Children National Named Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Partner Site
The health system's patient families can now receive emergency financial assistance from the foundation's Butterfly Fund
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Children's National Health System announced today that it has been named the newest partner site of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF). As a result of this new partnership, families of brain and spinal cord tumor patients treated at Children's National will now be eligible to receive emergency financial assistance from the PBTF's Butterfly Fund.
"We are thrilled for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to select Children's National as their newest partner in this endeavor," said Dr. Eugene Hwang, neuro-oncologist at Children's National and member of the PBTF's Research Advisory Network. "This will be a wonderful resource for our patients and families, and we hope to partner with the PBTF for years to come."
In addition to being one of the country's leaders in pediatric oncology research and treatment and caring for more than 1,500 children with cancer annually, Children's National is one of just 13 hospitals nationwide to be named a PBTF partner.
Children's National is ranked #7 nationally for its pediatric cancer program in the U.S. News & World Report 2018-19 Best Children's Hospital Survey. Patients at Children's National have access to more than 100 clinical trials and a robust research center under the same roof, underscoring the institution's innovative "bench to bedside" approach.
"In our recent Community Health Needs Assessment of pediatric brain tumor families, 40% of parents and caregivers cited logistics and financial hardship as a primary challenge for their family. The Butterfly Fund plays a significant role in addressing this need," says Kathy Riley, MPH, CHES, national director of family support at the PBTF. "Providing assistance for out-of-pocket expenses enables families to spend more time with their child, travel for better care and maintain a stable situation at home."
Support through the Butterfly Fund is invaluable to families helping a child battling a brain tumor. Treatments are typically long and intense, requiring many parents to take unpaid leave from work to focus on their child and adding incredible levels of emotional stress on the entire family. Out-of-pocket expenses such as housing, transportation and groceries add up; professional counseling, long-term rehabilitation and other services often are not covered by insurance. These financial hardships pose serious barriers to patient care and can have devastating effects on all family members.
The PBTF's Butterfly Fund provides emergency financial aid to help families address these expenses when their child is in treatment for brain and spinal cord tumors at partnering medical facilities.
"We want parents focusing their energy on helping their son or daughter beat brain cancer," added Dr. Hwang. "The PBTF's Butterfly Fund will alleviate some of the financial stresses experienced by our patient families during one of the most difficult times of their lives."
About Children's National Health System
Children's National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation's children since 1870. Children's National is among the nation's Top 5 pediatric hospitals and, for a second straight year, is No. 1 for babies, as well as ranked in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded pediatric institution in the nation. Children's National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, visit ChildrensNational.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
As the world's leading nonprofit dedicated to children and teens with brain tumors, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's mission is to care for families along their journey, cure all childhood brain tumors and help survivors and families thrive. Since 1991, the PBTF has funded more than $30 million in research to increase survivorship, improve quality of life and ultimately eliminate pediatric brain tumors. The PBTF also provides emotional support, information, resource referrals and other free services to families, including emergency financial assistance, peer support and its award-winning Imaginary Friend Society video series. Chapters in California, Georgia and Illinois provide additional, on-the-ground support to their communities, while the PBTF's Ride for Kids, Starry Night and Vs. Cancer signature fundraising campaigns reach supporters nationwide. Call 800-253-6530 or visit http://www.curethekids.org/mission to join us in our mission to Care. Cure. Thrive.
SOURCE Children National
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