Oklahoma Cancer Care Support: Housing, Transportation and Hope with Rachel Stratton
Oklahoma Cancer Care Support: Housing, Transportation and Hope with Rachel Stratton
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In this episode of The Cancer Project podcast, host David Raubach sits down with Rachel Stratton, Associate Director of Development for the American Cancer Society in Oklahoma, to explore the remarkable breadth of support services ACS provides to cancer patients across the state. Rachel, who oversees development staff in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa, brings eleven years of frontline experience to the conversation, offering an insider’s view of how ACS bridges critical gaps in housing, transportation, research funding, and community education for those navigating a cancer diagnosis.
The centerpiece of the discussion is the American Cancer Society Chad Richardson Hope Lodge, located just south of Stevenson Cancer Center at 8th and Phillips in Oklahoma City. The facility opened in August 2023 after more than two decades of planning and a capital campaign that grew from an original $17.5 million target, set in 2018, to a final figure of $16.5 million following scope adjustments. Operating costs have more than doubled since the campaign was designed, rising from a projected $636,000 annually to $1.3 million today, a direct reflection of post-COVID inflation. The campaign was ultimately closed by a landmark $5 million gift from Chad Richardson, whose name now graces the building. Since opening, the Hope Lodge has served approximately 2,500 unique patients and logged roughly 30,000 room nights, a calculated cost savings of approximately $6.8 million to the cancer community, based on an average Oklahoma City hotel rate of $280 per night and an average stay of 13 nights.
Rachel walks through the full ecosystem of support the Hope Lodge provides beyond simply offering free lodging. Shuttle vans transport guests to and from treatment centers including Oklahoma Proton Center, Mercy, and Integris, grouping patients traveling to the same facility to maximize efficiency. A community pantry stocked through donations and an Amazon wish list ensures guests have access to basic supplies. Volunteer groups, from churches to corporations, regularly come in to cook full meals for patients, an act Rachel describes as mutually enriching: the patients get a hot meal without having to think about it after an exhausting treatment day, and the volunteers walk away with a visceral sense of why they showed up. The lodge’s EMPOWER program adds restorative programming such as yoga, Pilates, arts and crafts, and community events to support patients’ emotional and physical wellbeing during treatment.
Beyond the Hope Lodge, David and Rachel discuss the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery volunteer driver program, the 24/7/365 1-800 cancer information hotline (which fielded nearly 1,000 calls from Oklahoma residents in 2025 alone), and the organization’s role as the largest non-governmental funder of cancer research in the world, supporting 53 Nobel Prize-winning researchers to date. Rachel also highlights ACS’s active presence in research funding within Oklahoma itself, where $6 million in ACS-funded grants are currently supporting scientists, including an early-researcher pipeline program designed to bring low-income, diverse, first-generation college students into science careers through lab access, tuition support, and a summer internship showcase.
The episode closes with a candid look at the year ahead for ACS Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Cattle Baron’s Ball, the signature annual fundraiser that directly funds Hope Lodge operations, is moving to a new indoor venue for 2026, allowing for expanded capacity and a targeted event revenue approaching half a million dollars. Rachel also outlines the need to establish a formal endowment for Hope Lodge to ensure its long-term sustainability, and notes that naming rights opportunities remain available for donors who wish to memorialize a loved one by sponsoring a room. David and Rachel agree that the two most persistent barriers to cancer treatment remain lodging and transportation, and that closing those gaps has a direct and measurable impact on patient outcomes.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Hope Lodge, Free Cancer Patient Housing: The ACS Chad Richardson Hope Lodge in Oklahoma City provides free accommodations for cancer patients traveling to the city for treatment, saving guests an average of $280 per night compared to local hotel rates.
- Scale of Impact Since Opening: Since opening in August 2023, Hope Lodge has served approximately 2,500 unique patients and provided roughly 30,000 room nights, translating to an estimated $6.8 million in cost savings for the cancer community.
- Community and Connection at the Lodge: Hope Lodge functions as more than lodging, shared kitchens, common spaces, and programmed activities create a genuine patient community where guests support one another through treatment.
- Shuttle Transportation to Treatment: Lodge-owned vans transport patients to and from treatment centers across Oklahoma City, grouping guests headed to the same facility and waiting on-site to bring them back, a lifeline for patients who cannot or should not drive.
