A blood cancer diagnosis is extremely stressful. Adding care-related costs compounds stress substantially and can affect the patient’s ability to receive care and recover. That is where the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Local Financial Assistance (LFA) Fund comes in.
Funding for the LLS LFA is made possible in part by the Tony Cook and Dental Care Plus Group (DCPG) Memorial Fund. DCPG has been a DentaQuest Company since June 2021 and is now part of Sun Life U.S. The program is available to blood cancer patients who reside in designated counties in Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio and then overall in Kentucky and Ohio. The Memorial Fund provides grants of $500 per recipient in each geographical area to assist with cancer-related expenses including food, clothing, housing, utilities, transportation, lodging and acute dental work.
This fund was created to honor former DCPG president and chief executive officer, Tony Cook, who passed away in August 2019 after a courageous, hard-fought battle with cancer. Tony was enthusiastic about growing DCPG and was known for his innovative, inspirational leadership. He served on the board of the National Association of Dental Plans, where he volunteered in various capacities for several years. Tony was a mentor, advocate, coach and friend to many at DentaQuest and DCPG, and we are honored to continue his legacy through this fund.
The financial assistance programs have helped put nutritional food on my table to help better my care. I would not be where I'm at if it weren't for the LLS and their assistance and support! Thank You!
Kentucky Local Award Recipient
The most recent iteration of the program opened in March 2022 and closed to applications in December 2022. During that time, 40 patients, six pediatric and 34 adults, were aided with a total of $20,000 in assistance.
The following is a breakdown of those assisted:
Kentucky Local
· 10 patients assisted: 6 pediatric (04-14), 4 adults (40+)
· 70% report income < $40,000
Ohio Local
· 10 patients assisted: 1 young adult (20-39), 9 adults (40+)
· 60% report income < $40,000
Northern Kentucky
· 10 patients assisted: 10 adults (40+)
· 60% report income <$40,000
Southwest Ohio
· 10 patients assisted: 10 adults (40+)
· 70% report income < $40,000
Guided by our joint mission to improve the oral health of all, DentaQuest and DCPG prioritizes corporate citizenship and supports over 100 organizations in 21 states. We are proud to assist underserved communities and to address systemic inequities that exist in our health care system. We fund organizations that break down the barriers to accessing care, connect underserved communities with resources, and invest in pathways for a dental-care workforce that reflects the communities they serve.
The mission of the LLS is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Find out more at lls.org.
LLS helped me with travel to and from the doctor. The assistance helped me not stress over details of how I was going to get to the doctor or pay for gas. I was able to purchas gas and food to travel.
Ohio Local Award Recipient
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