SpeciCare Establishes Cancer Fund at North Georgia Community Foundation
North Georgia’s own SpeciCare, a leading provider of living tissue tumor storage that is shaping the field of functional precision medicine, announced today that it has partnered with the North Georgia Community Foundation to launch the SpeciCare Cancer Fund (SCF), which will be raising money to help low-income cancer patients gain access to cutting-edge testing and treatment options. The new fund will be led by former North Georgia Community Foundation president and longtime civic leader Jim Mathis, who will use his years of experience in the nonprofit sector to position the program for growth.
“We created SpeciCare with the hope of increasing accessibility to innovative cancer treatments. In a lot of peoples’ minds, ‘innovative’ equals ‘expensive,’ but we believe that testing or treatment costs should not prevent a patient from receiving the world-class cancer care they need,” said SpeciCare founder Ken Dixon, MD, FACS. “With Jim at the helm of the new SpeciCare Cancer Fund, our goal is to never have to turn patients away due to their inability to pay.”
Mathis is excited to be a part of SpeciCare’s mission, which focuses on empowering cancer patients and providing them with additional treatment options that are only available through living tumor tissue. By giving patients control of their living tumor tissue following surgery, SpeciCare connects them to innovative testing, clinical trials and cutting-edge therapies that may have been previously inaccessible and can significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Because each tumor is as unique as an individual’s fingerprint, the effectiveness of cancer treatments often differ from one individual to the next. Research has proven that testing live tumor tissue, which has been collected and cryopreserved to maintain viability, can help determine the personalized treatment paths most likely to kill a person’s cancer. Testing the tissue outside the body also allows patients to avoid exposure to unnecessary treatments and potentially harsh side effects. With the launch of the SpeciCare Cancer Fund, the SpeciCare team hopes more individuals will be able to benefit from the company’s living tumor collection and storage services, no matter their income level.
“I am pleased to support the efforts of the doctors, scientists, professionals, researchers and business leaders assembled by my friend Dr. Ken Dixon, who are working to save and use living tumor tissue for the benefit of each patient,” Mathis said. “This process requires funding to be successful, and the establishment of a nonprofit fund at the North Georgia Community Foundation demonstrates how committed SpeciCare is to working toward the important goal of never having to turn any patients away. Thanks to the careful planning of Ken and his team, we have a unique opportunity to significantly alter the cancer care landscape.”
In addition to Mathis, the SpeciCare Cancer Fund board is composed of SCF Vice Chair Regina Cochran, who is also vice president and partner; The Norton Agency and partner in Abernathy Cochran Real Estate Group; SCF Executive Director Cindy Williams, who is also vice president of business development at SpeciCare; SCF Senior Director Lena Andrews, who is also vice president and COO, Benefit Support, Inc.; and SCF Senior Director Kim Garrison, who is also executive vice president of benefits at Norton Insurance.
Individuals interested in supporting the initiative may make donations to the SpeciCare Cancer Fund at the North Georgia Community Foundation, and contributions may be made in honor or in memory of loved ones. Donations are accepted online at www.ngcf.org or by check to the North Georgia Community Foundation, located at 615 F Oak Street, Suite 1300, Gainesville, GA 30501. To learn more about the SpeciCare Cancer Fund, please contact Cindy Williams or Kim Garrison at 833-242-2873. Click here for information about SpeciCare.
ABOUT SPECICARE
B4CC Inc., doing business as SpeciCare, is an innovative company connecting cancer patients to new treatment options only available through storing the patient’s live tumor tissue. Serving as the missing link connecting routine clinical care to the most advanced medical treatments and the research community, SpeciCare’s goal is to arm patients with new options and innovative solutions that enhance their quality of life and improve their chances of survival. SpeciCare serves as a catalyst in the development of the cancer treatment field and utilization of research for the benefit of the cancer patient.