- Road to Recovery, Volunteer Driver Program: ACS’s Road to Recovery program connects cancer patients who need rides to treatment with volunteer drivers, operating through a digital scheduling system accessible via the ACS hotline with no strict mileage restrictions.
- EMPOWER Wellness Programming: Hope Lodge’s EMPOWER program brings in community volunteers to offer restorative classes and events, including yoga, Pilates, arts and crafts, and cooking activities, designed to support patients’ wellbeing during treatment.
- ACS as the World’s Largest Non-Government Cancer Research Funder: The American Cancer Society has funded the research of 53 Nobel Prize laureates and currently supports $6 million in active research grants within Oklahoma, including programs targeting early-career researchers from underrepresented backgrounds.
- 24/7 Cancer Information Hotline: ACS operates a 1-800 hotline available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, for any cancer-related question, including tobacco cessation guidance. Nearly 1,000 Oklahoma residents called the line in 2025.
- Lodging and Transportation as the Two Biggest Barriers to Treatment: Research and frontline experience consistently identify housing and transportation as the primary reasons cancer patients miss or abandon treatment, a gap Hope Lodge and Road to Recovery are specifically designed to close.
- The "I Love You, Get Screened" Campaign: ACS’s current public awareness campaign reframes cancer screening as an act of love toward family members, addressing the documented post-COVID decline in screening rates that continues to affect early detection outcomes.
- Hope Lodge Capital Campaign, A Two-Decade Journey: Planning for the Oklahoma City Hope Lodge began more than twenty years before it opened. The $16.5 million capital campaign was finalized with a transformative $5 million gift from Chad Richardson just before the COVID-19 shutdown.
- How to Volunteer or Give: Individuals and organizations can support Hope Lodge by cooking meals for guests, restocking the community pantry, purchasing items from the lodge’s Amazon wish list, cleaning the transport vans, or sponsoring naming rights to commemorate a loved one.
Rachel Stratton’s eleven years with the American Cancer Society in Oklahoma have given her a ground-level view of what it actually takes to keep a cancer patient in treatment, a free bed, a reliable ride, a hot meal, and the knowledge that strangers are willing to show up. The Chad Richardson Hope Lodge stands as the most visible symbol of that commitment, but as this conversation makes clear, it is one piece of a much larger infrastructure ACS has built to reduce the barriers between a diagnosis and a cure. Whether you are a patient, a caregiver, a prospective volunteer, or a company looking to make a meaningful community investment, the American Cancer Society offers a direct and measurable way to help. Learn more and find local resources at cancer.org.
Full Transcript
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Transcript generated from the episode’s audio. Speaker names are identified from the context of the conversation rather than from recorded speaker data, and automatic transcription may misspell names and terminology. Please refer to the video for the authoritative version.
David Raubach: I want to thank you for joining us today on this episode of the Cancer Project podcast. We’re really privileged to have Rachel Stratton with the American Cancer Society here with us today. One of the things that’s really important for us as a clinical provider at Oklahoma Proton Center is the partnerships that we have with some of the not-for-profit organizations that provide services to our patients. And one of those, or perhaps the most prominent of those, is American Cancer Society. So, we’re really excited to talk to Rachel today about all of the services that ACS offers and some of the unique things that they’re doing here in Oklahoma City for cancer patients. So, Rachel, thank you for joining us.
Rachel Stratton: Thank you for having me.
David Raubach: So, is this your first time on a podcast?
Rachel Stratton: It is. Yes.
David Raubach: I think we were talking beforehand and you told me that your husband does a radio show or is it a podcast or
Rachel Stratton: It’s a radio show. I think they have a podcast format as well though. It’s videoed.
David Raubach: Okay. What do they talk about?
Rachel Stratton: It’s called the Outdoor Hour on the franchise. So, it’s mostly hunting, fishing, all things outdoor rec.
David Raubach: Okay. Is this something that you have been a guest on before?
Rachel Stratton: I have not. I have not been invited. We’ve joked that we should have a wives episode. But it has not come to fruition.
David Raubach: Okay. Well, someday maybe we may get into some hunting and fishing here on this, although I know very little about either topic, my opinion on that. I don’t have any expertise. So tell us what your role is with American Cancer Society.
