We Need Your Help – Contact Your State Legislators
Dear Friends,
I want to ask you on behalf of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institue to contact your State Legislators to let them know how important the services that this organization provides are to you and your family.
In his proposed 2011-12 Executive Budget, Governor Tom Corbett eliminated funding for the Department of Health – “Regional Cancer Institutes.” This critical funding supports a wide variety of cancer education, survivorship, and surveillance services in our region.
While we understand that the Commonwealth is facing difficult economic times, it is our firm belief that the elimination of this line item, which has already been cut nearly 60% over the past three years, will eventually result in greater pain, suffering, and costs of cancer care throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Below is a sample letter that we ask you to develop for your own State Representative and State Senator. Once you have completed your letters, please email or mail them to the Cancer Institute and we will be happy to forward them to the appropriate contacts. Also, please encourage your friends and family members to do the same.
Please send completed letters to admin@cancernepa.org or mail to:
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
334 Jefferson Ave
Scranton, PA 18510
If you have any questions, please contact the Cancer Institute at 1-800-424-6724 or admin@cancernepa.org.
Sincerely,
Bob Durkin, President
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
SAMPLE LETTER:
April 2011
Dear
As one of your constituents who has been personally touched by cancer, I need your help. I ask that you work with your fellow legislators to restore funding under the Department of Health “Regional Cancer Institutes” line item for 2011-12, to the previous budget level of $992,000 statewide.
The proportion of this funding historically allocated to the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute [25%], has led to the development of a range of cancer services – community and healthcare professional education, survivorship programs, regionally focused research, and a population-based cancer registry – otherwise only found in major cancer centers in Pennsylvania’s largest cities. Yet budgetary and administrative “freezes” have continuously reduced, and now eliminated this critical funding.
Please be assured that in these challenging economic times, the Board and staff of the Cancer Institute are doing everything possible to both reduce costs and secure complementary funding to maintain these life-saving programs. However, I am asking that you help broker a more reasonable budget option – one in which northeastern Pennsylvanians are not asked to bear a 100% cut that will, in the long run, result in greater pain, suffering, and costs of cancer care.
Sincerely,
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ADDRESS:
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