SOURCE: Lance Armstrong Foundation

November 11, 2008 13:55 ET

Lance Armstrong Foundation Awards Nearly $1 Million in Grants to Eight Community-Based Programs Across the U.S.

Grantees Are From Redwood City, CA; Hartford, CT; Atlanta, GA; Omaha, NE; Albuquerque, NM; New York, NY; Yellow Springs, OH; and Austin, TX

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - November 11, 2008) - Today the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) awarded nearly $1 million in grants to eight community-based programs across the U.S. The 2008 grantees are HopeLab (Redwood City, CA); Hartford Hospital (Hartford, CT); Emory University (Atlanta, GA); Nebraska Methodist Hospital Foundation (Omaha, NE); Cancer Services of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM); New York Legal Assistance Group (New York, NY); Community Media Productions, Inc. (Yellow Springs, OH); and the Nurse Oncology Education Program (Austin, TX).

"The LAF takes pleasure in awarding grants to these programs that are fulfilling an important need in their communities," said Andy Miller, LAF Vice President of Programs and Policy. "We are confident that each one of them will have a positive impact on the lives of people affected by cancer."

This year, the LAF awarded three grants in the area of Education for Health Care Professionals and five grants in the area of Evidence-Based Intervention. The grant selection also focused on programs that addressed practical issues of survivorship including legal matters and patient navigation, as well as the innovative use of technology for outreach, information and education. Each grant recipient completed a rigorous application process, and proposals were reviewed by a selection committee of cancer survivors and cancer community experts and advisors. (Please see below for more information about the grantees.)

The community program of the LAF provides financial support and capacity-building to community-centered initiatives that address the physical, emotional and practical challenges of cancer survivorship. The LAF also offers community program grantees regular training, technical assistance and opportunities to discuss challenges, engage in relationship-building activities and exchange best practices.

As the LAF evolves, it continues to value innovative approaches in the programs it supports. Since 2001, when the LAF initiated the community program with one start-up grant in Austin, the program now has grown to encompass a national reach. To date, 202 LAF community program grants have been awarded in 46 states and Washington, D.C., totaling more than $7.1 million to non-profit organizations across the country.

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation

The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) unites people through programs and experiences to empower cancer survivors to live life on their own terms and to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The LAF focuses on cancer prevention, access to screening and care, research and quality of life for cancer survivors. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the LAF has raised more than $260 million for the fight against cancer. Join 60 million LIVESTRONG™ wristband wearers and help make cancer a global priority. Unite and fight cancer at LIVESTRONG.org.

2008 Community Program Grantees

Education for Health Care Professionals Grants (3)

The LAF hopes funding these programs committed to educating health care professionals on cancer survivorship needs will help develop a network of experts that can shape the cancer survivorship service delivery model in a unique and meaningful way.

Emory University ($150,000)

Atlanta, Georgia

This project aims to increase awareness and knowledge in Georgia's HCPs of the need for specialized life-long follow-up care for cancer survivors through two educational venues: 1) in-person education, and 2) independent learning. In person education will include lectures and workshops on survivorship given at state-based meetings of Georgia's HCP organizations. Independent learning will be web based and will include quarterly CME videos and modules on survivorship. Ultimately through this educational activity we hope to increase the number of survivors who receive recommended life-long survivor focused health care. Key partners in this project are professional organizations for Georgia's HCPs examples of which include: GA Chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians.

Community Media Productions, Inc. ($100,000)

Yellow Springs, Ohio

The Lion in the House Modules for Health Care Education are a series of curriculum-driven DVDs anchored by real-life stories of families facing childhood cancer and its aftermath. The modules present complex documentary situations, contextualized within an extensive and rigorously-produced set of teaching tools. This project will raise awareness and provide teaching for health care professionals about survivorship issues from diagnosis through long-term treatment and end-of-life care. More than 35 partners are involved with this project and a variety of teaching and educational tools will be used.

Nurse Oncology Education Program ($150,000)

Austin, Texas

This LAF-funded project will provide continuing nursing education (CNE) through numerous modalities to Texas nurses on survivorship issues including pain management, late effects, palliative care, emotional support, and practical issues for diverse populations such as childhood and adolescent/young adult survivors, ethnic and racial minorities, and rural populations. NOEP also plans to increase nurses' knowledge and use of existing survivorship resources such as the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition Goal V Survivorship web portal. To further address current nursing school survivorship educational gaps, NOEP will increase enrollment for its Faculty Training Program, an intense, one week educational opportunity at U.T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center providing CNE to faculty for dissemination back to their respective nursing schools and curricula.

Evidence-Based Intervention Grants (5)

The LAF is offering support to these programs for evidence-based interventions, which refers to the use of specific interventions and supports that research has proven effective.

HopeLab ($150,000)

Redwood City, California

Funding from LAF will support the development of the next version of HopeLab's groundbreaking Re-Mission™ video game, designed specifically for teens and young adults with cancer and distributed free of charge. Research shows that playing Re-Mission™ improves the health of young patients, giving them a sense of power and control over their disease and improving their compliance with prescribed treatments. The next version of Re-Mission™ will be designed to extend and amplify the impact of this fun, innovative tool for adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Hartford Hospital ($149,396)

Hartford, Connecticut

This project will develop a Survivorship Patient Navigator Program (SPNP) to bridge the gap between cancer patient and cancer survivor by providing comprehensive, coordinated care for breast cancer patients treated at Hartford Hospital. The program will improve quality of life for patients and families and will include greater continuity of care by a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals. Multiple advisory committees are involved with this project and will oversee and guide program activities. The SPNP will create a survivorship package, review treatment summaries and care plans, and encourage, support and coordinate ongoing services for cancer survivors.

Nebraska Methodist Hospital Foundation ($89,625)

Omaha, Nebraska

LAF funding will be used to expand the scope of A Time to Heal, a successful 12-week holistic breast cancer survivorship rehabilitation program, to include people with other cancers. This two-year program will involve six Midwestern sites in gathering input from cancer patients and their families about their needs for survivorship information and education. The information will be used to revise the A Time to Heal curriculum to include survivors of cancers other than breast. During the second year, the new curriculum will be piloted in six sites in Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota including one site dedicated to Latino cancer survivors. The program will be evaluated and results will be compared with the results from the ongoing breast cancer program.

Cancer Services of New Mexico ($75,000)

Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Legal, Insurance and Paperwork Assistance (LIPA) Program is the only program in New Mexico providing comprehensive assistance with cancer-related legal, insurance and paperwork issues. Major program elements include LIPA Clinics (free individualized consultations for cancer survivors/loved ones) and Cancer Treatment Organizers (free recordkeeping tools that offer survivors a simple system for keeping cancer-related records organized and easily accessible). The program is distinctive because it leverages teams of volunteer attorneys, financial/insurance experts, and health care professionals to provide substantive, in-depth assistance to its clients. All LIPA services are provided at no cost. Funding from LAF will support expansion of LIPA services throughout New Mexico.

New York Legal Assistance Group ($120,000)

New York, New York

Funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation will enable LegalHealth, a division of the New York Legal Assistance Group, to provide cancer survivors in the New York area with the legal services they need to improve the quality of their lives by offering legal advocacy in the healthcare and community setting. In addition, funding has been provided to create a national network of cancer legal service providers. This network would serve as a forum for participants to request and share information and best practices. It will assist organizations interested in starting legal programs and has the potential to enrich the national cancer survivorship movement by drawing attention to the unmet legal needs of people with cancer. LegalHealth will work with the Cancer Legal Resource Center to coordinate this effort.