Scalable digital tools, research and training program aims to expand access to oncology supportive care, further industry standards

Despite demonstrated benefits, integrated supportive care medicine not widely available at U.S. cancer centers and hospitals

City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a national leader in providing cancer patients with best-in-class, integrated supportive care programs, has received a $10 million gift from The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. The partnership between City of Hope and The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation will support City of Hope’s efforts to give patients across its cancer care system expanded access to its evidence-based supportive care medicine offerings and to advocate for establishing supportive care as a standard practice for cancer care in the United States.

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Beginning at intake, City of Hope’s supportive care program provides cancer patients with comprehensive physical, psychological, social and practical support services that improve outcomes and enable them to maximize their personal and family strengths. Offerings include care navigation, survivorship programs, specialists in cancer and aging, psychological and spiritual counseling, pain management, and integrative medicine like yoga, massage, meditation and more.

“Cancer diagnoses and treatments bring tremendous stress to families, with challenges that are uniquely personal. Providing patients with access to supportive care programs has a direct impact on their treatment outcomes and our ability to deliver value-based medical care. It results in a reduction in the length of inpatient stays, hospital readmissions and ICU stays, and an improved quality of life and patient satisfaction,” said Robert Stone, City of Hope’s president and chief executive officer and the Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. “We are grateful for the ongoing and generous support and partnership of The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. Together, our vision is to lead the way in expanding supportive care programs to cancer patients and their families early in their road to recovery — no matter where they live or where they receive care.”

As a leader in the field, the Department of Supportive Care Medicine at City of Hope was the first in the United States to fully integrate across supportive care specialties and into the patient’s clinical care and is one of the largest programs of its kind today. City of Hope’s evidence-based supportive care model has been outlined at academic meetings and in textbooks as exemplary; yet, despite its proven benefits, supportive care programs are not widely available at cancer centers and hospitals around the country. City of Hope has heard the call of patients and providers and is working to train experts and expand access to evidence-based supportive care programs.

The gift supports two focus areas: (1) Bolster City of Hope’s efforts to train providers in delivery of supportive care, drive research to inform care guidelines and develop digital, scalable tools that can be easily adapted by other health care providers; and (2) expand supportive care by convening and educating stakeholders, including patients, policymakers, insurance companies and health care providers on the importance of establishing supportive care programs as a standard practice for cancer and other life-threatening conditions.

“Our shared belief at The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation and at City of Hope is that supportive care should be an essential part of cancer care for every patient and family. Having lost two close friends — women I referred to as sisters — to breast cancer, I’ve seen firsthand the immense toll that cancer takes on patients and their loved ones, and I have come to understand the relief that truly integrated and meaningful supportive care can provide,” said The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation President Sheri Biller. “Our aim is to leverage the power of our partnership with City of Hope to propel and advance supportive care medicine in oncology for all cancer patients. With scalable care models and training, this gift will amplify over time, expanding access to the best supportive care programs to cancer patients who have otherwise often faced racial, gender, age, economic and geographical barriers.”

Audrey Haberman, CEO of The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, added, “It is equally important to us to evolve the supportive care model within City of Hope’s expanded cancer care system and also improve access for patients and their families so that wherever they go for cancer treatment, they have access to high-quality supportive care programs that improve their lives and outcomes.”

Because more than half of all cancer patients and nearly 70% of cancer survivors are older than 65, City of Hope has focused on leading the national effort to improve cancer and aging care with personalized treatment based on the individual’s age.

“Older populations, people of color and economically disadvantaged communities face unique burdens and barriers to cancer care. Supportive care programs can level the playing field in health equity, giving all patients the care they deserve,” said Edward Kim, M.D., M.B.A., professor of medical oncology and physician-in-chief at City of Hope Orange County. “We work with patients and their loved ones, from the very beginning, to understand their greatest concerns and challenges. Then we tailor our support to meet the specific needs of patients and family members at every step along the way.”

The efforts to expand access to City of Hope's supportive care programs will encompass patients in the organization’s recently acquired Cancer Treatment Centers of America sites, contributing to City of Hope’s goal of democratizing cancer care and extending world-class care to more patients, families and communities.

An earlier donation from The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation supported the creation of the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center at City of Hope’s Los Angeles campus, which serves as a hub to facilitate easy access to supportive care programs. Later this year, City of Hope will open a second Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center on its new campus in Irvine, California.

The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation’s philanthropic partnership with City of Hope has also supported programming, including patient navigators, the development of City of Hope-led trainings for health care professionals throughout the country, and City of Hope’s SupportScreen technology, a touch-screen application that asks patients a wide range of questions to address physical and psychosocial concerns common to their diagnosis.

“Nearly 15 years ago, Sheri and Les Biller saw an unmet need to better support patients and families on their cancer journey. Their visionary generosity helped City of Hope build on one of the best supportive care medicine programs in the country — a compassionate, integrated model now deeply embedded in our culture,” said Kristin J. Bertell, chief philanthropy officer at City of Hope. “Now, they are leading the way once more with a gift that will accelerate our efforts to reach more people than ever before. For that, we are truly grateful.”

About City of Hope

City of Hope's mission is to deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. As an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients, spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. Research and technology developed at City of Hope has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. A leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy, such as CAR T cell therapy, City of Hope’s personalized treatment protocols help advance cancer care throughout the world.

With a goal of expanding access to the latest discoveries and leading-edge care to more patients, families and communities, City of Hope’s growing national system includes its main Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, scheduled to open in 2022, and Cancer Treatment Centers of America. City of Hope’s affiliated family of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHope^TM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation

The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation fulfills its mission to champion bold solutions in supportive care, workforce development, social impact theatre, and public education that provide opportunities for sustainable, positive, and equitable change. The Foundation was founded in 2001 by Sheri and Les Biller. For more information, please visit The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation’s website at www.billerfamilyfoundation.org, or follow on Twitter @BillerFamFdtn, or on Facebook.

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