Cancer Foundation for New Mexico

It was discovered that some patients, once diagnosed with cancer, were forgoing treatment because they couldn’t afford the costs associated with travel to and from the treatment center located in Santa Fe. Despite programs being available to cover medical expenses, it was the non-medical costs that posed the greatest barriers – like the ability to pay for gas or overnight lodging, especially when treatment is administered over a period of days or weeks.

The solution to this heartbreaking problem was to establish an organization with the capacity to identify and mitigate the obstacles to treatment faced by so many northern New Mexico residents. The Cancer Foundation for New Mexico was created specifically to address the overlooked, but critically important, needs of financially-challenged cancer patients and their families.

The Cancer Foundation for New Mexico has expanded its services from mileage reimbursement and overnight lodging to include the distribution of grocery cards, a growing network of support groups, and a team of trained volunteers to assist patients during treatment. The number of patients that seek out our services also continues to grow, and in 2019, we supported a record number of 28,000 patient visits.

We are the only local organization providing this level of support to cancer patients throughout northern New Mexico. A small staff and dedicated team of volunteers work together with the local medical community to increase awareness, identify patient needs, and administer services. We receive no state or federal funding and all money that we raise stays here in our local community.

No patient who qualifies for our assistance is turned away.