Cancer patients needing to travel to treatment across Long Island now have one less worry, where to stay during treatment.
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 rooms to cancer patients who need to travel out of town to receive treatment.
One hotel in Westbury, one hotel and Ronkonkoma and two hotels in Queens have joined the American Cancer Society’s Hotel Partners Program, providing complimentary rooms to cancer patients who must travel across Long Island for treatment. The American Cancer Society recognizes the following hotels that have joined the program:
- Red Roof Plus Westbury
- Fairfield Inn by Marriott Flushing
- Springhill Suites LaGuardia Airport Corona
- Homewood Suites Ronkonkoma
Nationally, the society recognizes a nationwide partnership with Extended Stay America.
“It makes smart business sense to support the community and align with organizations that are doing great things,” said Gina Battaglia, director of sales of Red Roof Plus Long Island. “If we can give back a little and help someone when needed, then it’s a win-win!”
“These partnerships illustrate our united front against cancer,” said Barbara Messeder, Mission Delivery Manager for the American Cancer Society. “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.”
Providing Access To Care
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. Such care yields the best opportunity for successful treatment. “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, said Patti Mack, communications director of American Cancer Society. “We quite literally are fighting cancer from every angle,” said Mack.
How the Hospitality Industry Can Help
The society is looking to hotel managers across the region who are willing to provide a vital service to cancer patients and their caregivers by becoming a hotel partner. If your hotel is interested, contact Barbara Messeder at barbara.messeder@cancer.org or 631-300-3160.
About the lodging program
In 2017, the American Cancer Society served cancer patients and their caregivers with more than 452,000 free or reduced nights of lodging through Hope Lodge facilities and hotel partners nationwide, saving cancer patients more than $45 million in hotel costs.
To be eligible to receive lodging through the Hotel Partners Program, patients 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 800-227-2345.
—Submitted by American Cancer Society
