The AstraZeneca Foundation announced $1,144,170 in grants to expand access to healthcare across U.S. communities, including funding for breast and cervical cancer screening, patient navigation, and follow-up care. The awards, made through the Creating Health Access for Next Generation Equity (CHANGE) program, will support five new nonprofit grantees and one returning organization that will mentor them as they launch their projects.
Two California grants address different barriers along the cancer care pathway. Conejo Free Clinic received $218,100 to expand access to culturally responsive breast and cervical cancer screening, navigation and follow-up for underserved women in Ventura County, including Hispanic and Indigenous communities.
Operation Access received $220,000 to connect uninsured people with low incomes to free surgical and specialty services donated by local providers.
Commenting on the expansion, Bridget Therriault, Executive Director of the AstraZeneca Foundation, said the program would draw on the experience of organizations already working in the communities they serve.
“Expanding CHANGE into new communities gives us an opportunity to learn from and invest in organizations that understand firsthand what it takes to improve access to care at the grassroots level.”
Therriault said the Foundation is pairing funding with peer mentorship, evaluation and opportunities for grantees to learn from one another. With the latest awards, the Foundation reports that CHANGE has provided more than $6.2 million in grants to 17 nonprofits since 2023, with funded organizations reaching more than 80,000 people through direct services.
Two Grants Address Barriers Along the Cancer Care Pathway
- Conejo Free Clinic, Thousand Oaks, California, $218,100. The Ventura County Women’s Health Access and Navigation Initiative aims to improve early detection of breast and cervical cancer by expanding access to culturally responsive screening, navigation and follow-up care.
- Ambulatory Surgery Access Coalition dba Operation Access, San Francisco, California, $220,000. The Northern and Central California Specialty Access Program will connect uninsured people with low incomes to free surgical and specialty services donated by local providers. The initiative also aims to address social barriers that contribute to disparities in specialty care and cancer.
Three New Grants Expand Access to Primary Care and Navigation
- Boston Community Pediatrics, Boston, Massachusetts, $220,000. Expanding Patient-Centered, Integrated Pediatric Care in Boston and Beyond brings together medical care, mental health services, and care navigation regardless of families’ ability to pay. Navigation support will help families address barriers such as housing and food insecurity.
- Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra dba Dorothy’s Place, Salinas, California, $216,070. Health Equity as a Bridge to Housing combines intensive healthcare navigation and social support with supportive housing to help people experiencing unsheltered homelessness maintain access to care.
- Mobile Medical Care, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, $220,000. Beyond the Visit: Expanding Access Through Continuous Primary Care will broaden access to comprehensive primary and preventive services for low-income, uninsured and underinsured residents of Montgomery County.
A Returning Grantee Will Mentor the New Awardees
AIDS Resource Alliance, Inc., based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, received $50,000 for AR Health: Achieving Health Equity for Medically Underserved Populations.
The initiative provides primary care for people living with HIV and members of the LGBTQ+ community in rural northcentral Pennsylvania. The organization will also share its experience implementing a CHANGE-funded initiative with the five new awardees.
The mentorship adds to the program’s existing Community of Practice. Through that group, the Foundation and its evaluation partner, NORC at the University of Chicago, provide measurement and evaluation guidance, targeted technical assistance, and opportunities for grantees to learn from one another.
What the AstraZeneca Foundation Awards Mean for Community Oncology
With the latest awards, the Foundation reports that CHANGE has provided more than $6.2 million to 17 nonprofits since 2023 and that funded organizations have reached more than 80,000 people through direct services. Those figures cover the program as a whole, including screening, primary and specialty care, care coordination, insurance enrollment, and health education.
Mohit Manrao, Senior Vice President and Head of the US Oncology Business Unit, stated on LinkedIn:
“As the Foundation’s signature grant program, CHANGE provides multi-year funding to U.S. nonprofit organizations working to bring quality care to populations experiencing health disparities.”
For community oncology, the two California grants address different points where patients can encounter barriers. Conejo Free Clinic pairs breast and cervical cancer screening with navigation and follow-up, while Operation Access works with local providers to connect uninsured patients to specialty and surgical services.
The Foundation reported program-wide reach. Outcomes such as completed follow-up after an abnormal screen or completed specialty referrals have yet to be reported for the new projects.
For the latest cancer research grants and funding opportunities, follow OncoGrants by OncoDaily and stay informed about opportunities to advance oncology research and innovation.