Rachel Stratton: Okay. So I’m the associate director of development. So I oversee the staff in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. I used to be the senior development manager here in Oklahoma City. So I managed our Gala and our golf tournament.
David Raubach: Okay. So the Gala, I know that’s a big event that occurs every year. I’ve been a couple of times. It’s a lot of fun. An amazing event in terms of raising money for the American Cancer Society. So, talk a little bit about the gala that ACS puts on.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, so we have a Cattle Baron’s Ball here in Oklahoma City. We also have one in Tulsa and they’re both great events. The one here in Oklahoma City raises funds for our Hope Lodge, our American Cancer Society Chad Richardson Hope Lodge, which is right south of Stephenson Cancer Center on 8th and Phillips. And that’s where cancer patients who are traveling to Oklahoma City for treatment, they can stay there for free.
David Raubach: Okay. So I want to talk a little bit about the Hope Lodge because we’ve had a lot of patients from the Proton Center stay there. And maybe to provide some context for listeners, patients that are going through cancer treatment a lot of times are going through weeks or even months of treatment. Specifically like with proton therapy, patients may get three, four, five up to eight weeks of treatment. And we have a lot of patients that travel from across the state and, actually, across the country here. And so what specifically is the Hope Lodge doing for those patients, or kind of describe a little bit more about what the Hope Lodge is?
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. Well, just a little nod to you guys. We actually have people from across the globe coming to Oklahoma to be treated at the Proton Center and staying at Hope Lodge, which is really cool. So we know for us the average stay is 13 nights.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: The average hotel cost in Oklahoma City is about $280. So, we’re saving patients a lot of money by allowing them to come and be treated here and stay there for free. So our Hope Lodge, it essentially runs like a hotel, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a community. Patients, they meet each other, they hang out together, they share stories, we have common spaces where they can sit and enjoy each other’s company and just kind of, you know, commiserate together in a sense.
Rachel Stratton: So we actually have a board member who stayed at a Hope Lodge in Houston before he got involved with us, and he only stayed one night. He felt guilty because he has the means to stay at a hotel, but he valued that experience so much because even in the one night he saw the community aspect of being at the Hope Lodge versus sitting in a hotel room by himself.
David Raubach: So, and I’ve been to the Hope Lodge, and I think a couple things that really stood out to me. One, it’s a very aesthetically pleasing setting, for lack of a better way to describe that. I mean, there’s kind of big picture windows. There’s a lot of natural light, especially down in the lobby area. And I think I like what you said, that it’s intended to be this community. So many of the patients that get treated at the Proton Center talk about the most important people that they met, or some of the people that most inspired them as they were going through treatment, were other guests at the Hope Lodge, and it really is a community there. There’s also a big kitchen area. There’s two big kitchens.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah.
David Raubach: So, talk about that. I guess guests can cook their own food in the kitchen, but sometimes you have outside vendors that’ll come and bring food in.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. So, we have a lot of different companies, organizations, churches that will come in and cook for the patients. And it’s great for them because they don’t have to worry about what they’re going to eat that night. And, you know, you’re not always sure how you’re going to feel after your treatment, and you may be exhausted and you may not be wanting to think about food or dinner or what you’re going to eat. So, it’s great that they can come in and be fed by this organization. And then the groups that come in, they love it too, because they get to sit down and speak with the patients and really listen to their stories, and it kind of puts an exclamation point on why they decided to come in and volunteer and help.
David Raubach: So, that’s a good point, is the, this volunteer aspect. So, if there’s a company or somebody listening to this and they’re part of an organization, or even them individually, and they want to go and volunteer at the Hope Lodge, what does that look like?
Rachel Stratton: There’s a few different opportunities to volunteer. So, the cooking or bringing a meal is our biggest one. We have individual volunteer opportunities where people can come in and help restock the pantry, because we have a community pantry.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: And those are all donated items. We actually have a running Amazon wish list, too, so people can order off the wish list and have it sent directly to the lodge. So, they need help, the managers need help organizing and stocking periodically. And then volunteers will come in and help clean the vans, because we have transportation vans that will take guests to their treatment center and back from their treatment center. So, there’s individual volunteer opportunities and then the group opportunities. We actually also, this is one that I really love, at Christmas time, we have a bunch of groups that will come in and decorate different areas.
