Transportation Is Treatment: How Donors Are Getting Cancer Patients to Lifesaving Care

Abel Vasquez and Juan Jimenez, INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute Transportation Caregivers

Reliable transportation can be the deciding factor between receiving treatment and going without it.

Over the past year, INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute locations provided 3,341 rides to cancer patients who faced major barriers getting to their appointments and treatments. Whether due to unreliable vehicles, rising fuel costs, or loved ones unable to take time off work, many patients struggled to access the care they desperately needed.

Thanks to donor generosity, those rides were literal lifelines.

Expanding to Meet the Need

As demand for transportation assistance grew, the need became urgent. In August 2024, the program expanded to include an additional transport van and driver, extending reach throughout the Oklahoma City metro—as far as Blanchard and Guthrie.

This expansion ensures even more patients can get to chemotherapy, radiation, and follow-up appointments without added stress or delay.

Your Gift Drives Hope

Transportation assistance is funded almost entirely through philanthropy. Every ride given, every mile covered, and every patient helped is possible because of donors like you.

Your support removes barriers to care, restores dignity, and gives patients a fighting chance.

Story by Zoee Zuerker