Cancer patients traveling far from home for treatment across Long Island and in Queens need not worry where to stay during their care due to a new partnership agreement between the American Cancer Society, Courtyard Marriott and Springhill Suites.
If you’re a cancer patient and your doctor says, “Your best hope for a cure is in another town,” your first thought may be, “Where am I going to stay and how am I going to pay for it?” The American Cancer Society can help. The society works together with hotels through its Hotel Partners Program to provide complimentary and/or reduced rate rooms to cancer patients who need to travel out of town to receive treatment.
“These partnerships illustrate our united front against cancer,” Barbara Messeder, mission delivery manager for the American Cancer Society in Hauppauge, said.“Our hotel partners show a commitment to community and to patients struggling with cancer. This local patient service would not exist without their generosity to helping people at a very challenging time. Having a place to stay during cancer treatment could be the difference between someone getting treatment or not.”
Two area hotels have joined the program: Courtyard by Marriot Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and Springhill Suites New York/JFK Airport in Jamaica. These hotels are offering free lodging, when available, to patients traveling to their treatments.
“It makes smart business sense to support the community and align with organizations that are doing great things,” Susanne Lofaso, general manager of Courtyard Marriott, said.
Coping with cancer can be an immense and complicated burden. The reality of cancer is that many patients, especially those with limited resources, must overcome numerous hurdles to access timely, high-quality cancer care.
“If we can give back a little and help someone when needed, then it’s a win-win,” Eric Fung, general manager for Springhill Suites, said.
In 2018, the American Cancer Society served cancer patients and their caregivers with more than 43,000 free or reduced nights of lodging through Hope Lodge facilities and hotel partners in New York state alone.
“Not only does the society work to get patients to treatment and free or reduced rate lodging, we are working to remove any barriers to getting the best cancer care,” Patti Mack, communications director for the American Cancer Society said. “We quite literally are fighting cancer from every angle.”
For patients to be eligible to receive lodging through the Hotel Partners Program, they must be traveling for a cancer-related medical appointment, need lodging near their treatment center, have a permanent residence and be able to care for their personal needs or travel with a companion who can assist them.
For information about American Cancer Society programs and services, including lodging, visit www.cancer.org/patientlodging or call 1-800-227-2345
—Submitted by the American Cancer Society