David Raubach: Okay. Yeah, it’s cool.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, that’s fun.
David Raubach: Do you have any carolers come in at Christmas?
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, we do. They’ll have an orchestra. They have choirs come in and sing.
David Raubach: Okay. Yeah. And then, what are some of the services that are offered for patients at the Hope Lodge? I think there’s maybe classes or other things that you guys try to put on, again, maybe partnering with the community.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. So we have our Empower program, and that is ideally bringing in community members that can help with, you know, restorative programs. So if a yoga instructor wants to come in and teach a yoga class, Pilates, etc., or maybe an arts and craft opportunity, we actually had a group come in and do a bake off.
David Raubach: Okay. Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: So that was really fun. So, yeah, that’s all kind of funneled through our Empower. Don’t ask me the acronym. I cannot remember. We have so many acronyms at ACS. I can’t remember it. But it’s just, you know, different various programs that are more specific for the patients.
David Raubach: Who won the bake off, or what was the winning dish?
Rachel Stratton: I don’t know. That was so many years ago.
David Raubach: Oh, was it? Okay.
Rachel Stratton: It was a while ago.
David Raubach: Well, you need to have another one.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, you’re right. We do.
David Raubach: So, the vans, you mentioned the vans because I think one of the things that can happen for patients as they’re going through treatment is they either just don’t feel like driving, they’re exhausted, maybe there can even be some type of physical impairment that prevents them from driving. I know, for example, sometimes with brain cancer patients, because of the treatments that they’re going through, they literally are not allowed to drive as they’re going through treatment. So talk about how you guys help get patients to and from treatment.
Rachel Stratton: Well, they also may not have driven here to the lodge, so they may not have a vehicle. So it’s a shuttle system. They try to group various patients that are going to the same treatment center.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: So it’s timed out really well. So they, the, what they’re, the patient coordinators, they will gather a group together that’s going to a treatment center. So, if some patients have treatment at similar times at the Proton Center, they’ll say, “Okay, we’re leaving at this time to go to the Proton Center.” Everyone will pile in the van. They’ll take them, and usually they’ll wait at the treatment center if it’s the Proton Center or Mercy or Integris, just because it’s a little further north and it’s not as time efficient for them to go back to the lodge and then come back and pick up the patients and take them back. So, they’ll sit and wait and then they’ll take them all back to the lodge.
David Raubach: Okay. Just, it’s really, again, just incredible services that you guys are offering. So, I want to kind of flash back in time a little bit, because I was actually on the board for a period of time when ACS was attempting to raise money to build the Hope Lodge. And I know you were part of that process, too. So talk a little bit about what had to happen to actually get this facility built and up and functioning.
Rachel Stratton: Oh man, it was a long time in the making. Before, I mean, I’ve been with ACS for 11 years, and it was probably, the conversations were going on probably 10 years before I even started.
David Raubach: Oh wow. Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. So it’s been a long time coming. We typically, we seek donated land. And then our capital campaign was originally $17.5 million. This is back in 2018.
David Raubach: Yeah, so pre-COVID, pre-inflation spike, right?
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. And I can share some post-COVID numbers with you. So we ended up actually dropping it down to 16.5. We were going to have offices, their staff offices, but they were able to cut those out and save about a million dollars. During the capital campaign, there were three years of operating costs built into that. The estimated operating costs at the time were $636,000.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Now they’re $1.3 million annually.
David Raubach: Yeah. Okay. So they’ve significantly jumped.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. And literally right before the COVID shutdown, Chad Richardson came in and gave the $5 million gift to close out the campaign.
David Raubach: Okay. And that’s why he is the naming title, right?
Rachel Stratton: Right. Oh gosh, I forgot what it’s called.
David Raubach: Well, he gets his name on the building.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, he gets his name on the building. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, we are so grateful for that gift, because without it, we wouldn’t have been able to open. And you know, with COVID, the construction took longer than it was supposed to. It was going to open in 2022, and then it didn’t actually open until August of 23.
David Raubach: Okay. And so since August of 23, do you know how many patients have stayed there?
Rachel Stratton: I do know how many. We’ve had about 2,500 unique patients.
David Raubach: Wow.
