News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK PROTON CENTER TO USE INNOVATIVE PLATFORM TO HELP PATIENTS NAVIGATE NON-CLINICAL CHALLENGES OF CARE

NEW YORK, NY and SANTA CLARA, Calif.– April 27, 2023 – The New York Proton Center (NYPC) announced today it is working with the WiTT Group, Inc. to offer the WiTT Support Registry™ to assist patients with the non-clinical support they need during proton therapy treatment.

Challenges relating to social determinants of health — like access to financial and social support, transportation, and housing — can be significant barriers for patients dealing with cancer, sometimes causing individuals pursuing treatment to miss or postpone appointments due to insufficient non-clinical resources.  

"Partnering with WiTT continues our commitment to providing an industry-leading patient experience and ensuring every person who walks through our doors has the resources and support they need," said Jonathan Weinbach, CEO of the New York Proton Center. "We look forward to our collaboration with WiTT and helping as many patients as possible benefit from utilizing this platform."

"We are excited about this partnership and the potential it brings for enhancing our ability to leverage research and data that will be garnered through the WiTT platform to address the non-clinical needs of cancer patients. This information can be incredibly valuable in furthering our understanding of how to best address social determinants and thus improve outcomes for cancer patients based on their specific non-clinical challenges and demographic characteristics. Our hope is that this research will eventually allow NYPC and other providers to more effectively address barriers to care in a targeted way," added Dr. Isabelle Choi, Director of Research and Clinical Director at the New York Proton Center.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the team at NYPC to help their cancer patients as they go through treatment. As a cancer survivor, I know how hard it is to ask for help. We are looking forward to working with the staff at NYPC, and with local and national non-profit organizations, to support the non-clinical needs of NYPC patients. Our hope is that this support will increase compliance and adherence to treatment and improve outcomes," said Rahul Mahadevan, Founder & CEO of the WiTT Group, Inc.

NYPC's team of Licensed Social Workers will introduce WiTT's Support Registry to their patients, providing an innovative tool to address the various financial, emotional, and social challenges individuals may face during the course of receiving care. In addition, the data generated by the platform will help NYPC ensure the right programs are in place to ensure funds are allocated based on the greatest needs.

"Many of the people we treat at NYPC are fighting for their lives, and in most cases, are facing overwhelming financial challenges, especially in today's economic climate. We are thrilled to be able to offer this innovative tool to facilitate how patients can ask their families, friends, and communities for help. Our patients often tell me they don't want to be a bother to family and friends or don't want their family members to take time off from work to bring them to treatment, but then they risk missing treatments. People are often too proud or ashamed to ask for financial assistance and practical support like rides to and from treatment, but WiTT takes that stigma away. This tool is helping our patients get the non-clinical support they need to get to and from NYPC for the lifesaving treatment we provide," said Chrissy Rubin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at the New York Proton Center.

"I came to the New York Proton Center from Pennsylvania because of its incredible reputation and proven track record with patients," said Brooke Jury. "But coming from out-of-state meant a higher financial burden for me with added costs for lodging, travel, meals, and more. Given the fact that I was treated for a non-malignant tumor, I wasn't able to receive financial support from any cancer nonprofits. Thanks to WiTT, I was able to focus on my treatment and healing without the added stress of dealing with all these important needs by myself. I am so grateful to both NYPC and WiTT and encourage more people pursuing treatment to take full advantage of this wonderful service."

The WiTT Support Registry™ platform de-stigmatizes asking for help by combining the personalized needs of a patient with the simplicity of a wedding registry and leveraging a financial tool to facilitate payments, thereby making it easy for a patient to ask, but more importantly, making their needs visible to those that want to help.  The platform is free to patients. 

About the New York Proton Center

The New York Proton Center is creating the gold standard for proton therapy, giving new hope to patients living with cancer. In partnership with leading academic medical centers—Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Health System, Mount Sinai Health System—the New York Proton Center brings together expert oncologists, clinical care teams, and researchers to improve cancer care and advance the clinical evidence for proton therapy.

For additional information, please visit www.nyproton.com.

About The WiTT Group, Inc.

The WiTT Group, Inc. is focused on solving the non-clinical challenges (financial and non-financial) patients face as they go through treatment.  The company offers a unique Support Registry platform which empowers patients to get the support they need, as well as making it easy to ask for and receive help. WiTT, which stands for "We're in This Together," combines the simplicity of a wedding registry with the personalized needs of a patient and a financial tool, into an easy-to-use platform. WiTT's initial focus is on cancer care. More information on the WiTT Group can be found at www.wittforever.com.  You can also follow The WiTT Group on Facebook and Instagram at @wittforever, @WiTTSupportTeam on Twitter, and The WiTT Group on LinkedIn.

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Media Contacts:

David Gutierrez for the WiTT Group, (847) 533-5082, davidg1027@gmail.com

Melissa Weisstuch, New York Proton Center, (914) 645-6444, mweisstuch@nyproton.com