Mid-Year Update!

It's easy to make goals for the coming year and start plugging away at our to-do lists and find, rather suddenly, that we're half-way through the year. For the staff of Hope Cancer Resources, the mid-year report is a good reminder of the impact that our programs are having on our friends and neighbors in Northwest Arkansas. These numbers remind us of the importance of our mission, and keep us fired up to do what we are lucky enough to do every day.

Take a look at what we've been up to since January...

• provided over $20,000.00 in direct prescription assistance and helped patients receive over $79,000.00 in assistance from pharmaceutical companies;
• provided $85,651.00 of financial assistance with a 13-month average of over $14,000.00 a month;
• distributed over $24,000.00 in gasoline cards to patients who need help with transportation costs for travel to treatment;
• assessed the needs of 749 newly-diagnosed cancer patients;
• provided $70,500.00 worth of emotional support through various forms of  counseling and support groups;
• provided 256 hours of Spanish interpretation;
• facilitated over 2,200 volunteer hours in local oncology clinics and at supporting events.

 Last week, a new Highlands Oncology Group clinic was opened in Rogers. It's a beautiful building with additional exam rooms, an amazing chemotherapy suite, and other perks like a big resource room that will be maintained by our volunteers. Until now, we have only been able to meet one-on-one with new patients who were being treated at the Fayetteville facility, so we're excited to see what this new space will mean for our ability to reach more people who need us. We believe it will reinforce what we have known all along - we will be providing compassionate, professional cancer support and education in the Northwest Arkansas region today and tomorrow.

The Impact of Hope Cancer Resources

When you work for a non-profit organization, it kind of goes without saying that the passion for the stated mission helps drives your daily to-do list. It also helps keep you going on days that would, at times, make you question your sanity. But aside from that passion, it's the day-to-day impacts we see our work having in our community that really keep us focused. We have a budget and expenditures just like any for-profit entity, and we do report to a board of directors, and sharing numbers like the ones listed here truly humble and energize us on the toughest days.

Between September 1, 2009 and February 28, 2010

682

Newly diagnosed patients were seen by one of our social workers at Highlands Oncology Group

208 

New patient applications for financial assistance were processed.

$11,180

Average per month provided for Emergency Assistance (mortgage, rent, and/or car payments and utilities).

$2,752

Average per month provided as financial assistance for prescriptions related to a patient's cancer diagnosis.

$7,140

Average value per month of prescription assistance provided to patients through a Prescription Assistance Program (PAP).

60,994

Miles traveled to provide access to treatment for patients who do not have transportation or 

are unable to drive.

32 

Patients per month (on average) provided transportation for treatments.

270 

Cancer screenings and diagnostic tests provided through the Save-A-Life Program.

998

Cases abstracted through the Cancer Registry.

And then we receive notes like this in the mail...

"I would like to thank each and every person that is responsible for the scheduling and payment of my visit to the Community Clinic and NW Breast Center. If not for your financial assistance, I more than likely would not have been able to receive the treatment I needed. Your help is so very much appreciated."

Thank you for YOUR support of our mission - we can't do it without you.