Rachel Stratton: So that doesn’t count patients that have stayed more than once.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: But we’ve served about 30,000 nights.
David Raubach: That’s unbelievable.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, that’s actually a cost savings of like $6.8 million.
David Raubach: Wow.
Rachel Stratton: To patients, for the cancer community here in Oklahoma City.
David Raubach: That’s amazing.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah.
David Raubach: How many Hope Lodges are there in the country? Because I don’t think that there’s that many.
Rachel Stratton: 35.
David Raubach: Yeah. So, not, I mean, it’s somewhat unique to have, there’s not a Hope Lodge in every state.
Rachel Stratton: No, there’s not.
David Raubach: And so it is, this is a unique resource here in Oklahoma City. But what are, as you kind of look forward over the next, what’s the 21-year plan? I mean, you said this was, you know, 21 years in the making, or 20 years in the making. What are kind of the next big things that you’re hoping to see happen with ACS here in Oklahoma?
Rachel Stratton: Well, we need to sustain Hope Lodge.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Obviously, that’s a huge priority for us as staff, for our board members here. They know that there’s a great need. I mean, we see it every day. And the numbers speak to the need as well. So, we need to set up an endowment fund.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: And that’s a lofty goal. And then we also have the Oklahoma City Cattle Baron’s Ball funds that go towards the operational costs. And then here in Oklahoma, we have, right now we have, $6 million in ACS funded grants.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Which is really cool. Not, again, not many states can say that. Not every state can say that they have ACS funded grants.
David Raubach: What do you mean by that?
Rachel Stratton: So an ACS funded grant, there are ACS funded researchers here in Oklahoma.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: So these are doctors, or some other type of researcher, a scientist that’s working on a particular
David Raubach: Yes.
Rachel Stratton: cancer related clinical trial, and they’re getting funds from the ACS here in Oklahoma.
David Raubach: Yes.
Rachel Stratton: And one of our programs is actually early researchers. So it’s low-income, diverse population, first-time college students that are interested in science and research.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: And they can apply to be a part of this program and get lab time, get help with their tuition, things like that. And then they do a summer internship program where we get to come in as staff and they show us what they’ve been working on. They do kind of like a contest and then we get to be the judges, which is really fun.
David Raubach: Oh, that’s fun. Okay, that’s great. So, what, I want to zoom out a little bit, because when I hear the term, or I guess the acronym ACS, or American Cancer Society, that’s kind of this big broad term, American Cancer Society. What are what should people know about the American Cancer Society? Like what is what’s the purpose of the organization? What is it doing on a day-to-day basis? I know we’ve talked about the Hope Lodge, so set that aside. What else should people know about American Cancer Society?
Rachel Stratton: We are the preeminent cancer fighting organization. Our goal is to improve the lives of cancer patients every day. We are not specific to one cancer. We are treating all cancers, but we are also the largest non-government funder of cancer research.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: So that is our main priority, is funding cancer research. We have, I think, 53 Nobel Prize
David Raubach: Wow.
Rachel Stratton: ACS funded researchers.
David Raubach: Yeah. Wow.
Rachel Stratton: So that is our main goal and focus. But then we also have our patient services and programs like Hope Lodge. We have our Road to Recovery program, which is outside of Hope Lodge. It’s a program that can help patients get to their treatment from their homes.
David Raubach: Oh, okay.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. And then we have our 1-800 hotline that’s open 365, 24/7. We pulled the numbers and we had almost a thousand Oklahoma residents call that hotline in 2025. Anyone can call that.
David Raubach: And what is the purpose of the hotline?
Rachel Stratton: It’s just really anyone with any type of medical cancer question. I’ll be honest with you, my husband called it one time.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: About tobacco cessation.
David Raubach: Oh, okay.
Rachel Stratton: And he said they were very helpful.
David Raubach: Yeah. Which is great. You know, those hunters and fishers and the
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. The tobacco use, the dipping.
David Raubach: The dipping. Yeah. Exactly.
Rachel Stratton: Anyway, and baseball players too. I’m a baseball player. So, you know, he’s going to kill me for saying that.
David Raubach: That’s okay. And then what else?
Rachel Stratton: So, we have various support groups.
David Raubach: So, Road to Recovery, I’m kind of curious how that works. Are those volunteers that are going and picking up patients at their homes?
