Compass to Care Partners with University of Chicago Global Health Alliance to Focus on Health Equity for Children with Cancer
Collaboration to educate, empower, and erase challenges of accessing cancer treatment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – April 7, 2021 – Compass to Care, The Mike & Sandy Ernsdorff Childhood Cancer Foundation announced today it has established a partnership with the University of Chicago Global Health Alliance to reduce the disparity children with cancer face in accessing cancer treatment.
Compass to Care, a Chicago-based charitable organization, provides a free Non Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) solution to access life-saving cancer treatment and clinical trials for children fighting cancer and facing poverty or cancer-related financial toxicity.
Through this partnership, Compass to Care and the GHA see the opportunity to fulfill the mission of both organizations by:
- Raising awareness of the childhood cancer survival disparities faced by Black and Latinx children, children who live in poverty, or children whose families are facing cancer-related financial toxicity
- Collecting and analyzing internal data to successfully demonstrate the impact the Compass to Care mission makes for this marginalized population of children
- Fundraising to increase Compass to Care’s ability to provide free NEMT for children in need
Global Health Alliance at the University of Chicago (GHA) is one of many chapters of the nationwide organization that partners college students with grassroots non-governmental organizations to combat global health inequities and educate a new generation of leaders in social change. GHA promotes a model of long-term, sustained partnership working alongside health leaders with expert knowledge of their own communities.
“We are so excited to have the opportunity to work alongside the University of Chicago Global Health Alliance,” commented Michelle Ernsdorff- May, founder of Compass to Care. “With recent data pointing to disparities in survival rates for Black and Latinx children and children who live in poverty, this is a perfect time for our organization to collaborate with a dedicated group of students who are focused on working toward health equity for all people. Together, we can educate, empower, and erase the challenges children face in accessing cancer treatment.”
“We greatly admire the work of Compass to Care and the entire GHA chapter is beyond excited to begin these projects!” said Jon Hoerner, Willa Riekhof and Persephone Tian, Co-Directors of the UChicago GHA Local Partnerships Team. “Every person, and especially every child, deserves the right to receive treatment without severe financial burden and we will work to accomplish Compass to Care’s mission in our partnership moving forward.”
About Compass to Care
Compass to Care, The Mike & Sandy Ernsdorff Childhood Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides a free Non Emergency Medical Travel (NEMT) solution to access life-saving cancer treatment and clinical trials for children fighting cancer and living in families facing financial distress. By removing the transportation barrier to access cancer treatment, Compass to Care is focused on improving survival outcomes for children with cancer. To learn more visit www.CompassToCare.org
PRESS CONTACT: Michelle Ernsdorff-May (312) 515-9490 Michelle@CompassToCare.org