Beckstrand Cancer Foundation

Beckstrand Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1974 by Dr. Grant Beckstrand and a group of doctors specializing in the treatment and care of cancer patients. For more than 30 years, the Foundation’s goal has been to “improve and enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and their families.” This mission is achieved through an Individual Patient Assistance program, in which the Foundation is unique in providing financial assistance, patient advocacy, supportive counseling and practical help to patients in the midst of their cancer treatment and struggling to cope with critical survival needs.

Beckstrand Cancer Foundation serves as a link between the temporary situation of distress and a hopeful, long-term solution. Offering solutions to the seemingly ordinary needs of everyday life is Beckstrand Cancer Foundation’s mission. Beckstrand Cancer Foundation concentrates on providing immediate assistance to the patient and his or her family.

Beckstrand’s innovative and sensitive programs can help provide resources and the peace of mind necessary to fully benefit from cancer treatment, including:

* Making crucial payments
* Intervening with debtors
* Advocating on the patient’s behalf

Individual Patient Assistance

Based closely on the original model established by Dr. Grant Beckstrand, the Individual Patient Assistance (IPA) program is a flexible and adaptable solution for cancer patients in need – designed specifically to avoid unnecessary hardship by filling gaps in conventional social services. Dubbed the “missing link” by the oncology community, the Foundation’s program works to complement the efforts of doctors and nurses who must keep an unwavering focus on treatment. The missing link addresses the frequent upheaval in the lives of their patients.

IPA cases are initiated by partners in the healthcare community, including:

* University of California, Irvine Medical Center
* Hoag Cancer Center
* Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
* Pacific Shores Medical Group
* Newport Cancer Care
* USC Norris Cancer Center
* University of California, Los Angeles
* Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
* City of Hope National Medical Center
* St. Joseph Hospital

Oncologists and social workers match individual patient needs to the IPA program and refer them directly to Beckstrand Cancer Foundation. All prospective clients are then carefully evaluated to determine specific needs and available resources. Following admission, the program develops a transitional care strategy:

Uninterrupted Treatment and Optimal Recovery

Counseling and community resources are the first services to be offered to the patient, followed by financial help until other interventions can begin. Wherever possible, Beckstrand Cancer Foundation assists the patient with payments to stay in his or her current home – thereby maximizing their comfort and well-being, reducing stress, and eliminating an extra level of uncertainty for all members of the family. The IPA program makes certain that health insurance policies remain in full force through the duration of treatment, and helps keep automotive, utility, life insurance, medical and other essential payments current.

Making Every Resource Count

The Foundation guarantees a highly-effective philanthropic program by strategically implementing the Individual Patient Assistance program as a means for optimizing all available social service avenues. As an example, the Foundation may determine the need to subsidize medical co-payments or high insurance bills for a patient, and then additionally help with applications to Medical, SSI and other programs to ensure a limited duration of need. By leveraging its allocations, the IPA program meets urgent needs with almost immediate responsiveness and assures the highest impact for every philanthropic dollar.

External links

* [http://www.Beckstrand.org Beckstrand Cancer Foundation website] .