Hospital programs give a financial shot to cancer patients

Matt Bernsen had just started a job as a chef and was about a month away from getting health insurance when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The news was devastating enough, but on top of that, he was stressed out over how he would cover his medical costs.
Staff at Memorial Hospital told him not to worry.

Medicaid would cover his treatments.

Pharmaceutical companies would provide expensive medications for free.

And Circle of Hope, the hospital's special fund for needy cancer patients, would take care of the rest: food, transportation and other ancillary expenses associated with his treatment. It was a relief not just to him, but to his mother and father.

"For parents, just to go through something like this and to be able to have this kind of support, it was a clear expression of compassion," said Rod Bernsen.

As the cost of treating cancer soars - up 75 percent between 1995 and 2004, according to the National Cancer Institute - programs such as Circle of Hope are becoming increasingly common at hospitals and cancer care centers nationwide.

"There's a lot of emphasis today on hospitals recognizing the need, that for individuals to have access to adequate health care, they're going to need that kind of support," said Steven Summer, president and CEO of the Colorado Hospital Association.

The Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation helps patients at its two local Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers with rent or mortgage payments, utility bills and insurance premiums. Penrose-St. Francis Health Services has a similar fund for its cancer patients, and both Penrose and Memorial offer patients free or low-cost lodging. Most are funded by donations or foundations.

"People deplete their savings in very short order when they're trying to stay caught up with their bills," said Stephanie Shulman, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation. "I don't think people realize how quickly a cancer diagnosis can create a financial crisis for them."

In the bad economy, the need for such programs has become even more critical, said Teresa Heckel, director of oncology at Memorial.  "We've seen a huge increase in the needs of our patients, some without insurance and some struggling with the changing economy," Heckel said. "It's devastating."

Bernsen's parents say Circle of Hope made a huge difference in the quality of life for their 30-year-old son, who died in January. Circle of Hope arranged for free medications that reduced the nausea caused by chemotherapy, allowing Bernsen, an avid cook since his youth, to continue eating and even whip up the occasional meal.

The program provides between $500 and $750 to patients per year, much if it raised through its annual Run for Hope, a 5K run and a 3K walk that will be held Saturday at Memorial Park. Most of the money comes from corporate donations, which are at about $8,000 so far this year, down from $18,000 a year ago.

Rod and Leslie Bernsen will volunteer at the run, and they're doing what they can to boost donations for the program.
"I can't say how grateful we were for the help they provided," Leslie Bernsen said.
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