Home Away from Home Cancer
Patient Housing Assistance
The Vanguard of a Revolution in Cancer Care: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
When Arizona’s leading health care provider, Banner Health, joined forces with the nation’s top-ranked University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2011, it changed the landscape for cancer patients and their families throughout Arizona and the Southwest. With its main campus in Gilbert, Ariz., Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center gives patients access to the same cutting-edge technology, multidisciplinary approach, and leading cancer care available at MD Anderson in Houston. Experts adhere to the philosophy, process, and guidelines of MD Anderson’s clinical leadership, and provide a full range of multidisciplinary care options, including medical oncology, surgery, and radiation.
Today, with more than 1.5 million patient visits, some 200 clinical trials underway, and an ever-growing team of specialists across disciplines, Banner MD Anderson is poised to become Arizona’s premier clinical cancer research program and the vanguard of a revolution in cancer care.
Because of this clinical expertise, more than 300 patients travel from out of state each year to receive care at Banner MD Anderson, and thousands travel more than 30 miles each way to access the comprehensive, expert care, supportive services, and clinical trials not typically available through community hospitals and providers.
A Patient’s Journey
A cancer diagnosis brings a range of emotions: fears about the physical effects of treatment, concerns over how to meet personal and professional obligations during treatment, and worries about an uncertain future. Adding to the stress: insurance rarely covers the full cost of care, patients may be unable to work after surgery and while receiving treatment, and some must travel great distances for extended hospitalization or frequent medical appointments at a cancer center with expertise not found in their local community.
These unforeseen practical and financial burdens increase stress and anxiety during an already challenging time.
The cost of lodging is of particular concern for patients and families who travel to receive care at Banner MD Anderson. This is especially true for those whose treatment protocol requires multiple days or weeks of daily therapy or immediate or extended hospitalization. These patients, as well as their supportive care partners, must stay near the Cancer Center for lengthy periods—often at great personal expense. In some cases, the additional financial burden prevents patients from receiving life-saving treatment or adhering to medical protocols.
Patients who need to stay near the Cancer Center include those with blood or immune system cancers who undergo a stem-cell transplant—some may need to stay within a 30-minute drive for three weeks, while others need to remain close for up to six months. Participants in clinical trials often have daily appointments for the length of the research study. Radiation therapy for a wide range of cancers occurs on a daily basis, typically Monday through Friday, for weeks or months.
Home Away from Home Campaign
To help ease the financial burden for patients and families, a group of committed community leaders came together in 2019 to build an endowment to provide enduring financial support for patients in need of lodging. Since then, the Home Away from Home campaign has resulted in a $1.5 million permanent endowment, which is professionally managed for growth while producing funds annually to offset the cost of local hotel stays for qualifying patients.
Patient navigators and social workers help patients complete the application to qualify for financial assistance. Banner MD Anderson has negotiated discounted rates with local hotel partners to maximize the impact of this support. 100% of donations directly support patient needs.
Thanks to generous grants from Thunderbirds Charities and the American Cancer Society, the Home Away from Home program launched in 2020, providing immediate support while the endowment builds. $250,000 has been distributed to 100 qualifying patients and family members to support more than 3,000 hotel nights over the past two years.
A Story of Gratitude: Roxie Hays
Roxie Hays of Silver City, N.M., traveled to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center and was diagnosed with lung cancer and small cell brain cancer. She learned she would need to come to Banner MD Anderson for daily lung radiation.
“If I do this, I’ve got to figure out how much this was going to cost me,” Roxie says. “I was just astounded at the price of staying anywhere. There was no way I could have done it myself. I just gave up.”
Members of the Home Away from Home Campaign Committee (from left): Brian Smuckler, Marcus Bolland, Mo Stein, John Strittmatter (Chairman), Kathy Desmond, Dennis Desmond, Linda Cook, Christine Bayer. (Not pictured: John Graham, Jim Mahoney, Don Miner, Jeff Pitcher).
One day, when filing medical papers, Roxie found the information packet she received when she first came to Banner MD Anderson and a phone number to call for financial help with housing. “Gosh, it didn’t seem like very long at all until the navigator called and said ‘you’re approved.’ I couldn’t believe the relief I felt. It was like this weight had just been lifted off of me,” she says.
A New Partnership: The Comforts of Home
“Taylor Morrison’s donation for this program to provide housing for these patients is a matter of life. When I think about the impact on patients and families beyond the Phoenix metro area, to rural communities and other areas…these are patients who would not be able to receive the best cancer care and have hope. For these patients to know that they now have housing provided, to go across the street and get the care they need, it’s peace of mind for them.”