Rachel Stratton: Okay. Yeah. So, it’s a group of volunteers. It used to be managed from our Oklahoma City office for Oklahoma, but they moved it to a digital system. So, patients that are needing help with getting to their treatments, they can call our hotline, they can get on the schedule, and there’s, from my understanding, not like a mileage restriction. It’s just who’s willing to pick up the ride.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: So, you know, you being in cancer care as well, we know that the two biggest barriers to treatment are lodging and transportation. If they don’t have a ride, they’re not going to go. If they don’t have a place to stay, they’re not going to go. And that severely diminishes their outcome.
David Raubach: I think one thing, you know, you were on Fox News recently, the local Fox station, I guess late last year, and we’re talking about screening, screening for breast cancer. So, like, to me, that’s something that impacts cancer mortality, because if we catch cancer earlier, we have often more ways to treat it, or more effective ways to treat it, we have a better chance of getting rid of the cancer than if it’s already spread throughout the body.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. Yeah. Prevention and education are key. So I think giving our partners the resources, where they can educate their patients and their medical communities. I mean, we have systems that are in, you know, southwest Oklahoma that aren’t even aware that we exist here in Oklahoma City. They’re not even aware of Hope Lodge. They’re not aware of the ACS resources that we have that can talk about prevention and education.
David Raubach: Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: So it’s really just, I guess, communication, letting people know that we exist and that we can share these resources that we have. And then we have a few marketing campaigns where we talk specifically about screening. After COVID, we did a return to screening campaign.
David Raubach: Okay?
Rachel Stratton: You know, because of the severe decline in screenings post-COVID, which are kicking back up, and that’s great. But now our campaign is called “I Love You, Get Screened.”
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: So, it’s, you know, it’s more of a, I would kind of look at it as like a partnership between loved ones.
David Raubach: Yes.
Rachel Stratton: And, you know, pushing them to go get your screenings, because I would say from my experience, when I go to health fairs and things like that, the older population are less likely to go get their screenings, right? And there’s various populations that they’re opposed to it because they’re scared to get screened, right? But then it’s like on the flip side of that, if you don’t go get screened, what could you, what could your outcome potentially be, right? It could be far worse than if you just bit the bullet and did the hard thing this one time, and then you probably wouldn’t be in a situation where it could be a lot worse, you know. I love you, go get screened. So, that was the name of the game. I love you, get screened. I love you, get screened.
David Raubach: I like that. And I think one of the things, you know, we see that at the Proton Center with the patients that come in, a lot of times there is a spouse or a caretaker. Definitely with the husbands and the wives, like it’s a lot of times it’s the wives kind of being like, hey, you have, for example, prostate cancer, we need to deal with this, like, let’s, you know, are you doing your annual PSA, but the same with mammograms too. I mean, we have, so one of our partners is Premier Breast Health Institute, which is a breast screening facility, and I know anecdotally that a lot of the women that come in there, they’re coming in.
David Raubach: So, if we talk about screening for breast cancer, generally you’re supposed to start getting a mammogram at 40, right? But depending on your risk, that can change. But we have women that’ll come in and they’re 43 or 44, and they’ll make a comment like, I just didn’t know what to expect. I was scared to schedule it. I just, you know, there was something about it that caused them not to go ahead and schedule that screening at 40. And sometimes it does take a little bit of a push from a spouse or a caregiver. So, I like that a lot. What else should people be thinking about, especially in Oklahoma, when it comes to cancer screening, or what are the things, like, I guess, for a rural patient?
Rachel Stratton: You know, that’s, I think that part of the challenge is, where do I even go to get screening? We, I know we have a map on our website. I don’t know what the direct link to it is, where you can actually go on it and find clinics
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: that provide screenings. I think it’s just really being an advocate for yourself.
David Raubach: Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: You know, and it’s hard because we’re in this daily, so we know what the screening ages are for a lot of different types of cancer. And so it’s, you know, I’m going to turn 40 in a few years. I know that I need to go get a mammogram. But I see it every day. I’m immersed in it in my career. So, I think it’s kind of on the clinicians, too, to really care for their patients in a way that’s reminding them of, hey, this is coming up and you need to really take action on it. We’ve talked about in the past, it would be really great if there was some kind of automated system that could just be sent straight from the doctor’s office that’s like, “Hey, you’re 40 now. You need to go get this.”
