What is the Maryland Cancer Fund?
The Maryland Cancer Fund is a resource for funding cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and research in Maryland.
The Maryland Cancer Fund offers Cancer Treatment Grants to low-income, uninsured Marylanders through the local health departments and Primary/Secondary Grants to entities that provide cancer screenings and cancer prevention activities.
House Bill 1000 was passed in 2004 which established the Maryland Cancer Fund within the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The funding source for the Maryland Cancer Fund is donations from Maryland residents through state tax forms and direct contributions to the program.
How to donate to the Maryland Cancer Fund
Funding for the Maryland Cancer Fund is based on donations received from taxpayers through the Maryland Income Tax Forms and from citizens directly:
- The income tax checkoff system is included on individual income tax return forms. Contributions are voluntary. Individuals may enter any amount they wish to donate. The donated amount is deducted from the individual's tax refund or added to the individual's tax payment.
- For direct donations to the Maryland Cancer Fund, make payable and send to:
Comptroller of Maryland
Revenue Administration Center
Taxpayer Service Section
Annapolis, Maryland 21411
(Place "Maryland Cancer Fund" on memo line.)
Maryland Cancer Fund - Cancer Treatment Grants
The Maryland Cancer Fund awards grants to individuals who are low-income, uninsured Maryland residents for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The grants are administered through the local health departments. Cancer treatment grants are awarded continuously throughout the year. Each grant provides services for a one (1) year period. If you are interested in applying for a cancer treatment grant and to receive information regarding eligibility, contact your local health department or call 410-767-6213.
Maryland Cancer Fund - Primary and Secondary Grants
The Maryland Cancer Fund awards grants to entities that provide cancer prevention and screening activities. Primary prevention activities may include: tobacco use prevention and cessation, sun exposure protection, proper nutrition and physical activity. Secondary prevention activities include screening activities to detect and diagnose cancer in its early stages. Primary and Secondary Grants are awarded by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to qualified entities through a Request for Proposal process.
The Maryland Cancer Fund currently awards Primary and Secondary Grants to:
Garrett County Health Department
Cancer Primary Prevention Grant
Project Title: Garrett County Primary Prevention Grant
The Garrett County Health Department is awarded a Maryland Cancer Fund - Cancer Primary Prevention Grant. The population group served by the grant is low-income residents of subsidized housing facilities in Garrett County. These residents may be at high risk of cancer and other chronic diseases due to economic disadvantages and other disparities. The goals of the grant are to: improve access to programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity, improve access to tobacco use cessation and increase linkages between residents and health-related resources.
Cecil County Health Department
Cancer Early Detection/Secondary Prevention Grant
Project Title: Cecil County Colorectal Cancer Supplemental Screening Project
The Cecil County Health Department is awarded a Maryland Cancer Fund - Cancer Early Detection/Screening Grant to expand the Cecil County Colorectal Cancer Supplemental Screening Project. The program provides outreach, education and colorectal cancer screenings to low-income, uninsured Cecil County residents. Outreach efforts focus on males and minorities (both male and females) to decrease gender and race disparities. The project staff partners with community organizations to identify existing barriers to accessing colorectal screenings and conducts activates geared toward overcoming these barriers. With advisement from the Cancer Task Force, a community coalition, the project detects cancer in its early stages for 20 eligible clients. Annually, the program targets 30% of these clients as males and minorities.
MedStar Health
Cancer Early Detection/Secondary Prevention Grant
Project Title: MedStar Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
MedStar Health is awarded a Maryland Cancer Fund - Cancer Early Detection/Screening Grant. The funds support a Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening Program to provide colonoscopies at Harbor Hospital and Union Memorial Hospital. Both hospitals are located in Baltimore City and serve low-income, uninsured Baltimore City residents. MedStar Health also participates with the Baltimore City Colorectal Cancer Collaborative Screening Program, a demonstration screening grant funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Maryland Cancer Fund expands the activities of this program.
Shore Health System
Cancer Early Detection/Secondary Prevention Grant
Project Title: Mid-Shore Prostate Cancer Early Detection Program
Shore Health System is awarded a Maryland Cancer Fund - Cancer Early Detection/Screening Grant. This is a collaborative, multi-county effort under the direction of Shore Health System aimed at providing prostate cancer - secondary prevention services to low-income, uninsured, high-risk Maryland men. The collaboration is with Shore Regional Cancer Center, Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot County Health Departments along with physicians from the Eastern Shore. The partners work together to increase access to prostate cancer screenings for the target population. With ongoing communication between the program partners, men diagnosed with prostate cancer are referred for treatment and connected to Shore Regional Cancer Center staff for assistance in identifying resources to pay for their care.
For more information regarding the Maryland Cancer Fund, call 410-767-6213 or email sbuiegregory@dhmh.state.md.us.
Helpful Links:
Cancer Resources:
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