BEAVERCREEK – The board of directors of Gala of Hope Foundation recently awarded its first 2020 grant to Mercy Health – Springfield to confront the continuing incidents of lung cancer in Clark and Champaign counties. The three-year initiative totals almost $400,000.
“Lung cancer is the number two cause of death in Ohio, but it is the number one cancer in the Dayton region and, consequently, the number one cause of death in our region as well,” said Jeff Brock, executive director of the foundation. “Gala of Hope wants to begin to bend the statistics in a decreasing direction in the Dayton region. Clark and Champaign counties face higher incident rates than most. With this grant, we are pleased to partner with the cancer care team at Mercy Health – Springfield, looking to better learn how to address lung cancer in other parts of our region.”
A key is earlier diagnosis. “Many incidents of lung cancer are diagnosed at late stages, which often means survival rates of less than 10%,” Brock said. “When lung cancer is diagnosed earlier, survival rates increase to more than 50%. Early detection is a key priority, which then increases treatment options, which in turn gives patients greater opportunity to beat their cancer.”
This grant bolsters Mercy Health’s lung cancer program offered through the Springfield and Urbana campuses. It enhances its minimally invasive lung surgery program, increases screenings, heightens lung cancer awareness and underwrites a nurse navigator who will specifically serve lung cancer patients and coordinate their care and follow-up.
Barbara Mills, president of the Gala of Hope board of directors, said, “Our board is pleased to join with our friends at Mercy Health in Clark and Champaign counties to help make lung cancer screenings more accessible for the most susceptible, assure the latest treatment options, and for those diagnosed, help provide focused care for the duration of treatment and after. We cannot wait to see what a difference our help makes.”
About Gala of Hope Foundation
Gala of Hope Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 2014 to serve the Dayton region as a financial resource for cancer patients, cancer treatment, and local cancer research. At its core, Gala of Hope Foundation was created and is sustained by gifts from generous people committed to changing the face of cancer in the Dayton region. The Foundation serves as a grant maker and a voice for Dayton-region cancer patients and its cancer care community.