Rachel Stratton: It’d be great if that, if we could figure something out like that. But, you know, that’s, I think a little more difficult than said, but, so yeah, I think the biggest proponent is you yourself, right, and educating yourself on the ages of screening, the types of screening. And there’s so many easier options now, too, which is great. I mean, you don’t have to go in for the first time and get a colonoscopy. You can have a test where you mail it in and then they kind of tell you, hey, you really should go get this done.
David Raubach: Much less invasive.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, it’s much less invasive. That’s a better word. So there are options, but I think the clinicians also have to talk about what those options are. And then be an advocate for their patients also. It’s not just on the patient, right?
David Raubach: That, so, one of the things related to that, helping physicians talk to patients, I think that American Cancer Society does a really good job of is providing literature. I know our lobby, or kind of our back hallway where patients walk back to go to the consult rooms, there’s a display case that’s full of brochures from the American Cancer Society. I think you guys do a really good job of providing resources for clinicians, where it’s like, hey, I don’t necessarily know how to talk about this specific side effect related to cancer treatment, or I don’t know how to talk about this aspect of screening for this patient population. Oh, but here’s a resource from American Cancer Society that can help bridge that gap.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. And maybe the patient is uncomfortable having that conversation face to face, and then they can visit our website, cancer.org, and just search on our website and find what they need, what they’re looking for, and then read the literature on our website.
David Raubach: There, I cannot emphasize enough how much good information there is on that website, on cancer. It really is the kind of central repository for all things cancer related. If you have questions about cancer screening, diagnosis, prevention, survivorship, whatever it is, that is a fantastic resource. We have links from our website to that website.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. Because there’s so much good information out there.
David Raubach: So, what has been most impactful for you personally, working in the field of oncology?
Rachel Stratton: Oh gosh.
David Raubach: Because you’ve been doing this for what, 11 years?
Rachel Stratton: 11 years now. Yes. Well, 11 years in March.
David Raubach: Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: You know, when, I always knew that I wanted to do something that helped people. I didn’t want to go into a corporate for-profit job. And I have a bachelor of science. I had intentions of being a physical therapist, actually.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. But when I graduated and I was looking for a job, I saw a posting for the American Cancer Society, and I thought, I know a lot of people that I’ve loved
David Raubach: Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: that have passed away from cancer. So, let me see what this is about.
David Raubach: Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: And, 11 years later, you know, I’m still here because I see the good that we’re doing every day. I mean, I don’t work directly at Hope Lodge, but I go there probably once a week for meetings and things, and I see the impact that we’re having, the tangible impact. It’s easy to say that we’re the largest funder of cancer research, but you don’t see cancer research every day. You know, you can see the impact that we’re having when you walk through the doors of Hope Lodge and you see the guests that are in there having lunch together and thanking you for its existence, really. So, I would say that’s the biggest impact on me, just the help that we’ve been able to provide people in such a difficult time in their lives.
David Raubach: Is there a story that’s kind of resonated with you over the years, of a patient that you guys have helped that you got to know?
Rachel Stratton: I don’t know if I would say a specific story, but I’ve had volunteers that have become friends, good friends, that are cancer survivors. You know, I’ve been through volunteers that started volunteering because they loved the cause, but then were diagnosed with their own cancer story. And just walking through that with them. My dad was actually diagnosed with cancer three years ago.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Three years ago, four years ago. But it was, thanks to his screenings and his propensity for that, he was diagnosed very early.
David Raubach: Yeah. Low stage.
Rachel Stratton: So it’s been, he was able to get through treatment. He hasn’t even had to have treatment.
David Raubach: Oh, okay.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah. Because it was so low stage.
David Raubach: Yeah. And slow growing.
Rachel Stratton: I just, I’m just grateful for the relationships that this job has given me in general, whether it’s volunteers, survivors, you know, there are people that I have gotten to work with that have passed away from cancer, and it’s just, that’s hard. But again, I’m just grateful for the relationships.
David Raubach: Yeah. I mean, I think as somebody who has worked in the space for a number of years as well, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I think you referenced the fact that you had had multiple people that you knew go through cancer treatment, and I think it’s just one of those things that it does impact everyone. It’s rare that you come across somebody that says, I don’t know anybody that was impacted by cancer. It’s just one of those things that at some point, you’re going to know somebody.
