Grant Funded Programs

American Cancer Society Grant

Transit Touro program

New Orleans is not unique in its transportation barriers for patients seeking medical care regularly. More than 7 million Americans miss medical care every year due to a lack of transportation, according to health economist Paul Hughes-Cromwick. [Can ride-hailing companies cure medical transportation woes?, nola.com, March 7, 2018]. The Touro Infirmary Foundation received a transportation grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to fund, Transit Touro, which now allows Touro Cancer Care Center to utilize ride sharing to ensure transportation is not an issue for our patients. Transit Touro is utilizing a healthcare focused platform that puts the power of requesting rides into the hands of our staff to ensure that when the need arises, our patients are taken care of. Now our patients never have to miss an appointment due to insufficient transportation options, missed rides, late rides, taking multiple buses, or coming out of pocket with money that was intended for co-pays, medicine, or other important life necessities. Additionally, missing appointments has significant health ramifications to patients.

After the September 12 launch in 2018, 17 unique patients received 77 one-way rides to treatments. These rides helped increase the ongoing care from Touro without interruption. Patients undergoing treatment for prostate, lung and breast cancer significantly improved their appointment attendance, which improves their quality of care and treatment monitoring.

We are grateful to the American Cancer Society for this grant and all they do to support those battling cancer in the Louisiana.