Program aims to eliminate this ‘significant barrier’ for women battling breast cancer

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Almost a year ago, Andrea Sweetney, of D.C., was frozen with fear. Who would give her rides to and from her appointments for breast cancer treatments?

Sweetney, who lives in Southwest, was diagnosed with breast cancer last October. She was nervous and started looking for things to give away, and she worried about the impact of the diagnosis on her family and friends.

Then someone pointed her to the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention, a partner of the Wheels for Women program. Some of her stress was alleviated when she learned she wouldn鈥檛 have to rely on her family for rides to and from appointments.

With a quick phone call, Sweetney has been able to arrange to be picked up from her home and taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Another call when the appointment is finished arranges her transportation home.

Sweetney is one of the thousands of women who have benefited from the Wheels for Women initiative, which through Lyft, offers free rides to and from breast cancer screenings or other related appointments. And now, the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer has partnered with D.C.鈥檚 Department of Health, expanding its reach.

鈥淚 just hope and pray that everybody can get the help that I was able to get, and get the transportation back and forth,鈥� Sweetney said.

For Sweetney, the free rides meant her daughter didn鈥檛 have to rearrange her schedule or take time off from work. It also meant her other daughter, who lives in Atlanta, didn鈥檛 have to fly to D.C. to get her to appointments.

Since 2019, the Brem Foundation has provided more than 4,800 free rides to patients, according to CEO Clare Dougherty. So far this year, it’s provided almost 1,400, surpassing the organization鈥檚 goal for the year.

鈥淭ransportation, unfortunately for many women, is a significant barrier to accessing their breast cancer screening,鈥� Dougherty said.

The group has 18 partners in the D.C. region and in Baltimore, and it works with health care providers 鈥渢hat have skilled patient navigators who can help us identify the women most at risk in their practices for potentially missing a screening appointment due to transportation limitations,鈥� Dougherty said.

The Brem Foundation provides grants to cover the rides and collects data on who is taking them. Dougherty said 70% of riders are 鈥淟atina women who often just are struggling with limited insurance and limited health care.鈥�

Ride costs have fluctuated, and Dougherty said it鈥檚 $27 on average one way, and $35 roundtrip.

鈥淏ut if you have to go for several appointments, for some women, that truly can be the difference between, ‘am I going to get groceries this week or cover the cost of dinner tonight for my family, or go for my screening appointment?’鈥� Dougherty said. 鈥淲e feel very strongly that women should not have to make such tradeoffs.鈥�

The new partnership with D.C. Health enables the organization to cover the cost of the rides for patients using them, so the local health agency doesn鈥檛 have to pay, Dougherty said,

D.C. Health has seen a rising need for transit services to screening appointments, she said.

Sweetney, meanwhile, is hoping to pay it forward.

鈥淭here are some women scared to go to the hospital, scared to reach out, because they have nobody there for them,鈥� Sweetney said. 鈥淚鈥檓 willing to help you. I really am because it was a scary situation for me.鈥�

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