Arkansas Cancer Coalition

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MINI GRANTS

Fiscal Year 2020 Awarded Grants

American Cancer Society

Program:  Central AR Cancer Patient Transportation

Funding Amount:  $3,500 

Counties Served:  Faulkner, Garland, Lonoke, Pulaski, Saline, and White

Focus Area(s):  Survivorship 

Summary:  The American Cancer Society has established a partnership with a cab company who will provide rides to patients when there are no volunteer drivers available. The cab company is available on short notice. ACC funds from the Transportation Mini Grant will be used to add to the small established fund to pay for rides for more patients provided by the cab vendor.

Arkansas Rural Health Partnership

Program:  Mammography Transportation Project for Southeast Arkansas

Funding Amount:  $3,500

Counties Served:  Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha

Focus Area(s):  Breast Cancer

Summary:  On October 16-17, 2019, ARHP is partnering with Mainline clinics, the Komen Foundation, and Chicot Memorial Medical Center to hold a Project Pink Mammography Event. Women age 40 and over will receive breast health education, transportation via gas card or van, and a mammography at Chicot Memorial Medical Center. Upon completion of the Project Pink event in October, ARHP will distribute gas cards to ARHP member hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and Mainline Health Clinics to women receiving mammograms within the region. The gas cards will assist at least 100 women in five rural Southeast Arkansas counties (Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, and Desha) to digital mammography or essential follow-up services.

Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House

Program:  Sun SMART Cancer Prevention Program

Funding Amount:  $5,500

Counties Served:  Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott, Sebastian, and Yell 

Focus Area(s):  Skin Cancer

Summary:  The 2020 Sun SMART program will include the distribution of the Sun SMART message to at least 4,000 area youth along with tools to help them remain Sun SMART. These tools may include sunscreen packets, UV awareness bands, sunglasses, and informational cards with the Sun SMART message. The program will also include the distribution of bulk sunscreen at local pools, recreational areas, and summer programs and additional marketing of the program with the placement of signs and or advertising at local area partners such as: area schools, summer programs, pools, parks, and other outdoor recreational areas.

Harding University

Program:  Engaging, educating, and enabling Arkansans to become nicotine-free 

Funding Amount:  $5,365 

Counties Served:  Jackson, White, Woodruff

Focus Area(s):  Lung Cancer

Summary:  Harding University students will provide screenings and education on cessation resources for 500 people who have nicotine exposure through smoking, smokeless tobacco or ENDS. Harding Univesity students will provide assessment of carbon monoxide levels and presence of cotinine (nicotine metabolite) in saliva with point of care testing at public health screenings (i.e. college campuses, health fairs, clinics, etc.); each individual participating will receive an interpretation of results and information on cessation strategies resources.

Harding University College of Pharmacy

Program:  Harding Univ. College of Pharmacy Health Screenings at 2019 Arkansas State Fair

Funding Amount:  $5,500 

Counties Served:  Statewide 

Focus Area(s):  Prevention

Summary:  We have worked with the Arkansas Cancer Coalition for the past several years in support of the health screenings provided at the Arkansas State Fair. This year, Harding will run all aspects of the screenings for the ACC State Fair booth. We anticipate 650 patient encounters at this event alone. With funding from the Arkansas Cancer Coalition, Harding University College of Pharmacy will purchase testing supplies to continue these screenings.

Hope Cancer Resources

Program:  Skin Cancer Screening & Education

Funding Amount:  $5,500 

Counties Served:  Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington

Focus Area(s):  Skin Cancer

Summary:  In the spring of 2020, Hope Cancer Resources will coordinate a free skin cancer screening clinic for approximately 170 people in the Northwest Arkansas region. Local dermatologists volunteer their professional services for this clinic. Our goal is to increase awareness of the prevention of skin cancer and provide access to care through a free skin cancer screening clinic.

Lavaca School District

Program:  Sun Safe Learning Space

Funding Amount:  $5,500 

Counties Served:  Sebastian 

Focus Area(s):  Skin Cancer 

Summary:  Lavaca Middle School would like to install a shade structure and provide outdoor seating for students to engage in daily lessons and project-based learning within a clean, safe space out of the harmful effects of the sun and other weather conditions. Provide sun safety educational materials to approximately 290 students aged 9-14 and implement a sun smart project in every class to increase student knowledge on sun safe practices.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Program: Reducing tobacco use by cancer patients 

Funding Amount:  $4,993 

Counties Served:  Statewide 

Focus Area(s):  Lung Cancer

Summary:  UAMS will provide nicotine replacement therapy to at least 56 thoracic patients who lack adequate insurance coverage for cessation medications. 100% of the Thoracic Oncology patients who smoke will receive tobacco cessation counseling during scheduled clinic appointments. Patients enrolled in the ACC grant project will receive a tobacco cessation plan, nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, gum or lozenges), educational materials, pre/post carbon monoxide test results and be scheduled for four follow up calls to monitor cessation progress. An inventory/dispensing and tracking system will be developed for budget reporting and to assess progress in reaching the target participation goal and document quit rates for at least 56 participants.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P Rockefeller Cancer Institute

Program:  Patient Support Fund – Transportation UAMS Cancer Institute

Funding Amount:  $5,500

Counties Served:  Statewide 

Focus Area(s):  Survivorship

Summary:  The UAMS Cancer Institute Social Work Department will contribute to increasing the number of cancer survivors by removing barriers to accessing cancer treatment and Palliative Care as evidenced by the total amount of transportation assistance provided for the 2019-2020 year. The Cancer Institute Social Work Department will purchase gas gift cards, taxi vouchers, bus tokens, or coordinate non-emergent transportation to decrease barriers to cancer treatment.

White River Health System, Inc

Program:  Ribbons of Hope – Tearing Down Barriers to Screening and Treatment

Funding Amount:  $3,500

Counties Served:  Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Sharp, Stone

Focus Area(s):  Survivorship

Summary:  Between October 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020, the Ribbons of Hope program will assist 140 cancer patients in accessing screening and care. The program will promote WRHS user-friendly transportation assistance programs to help patients get to and from treatment and medical appointments, support groups, education sessions, and other support services. Funds through Ribbons of Hope will be utilized to give qualifying patients gas cards to travel to screening and treatment. Patients are qualified for Ribbons of Hope through an application process and income criteria set by Federal Poverty guidelines.

Cancer is difficult. Getting help shouldn't be.

Imagine helping someone gain access to resources that reduce the struggle during a time of their life when so much is lost. Your donations connect people battling cancer with others ready and able to provide crucial assistance.