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The costs associated with cancer treatment can be budget-busting for many Borderplex residents. Nationwide, patients and their families spend an estimated $5.6 billion annually in out-of-pocket expenses for surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other treatments, according to the American Cancer Society. Add the rising cost of groceries, transportation, prescriptions and copays, and the stress associated with treatment also increases.
“Unfortunately, many of our patients are uninsured or underinsured, and financial difficulties can put them at risk of having adverse outcomes if they are unable to access the care they need,” said Alonso Andrade, M.D., interim medical director of the Breast Care Center. “We hope this grant will provide financial support for our patients for needs and expenses that are often overlooked.”
Access to care can mean different things to different people, but it can be something as simple as not having gas money for transportation to appointments, or more complex issues such as difficulties navigating the health care system.
Dr. Andrade said financial stress and the day-to-day stress of handling family and work responsibilities while receiving care can negatively affect a patient’s quality of life. Anxiety, depression and worry can disrupt a person’s emotional, social and physical well-being.
“It’s not uncommon to have patients who are stressed over decisions, such as having to choose between making rent, buying groceries or school supplies, and getting the treatment they need,” Dr. Andrade said.
In addition to assisting with access to care, such as transportation and general needs like groceries, the grant will allow the Breast Care Center to screen for mental and emotional distress using tablets. Currently, patients participate in an online distress screening survey that prompts questions about financial and psychosocial stressors in a patient’s life.
In medicine, distress is defined as an unhealthy, overwhelming and persistent form of stress. It can be so severe that patients are unable to cope with it on their own, which may lead to negative behavioral, psychological and physical consequences.
As many as three out of four people with cancer experience symptoms of psychological distress or cognitive concerns, which can negatively affect their overall well-being and health outcomes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The tablets purchased with funds from the National Breast Cancer Foundation will provide immediate results for distress screening, allowing the Breast Care Center to refer patients quickly to TTP El Paso Department of Psychiatry psychologists and counselors who can provide patients with tools and strategies to improve their mental health.
“By identifying patients who are distressed, we can refer them to mental health professionals to address this very important issue,” Dr. Andrade said. “All in all, this should help improve outcomes and quality of life measures for our cancer patients.”
About the Breast Care Center
The Breast Care Center is operated by Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, the clinical practice of the Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech Health El Paso. TTP El Paso is the region’s most extensive multispecialty medical group practice, with over 250 specialists who are also medical school faculty. The Breast Care Center, which has served our community for 30 years, is known for world-class patient care, bringing together teams of specialists to map out the best care plan for patients.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.