Rachel Stratton: I know. I’m shocked, like genuinely shocked, when I meet someone who tells me that they don’t know anyone that’s been impacted by cancer.
David Raubach: Yeah. And certainly, I mean, it just, statistics would suggest that you’re going to have family members, I think it’s, I don’t know, one in two men, one in three women. Yeah. At some point in their lifetime are going to be diagnosed with cancer. And so just being able, it’s very, it’s hard, it’s hard working in the field. There’s certainly, you know, every story doesn’t take this nice clean linear path that we wanted to take.
David Raubach: Oh, diagnosed, treatment, treatment was hard, but we got through treatment and we’re done, right? It, that’s not the way that cancer works, right? And for a lot of people, they have to go back and do treatment a second time or a third time. It could be a chronic disease. And certainly there’s the stories, like you’ve talked about, where people unfortunately pass away from cancer. But all of that is not a reason not to do what you do. It’s a reason to do what you do. And we’re grateful for the American Cancer Society. So, what are you kind of hoping to see for the rest of this year for American, what’s, what does success look like for American Cancer Society, and for you personally? What are some goals for 2026?
Rachel Stratton: So, like, because I work specifically in development, our goals are revenue based.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: So we actually, this hasn’t officially been announced yet, but for the Oklahoma City Cattle Baron’s Ball, we are moving to a new location.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: That we are very excited about. It’s not as hot. It’s not hot ’cause it’s inside.
David Raubach: It’s inside.
Rachel Stratton: And it just allows for more people, more space, more tables. So, we’re really excited about that.
David Raubach: How much money are you trying to raise this year?
Rachel Stratton: Well, if our operating costs for Hope Lodge are 1.3 million
David Raubach: 1.3 million? No, but
Rachel Stratton: No, but, that would be amazing. No, I would say closer to half a million.
David Raubach: Okay.
Rachel Stratton: Because it’s just event-based. But then we have additional, we have a philanthropy staff, our senior director of philanthropy, she, a lot of her focus is funding for Hope Lodge and our research programs and things like that. So she has additional donors that kind of help offset the event funds that come in. And then the Tulsa Gala, they knock it out of the park. Dana, the staff there, knocks it out of the park every year. It’s amazing. She is, she’s creeping up to a million dollar.
David Raubach: Oh wow. Okay.
Rachel Stratton: She’s grown it exponentially since taking over about four years ago.
David Raubach: Okay. Well, here in Oklahoma City, we can’t let Tulsa beat us.
Rachel Stratton: Well, you know, tell some other people that, because we need some more sponsors. Part of my role additionally is finding corporate partners. So different companies that are willing to do employee giving campaigns or workplace engagement campaigns, and those funds can also be directed to Hope Lodge, major gift donors, things like that. So a successful year to me would look like our events exceeding goal and then finding additional funding for Hope Lodge.
David Raubach: Yeah. So, takeaways from today, and I really appreciate you joining us, Rachel. This has been fantastic. So one big takeaway, the Hope Lodge, you said 2,500 patients have been helped.
Rachel Stratton: Unique, unique patients, in basically what, two plus years
David Raubach: Two and a half years.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah.
David Raubach: So 2,500 patients, 30,000 room nights. This is a tangible impact. So, the other takeaway being, if you’re looking for ways as an individual or a company to give back to the local community, what a fantastic opportunity with the American Cancer Society, or if you want to volunteer with a place like the Hope Lodge, if you really want to see your dollars have a direct impact on people that are going through something that is, for many people, the hardest thing that they’ve ever gone through, and there’s a real physical impact and there’s a real financial impact, and you want to step in and help, the American Cancer Society is a great place, a great avenue to do that.
Rachel Stratton: Yeah, I agree. And we still have naming rights opportunities at Hope Lodge, too. So, if there’s individuals that say, “Hey, you know, I want to remember a loved one that I lost, in somebody.”
David Raubach: Yeah.
Rachel Stratton: And they can name a room.
David Raubach: Yeah. Well, that’s great. Well, thank you so much for your time today, Rachel. I really appreciate it.
Rachel Stratton: Thank you for having me.
David Raubach: Yeah.
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