Board and Advisory Board
The Cancer Center Community Advisory Board
The June E. Nylen Cancer Center Board is dedicated to supporting the Cancer Center in its mission to provide the highest quality, compassionate care through prevention, treatment, and research. The community advisory board consists of involved community members whose goal is to enhance programs, improve facilities, purchase equipment, and provide patient support services that would not be possible without the generosity of contributors.
The community advisory board has outlined three program areas where funding is needed to ensure accessible, affordable treatment, support for all patients and their families, and to sustain essential cancer research.
Cancer Research
Research is the single most important element in the fight to cure cancer. Every cancer treatment offered today is a result of research. The Research Assistance Program is our financial commitment to clinical research, allowing us to be one of the first to offer new cancer treatments to our patients. It requires tremendous commitment on the part of physicians and patients. But commitment alone cannot achieve success because research is costly. Currently, more than 200 Cancer Center patients are involved in research studies, an impressive record of accomplishment that must continue and expand if new treatments are to be developed and tested. Research funding of at least $200,000 per year is required to sustain current studies.
As part of its overall, long-term plan, a key goal of June E. Nylen Cancer Center is to establish a $5 million endowment fund that will generate $250,000 to $300,000 annually to help support research for the future, as well as services needed by patients today.
Patient Assistance Fund
The Cancer Center offers the Patient Assistance Fund to help ease the financial stress that often results from long-term care. The average household income in many of the counties served by the Cancer Center is lower than the national average. Many patients exhaust their personal resources, but they may not be eligible for public assistance. Medications to control pain, nausea, or other side effects are costly, and insurance benefits do not always cover prescription drug costs. Many people have no insurance at all. Treatment-related expenses, such as housing and meals away from home during weeks of radiation therapy, can also cut deeply into household budgets.
Transportation Assistance Program
Transportation to and from treatment can create tremendous obstacles for patients who are sick, elderly, or live considerable distances from the Cancer Center. Families are not always able to fulfill this need. In a survey conducted by the Cancer Center, patients cited transportation as a major need. In response, we developed the Transportation Assistance Program–a free shuttle service that covers a 33-county region. It is our way of ensuring patients have access to the treatment they need for survival and recovery. June E. Nylen Cancer Center provides more $100,000 worth of shuttle service each year to regional patients in such communities as Cherokee, Estherville, Primghar, Sheldon, Spencer, Spirit Lake, Storm Lake, Pender and Wayne. Patients interested in scheduling shuttle service may call 712-252-0088 for further information.
Other Programs Made Possible by Your Contributions
SOS: Serving Our Sisters promotes annual screening mammograms for women age 40 through 49 who need financial assistance to cover the cost of this simple yet vital screening. SOS offers potential life-saving education on breast health and risk reduction strategies. The SOS access process is simple. Any woman can apply by completing an application at the Cancer Center, American Cancer Society, La Casa Latina or her primary healthcare provider’s office. If financial assistance guidelines are met, a mammogram is scheduled with one of our participating mammographers, and a service voucher is sent to the client. For more information on the SOS: Serving Our Sisters program, please call the Resource Room at 712-252-9338.
June E. Nylen Cancer Center reaches out to our local and neighboring communities and schools with a wide array of educational and evidence-based strategies for reducing, preventing, or coping with cancer. Some of our innovative programs include Y-Quit (youth smoking cessation/prevention) and DermaScan (sun damage/skin cancer screening device). If your school or community group is interested in scheduling a demonstration of either program, please call the Resource Room at 712-252-9338.
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