ATLANTA CANCER CARE FOUNDATION INC

The overarching goal of ACCF is to help meet the immediate, unaddressed financial needs of as many qualifying adult cancer patients in Metro Atlanta as our funding permits. By doing so, we seek to alleviate their financial stress, minimize the detrimental impacts of financial toxicity, and help the patient focus on their prescribed course of treatment and long-term recovery.

For 2020, ACCF provided assistance to 823 patients; our goal for 2021 is to expand this number to at least 900 patients.

Our primary vehicle for meeting our goals is our Patient Financial Assistance (PFA) Program.

The PFA Program provides assistance to any financially-eligible adult cancer patient who is currently receiving treatment or has concluded treatment within the past 12 months. We serve patients throughout the 17-county Metro Atlanta area; there are no limitations based on the type of cancer or treatment, which facilities or doctors they see for treatment, or other demographic factors.

PFA Program grants are awarded on a rolling basis. Potential grantees are referred to our project by social workers, medical professionals and others familiar with both the patient's condition and their circumstances. Once applications are screened and a grant is approved, payment is made (usually in the form of a check payable to the company, vendor or service provider identified by the patient) within one to two business days.

Grants are issued according to standards reviewed annually by the ACCF Board of Directors.

ACCF's greatest strength is in our people. Most obvious are our "front line" staff and volunteers who work with patients in need. The PFA Program is staffed by individuals with significant experience in oncology-related issues and direct assistance; this enables them to work with patients to identify how we can best assist them. We also benefit from an extensive network of referring professionals; each year, our referral network grows to include new offices who send patients to us. In 2020, we received referrals from more nearly 50 offices, affiliated with 35 practices.

Our streamlined structure is also key to our ability to meet patient needs. Many other organizations providing financial assistance to cancer patients are limited - whether by internal factors or external regulation - to addressing certain categories of needs, or may have structures and processes that take time to navigate. While we maintain eligibility guidelines, we have great flexibility in determining how we can best assist the patient (for example: Is help with a medical co-pay the best way for us to help? Or is there another group that could fill that need, while our assistance is best applied to prevent a water shut-off?).

The PFA Program has become a responsive, valuable resource for Metro Atlanta's cancer patients who are experiencing financial hardship. We have a strong service model, and continue to see the direct impact of our work with each grant we provide. We have established a strong referral network and are recognized as a valuable resource throughout Atlanta's oncological community, and continuously work to strengthen these relationships.

In 2020, the impact of COVID-19 on our Metro Atlanta community was especially evident among vulnerable populations such as cancer patients. Unemployment and isolation led to increased financial strain for many of the patients we serve, and basic needs such as housing, food, and utilities were jeopardized.

In light of this increased need - and with our traditional funding sources strained - ACCF staff and leadership made a concerted effort to tap into resources that we would not typically access (such as reimbursement grants). These grants carried more restrictions than our usual unrestricted sources, and required additional administrative time, but they helped us meet the core needs of our beneficiaries - especially housing and utility payments. While we fell short of our pre-COVID goal of serving 900 patients, we were able to serve the same number of patients as the previous year (and, for some households, provide assistance that went significantly beyond our standard assistance levels).

As we move beyond the initial impacts of the pandemic, we remain focused on meeting the needs of our local cancer patients, while also returning to two of our key internal goals:

1. Increasing our financial stability so that we can serve more patients and meet more needs. We remain focused on effective stewardship of our existing resources, as well as diversifying our funding sources and strengthen our fund development capacity.

2. Creating a more comprehensive evaluation strategy for our efforts, so we can more accurately measure the impact of our efforts, grow our programs in the way that best serves area patients in need, and communicate our impact to all of our stakeholders.