Caring for cancer patients and their loved ones is at the very center of the Samaritan Health Services mission, and donors to the five Samaritan hospital foundations play an integral role in this effort.  In 2009, donors gave more than $330,000 to cancer-related funds and projects at the SHS foundations. Here are a few examples of what these donations helped accomplish:

• The purchase of a cutting-edge linear accelerator onboard imaging system for Samaritan Regional Cancer Center. The new system enables medical staff to create images of tumors in real-time and 3-D and, according to manager, Brad Betz, places Samaritan Regional Cancer in the top tier of cancer centers on the West Coast. Funds for this project were raised through the Physicians Gourmet Faire at the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, a unique evening in which local physicians prepare dishes from around the world for foundation donors.
• Specialized yoga classes for cancer patients at Samaritan Albany Cancer Resource Center. The classes, led by a certified yoga instructor with nationally recognized training in teaching cancer patients, focuses on individual attention and routines adapted to each patient’s needs. Support for this project was provided by the Albany General Hospital Foundation.
• Funding for the award-winning Emenhiser Center at Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Honored in the Journal of Japanese Gardening for the healing environment that it provides patients undergoing chemotherapy and other infusion treatments, the Emenhiser Center has cared for more than 900 patients since opening in 2006, thanks to the Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation.
• More than 60 free mammograms for low-income women in north Lincoln County through the Snowflake, Mammography, and Cancer Support funds at the North Lincoln Hospital Foundation. Since 2000, the foundation has provided  417 low-income and uninsured patients with $96,796 in breast cancer diagnostic services.
• A series of workshops called “From Surviving to Thriving” at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, funded by the Women’s Giving Circle at the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation. The workshops bring professional artists together with cancer survivors and their caregivers. Participants work with the artists to express and process their cancer journey through the creation of original art.