRC screening rate rose three percentage points to 82%, while their efforts to impact younger populations (aged 45-49) have increased that age group’s screening rate to 61%, up by 8 percentage points in one year. Supported by a grant from Exact Sciences, Marshall used a multifaceted and tailored approach to reach people for CRC screening, including collaborative community outreach events, small media (including in multiple languages), evidence-based provider and staff education, clinical champion development, standing orders for stool-based tests, enhanced outreach to vulnerable patients, and minimizing financial barriers to screening and care by offering transportation and cost-reduction programs. They are most proud of the close working partnership between their primary care providers, cancer center leaders, and their population health departments, who all came together around the common goal to serve their community and increase CRC screening rates. ​
    ACS Regional Involvement: Jennifer Giese, associate director, cancer center partnerships, works with Marshall in Northern CA. ​

    Honoree: Peoples Health

    Category: Health Plan

    Peoples Health is a Medicare Advantage plan serving over 140,000 members in Louisiana. Through participation in the Louisiana Payors Council (LPC) and as a founding member of the non-profit organization Taking Aim at Cancer in Louisiana (TACL), Peoples Health has prioritized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening within its population and across the state. Chief Medical Officer at Peoples Health, Dr. Brent Wallis, is the Chair of the LPC, which has advocated for unified CRC screening promotion and messaging across all payors, resulting in collaborative one-pagers and a state-wide CRC Screening Registry for Medicaid recipients; and for engaged payors to enact policy change to eliminate copays for a follow-up colonoscopy, even before doing so was required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Peoples Health increased CRC screening rates of its plan members from 50% in 2021 to 54% in 2023, representing almost 28,000 screened members, with many parishes reporting rates over 60%. The organization eliminated screening disparities between Black and White members of its population, resulting in 56% and 53% screening parity, respectively. Peoples Health is proud of taking an “all hands” approach to increasing CRC screening among its health plan members, and in supporting the importance of CRC screening across Louisiana through its participation with TACL.  

    ACS Regional Involvement: Shea Austin, associate director, state partnerships, has worked closely with Dr. Brent Wallis of Peoples Health, as well as the Louisiana Payors Council, over the past few years.  ​​

    Honoree: Project 80% at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ​​​​​
    Category: Screening Program 
    ​​Project 80% is a screening program designed to reduce incidence and mortality related to colorectal cancer (CRC) in Central, East, Southeast and West Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, specifically focused in rural and urban health professional shortage areas. Based out of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Project 80% works in partnership with 176 community clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and is supported by funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). To date, Project 80% has resulted almost 135,000 fecal immunochemical tests (FITs), culminating in 7,750 colonoscopies completed, which translates to a 75% follow-up rate after an abnormal FIT or direct referral for increased risk participants. The program uses multiple tactics including providing free screening for those without insurance, patient reminders, individual and group education, provider reminders, provider feedback and assessment, as well as reduction of structural barriers through patient navigation provided by Community Health Workers (CHWs) fluent in English and Spanish. They are most proud of how their providers, clinical teams, endoscopy partners, and CHWs have come together to navigate the most vulnerable to CRC screening and the sheer reach they’ve had in their communities over time. 
    ​​​​ACS Regional Involvement: Hannah Hogan, associate director, cancer center partnerships, has worked with MD Anderson Cancer Center during the past few years in Southeast Texas. ​​

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