MIKE HERRING / CEO, Banner Gateway Medical Center and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Overhead view of a home being built and donated by Taylor Morrison to serve as a “home away from home” for Banner MD Anderson patients.
In 2022, Taylor Morrison Homes announced it will build and donate an initial six fully furnished homes to the Banner Health Foundation, with plans to build up to 10 more in the coming years. The 16-home community will support Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Home Away from Home program by providing comfortable, safe, clean temporary housing for cancer patients in need.
Located adjacent to Banner MD Anderson, a community of healing will be created— a place where families battling cancer can face their battle together. It will include:
• 16 two-bedroom/two-bathroom homes
• Full kitchens, laundry and living areas
• Furniture, fixtures, appliances and equipment
• Pet-friendly, with private backyards and patios
• ADA accessible features
• Wifi and keyless door entry technology
• Common areas and outdoor recreation spaces
• Thoughtful design that promotes well-being and recovery
Through the Home Away from Home Program, patients with the longest length-of-stay will be prioritized for this home community, while others in need will continue to receive assistance with their hotel stays. This allows funds to be maximized in support of as many patients as possible.
Renderings are for illustrative purposes only. Actual units may differ.
Taylor Morrison homes will be built on a parcel of land already owned by Banner Health, across the street from Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Arizona.
“Treatment is complex and emotional, but through our donation, we treasure the opportunity to flex our strengths as a homebuilder to build places of sanctuary for patients and their loved ones while they navigate this challenging time in their lives. For Taylor Morrison to play a role in offering some relief and enabling patients to focus on healing is such a gift.”
SHERYL PALMER / Taylor Morrison Chairman and CEO
Creating places of healing, these homes will be furnished and turn-key ready for occupancy.
Philanthropic Investment Opportunity
Since inception, the Home Away from Home program has relied on philanthropic investment from generous donors and community partners. Charitable gifts are critical to our ability to provide cancer patients with lodging assistance.
Our goal is to build the Home Away from Home endowment to $5 million. This dedicated fund will provide enduring annual program support to offset the cost of lodging for patients in need, sustaining and maintaining the housing community and supporting hotel stays nearby all Banner MD Anderson locations.
Naming Opportunities
While gifts of all levels are appreciated and beneficial to this program, commemorative naming will recognize major and transformational gifts.
$3 million Prog ram Naming
$2 million Housing Development Naming
$150,000 Indi vidual Homes (16)
$75,000 Community Ramada
$50,000 Community Green Space
$25,000 Recog nition Opportunities inside Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
All gifts of $10,000 or more will be recognized on the Destination of Hope wall inside Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Ways to Give
You can play a direct role in easing a significant burden for cancer patients and families— providing a home away from home, a bit of comfort and relief, during the most challenging experience they may ever face.
Gifts of cash, stock or securities, multi-year pledges, and recurring monthly gifts are welcome. As this initiative is long-term, we welcome a gift in your estate plan to provide ongoing support in the future.
To discuss giving opportunities, please contact: Alyssa Crockett
Chief Development Officer for Oncology
alyssa.crockett@bannerhealth.com 602-747-4483
“Words cannot express my appreciation to the amazing team at Banner for curing my cancer and giving me a new lease on life! And, thanks to the Home Away from Home program, the financial burden of paying for a hotel for the many months I was receiving treatments was lifted, sparing me from what could have been an enormous ‘monetary malady.’”
“We were blindsided—in such a good way. This gives us some tranquility. I could normally say this is just a house, but this is a sanctuary.”
JAC CONANT / Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center patient
Jac and his wife Carol planned to live in their camper van while Jac was treated at Banner MD Anderson. Instead, they received lodging from the Home Away from Home program just before the arrival of a scorching Arizona summer, giving them a safe, clean, climate-controlled place to rest and heal.
JOSEPH KLEIN / of Laughlin, Nev., pictured with his physician, Dr. Jiaxin Niu
About Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center delivers cancer care to patients through the partnership of Banner Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services.
About Banner Health Foundation
Established in 2001, the Banner Health Foundation engages the community and stewards charitable gifts to advance Banner Health’s nonprofit mission of making health care easier so life can be better. Contributions are invested locally to support patient care programs and services operated by Banner’s many hospitals and health care facilities in Arizona and Wyoming.
Banner Health Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID: 94-2545356). Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law, subject to individual limitations. Please consult your personal advisor(s) on all legal, tax, or financial issues related to your gift or personal matters.