About Us
Michigan Community Outreach to Address Financial Toxicity (MI-COST) is a community-academic partnership, bringing cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates together with researchers from Wayne State University (WSU) and the Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) in Detroit. Our goal is to connect people with cancer and their loved ones with information and resources to help manage the financial impact of cancer.
MI-COST builds on the work of several Cancer Action Councils (CACs), facilitated by Michigan Cancer HealthLink, a program of the KCI Office of Cancer Health Equity and Community Engagement (OCHECE). CACs bring together groups of cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates who apply their knowledge about cancer and their communities to identify research and intervention priorities and develop resources to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. In 2019 financial hardship was identified as the highest priority topic for research and intervention across all of the CACs.
Through a Community Health Impact Award from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, we convened a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of seven CAC members who identified priority topics to address in educational resources related to financial hardship. Based on those topics, we hosted a webinar series and developed the content on this website, including information related to common financial, insurance, and employment issues faced by people with cancer. We also developed a database of resources available to help cover costs for people with cancer in Michigan and beyond.
Our Team:
Theresa Hastert, PhD, MPP
Theresa Hastert, PhD, MPP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology and the Population Studies and Disparities Research Program at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Her research focuses on cancer survivorship, the financial impact of cancer, and cancer health disparities. Through this work, cancer survivors commonly reported that there were things they wished they would have known sooner about the costs of cancer and how to address them. The experience of those survivors, and the community members involved in the CACs, motivated her to develop MI-COST.
Ali Fakih
Ali Fakih is a Research Assistant at the Office of Cancer Health Equity and Community Engagement (OCHECE) at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. His previous work involves investigating the financial burdens of cancer care among Arab Americans in metro Detroit. He is passionate about better understanding the cancer survivor and caregiver experience among minority communities and working towards building sustainable interventions.
Bernice Renee Bankhead
Bernice Renee Bankhead is an endometrial cancer survivor and caregiver, and a member of the Western Wayne CAC. Bernice is passionate about advancing community-engaged cancer research and has recruited participants for numerous studies, groups, and clinical trials.
Theresa Butler
Theresa Butler is a breast cancer survivor and caregiver, and a member of the Oakland County CAC. Theresa is passionate about helping others navigate their cancer journeys especially those without support and knowledge of available options.
Anuja Deo
Anuja Deo is a breast cancer survivor and advocate, and a member of the Young Survivors CAC. Anuja aims to support others as they overcome the challenges related to living with and beyond cancer, providing solidarity and resources.
Lauren Fryzel
Lauren Fryzel is a Patient & Community Outreach Manager with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer survivor, and a member of the Young Survivors CAC. Lauren is passionate about being a voice for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors.
Abde Mallah
Abde Mallah is a breast cancer survivor and caregiver, and a member of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) CAC. Abde is passionate about serving the Arab American community and empowering other women who have gone through similar experiences.
Elaine Raschke
Elaine Raschke is a breast cancer survivor and advocate, and a member of the Rural Michigan Cancer Action Council CAC. Elaine founded a Cancer & Friends Support Group as a way to give back to others who have gone through similar experiences.
Cornelius Wilson
Cornelius Wilson is a Senior Housing Coordinator for the City of Detroit Health Department/HOPWA Housing Program, a cancer caregiver, and a member of the Black Men’s Cancer Action Council CAC. Cornelius is passionate about serving his community and believes that if you see a need for a change, you must do something, in whatever small way that you can to make a difference.
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MI-COST