What’s New at St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s was awarded a one-year grant through the Maine Cancer Foundation for our “Showing Up: Improving Access to Care for Patients with Cancer” project. This grant will allow our Infusion Center to assist patients in getting to and from appointments in a timely, cost-efficient manner. Providing transportation assistance for cancer patients is crucial for ensuring that they receive the care and treatment they need. Many cancer patients require regular appointments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and follow-up visits, which can be challenging to attend without transportation. Lack of access to transportation can lead to missed appointments and delayed treatment, which can negatively impact the patient's health and wellbeing. This grant also gives us the ability to get patients to St. Mary’s on an urgent, but not emergent, situation (i.e., needs a blood transfusion or G-CSF infusions (Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) to increase white blood cell count due to chemotherapy). Also, if transportation after appointments fails, this grant is a great back up to ensure patients get home safely. Providing transportation assistance can alleviate some of the stress and discomfort associated with treatment, allowing patients to focus on their recovery. Additionally, transportation assistance can provide a sense of security and comfort to patients and their families, knowing that they have reliable transportation options to and from appointments.

Maine Cancer Foundation’s grant is offered as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in Maine. They have invested over $15 million since 2015 in support of cancer prevention, early detection and screening, and access to care for all Mainers. To learn more about Maine Cancer Foundation, visit www.mainecancer.org, or contact Katelyn Michaud, katelyn@mainecancer.org, 207.773.2533.”

The legacy of St. Marguerite d’Youville, our foundress, lives in the employees of St. Mary’s every day. In keeping with her words, our Infusion Center staff have created a resource space to provide those in need with some essentials like food, self-care products, and a rotating assortment of hand-knitted items.