REACH Community Grant Award

REACH Community Grant Award

April 16th , 2023

(Raleigh, NC) Lung Cancer Initiative is proud to announce that The Outer Banks Hospital and Healing Pines Respite have been awarded $10,000 each as part of the REACH Community Grant program. This grant aims to empower and support community-based organizations to fill a gap in lung cancer care within local communities.

Grant Recipients: 

The Outer Banks Hospital
The Outer Banks Hospital (TOBH) is a critical access hospital located on a barrier island in Nags Head, NC. TOBH’s main mission is to promote the health and well-being of the residents in this rural community. The focus of the grant is to grow the community’s awareness about the importance of annual lung cancer screening in order to increase the rate of early detection for the disease.

TOBH has started to increase screening awareness locally through social media posts, website content, a podcast, outreach group community education events, and a strategically-positioned billboard that reminds community members about annual lung cancer screening.

“Our eventual goal is to share this model and data with our larger partners (such as Lung Cancer Initiative, and academic cancer programs like UNC Lineberger and ECU Health) so it can be duplicated by other academic-community collaborations,” noted a hospital spokesperson.

Healing Pines Respite
Healing Pines Respite is a nonprofit organization dedicated to filling in the common gaps in cancer care by providing a space for women with cancer to heal. Healing Pines Respite specializes in healing through respite, connections, and nature. The co-founders, Katerina Gmitter and Jessica Murley, built the organization off the belief that it is important for women with cancer to be offered the opportunity to step away and focus on their own self-care. Healing Pines Respite believes that healing should be prioritized as the third cornerstone of care.

Healing Pines Respite is looking to use this money to help fund their major respite program, a day respite. This program includes multiple activities such as supportive-expressive group opportunities. These events allow for guided conversations and shared meals between survivors, developing strong support systems that encourage healthy physical, social and emotional survivorship decisions. These events support women and provide them the space to share and receive advice and encouragement while also reducing the feeling of isolation.

Through these programs, Healing Pines Respite is looking forward to positively increasing the health outcomes and benefiting the lives of these women, as they have stated, “when women thrive, the effects extend beyond themselves and can also be felt throughout their families and communities.”

About Lung Cancer Initiative
As the state’s leading nonprofit organization supporting lung cancer research and education, Lung Cancer Initiative specializes in connecting patients, survivors, and loved ones with the medical and research community. The organization’s mission is to advance survivorship and support those affected by lung cancer through research, education, and access programs.