Community benefit
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, we are committed to serving our community.
By providing care throughout the Puget Sound area, and by advancing the standard of cancer care as a national and international center of excellence that advances the standard of cancer care globally, we know the quality of care we provide makes a lasting difference in our region.
By engaging with our community, through partnerships with local organizations, education and prevention programs for community members and financial assistance for our patients who need support, Fred Hutch aims to make our care and expertise accessible to the broader population.
Our Community Benefit priorities are informed by the Fred Hutch 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and the 2018/2019 Joint Community Health Needs Assessment, published by Fred Hutch and 10 other hospitals as part of the King County Hospitals for a Healthier Community (KCHHC) collaborative. These assessments provide us with a deeper understanding of the impact of cancer on our region.
For our work to improve cancer-related population health outcomes in Fred Hutch’s service area, we define our community as everyone in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. This three-county area is where most our patients live, where our recognition is highest and where we believe we can make some of our greatest impacts.
Fred Hutch’s current Community Benefit activities are organized around our 2019-2022 Community Benefit Strategic Implementation Plan, which outlines our goals and objectives for addressing the community’s cancer-related health needs. Follow the links below to access additional resources on Fred Hutch’s website that are related to our Community Benefit priority areas:
- Access to services: Improving access to high-quality cancer care
- Subsidized health care and financial assistance (also known as charity care)
- Cancer prevention and screening: Promoting healthy lifestyles and regular cancer screenings, including:
- Breast cancer screenings through the Fred Hutch Mammogram Van
- Cervical cancer prevention and early detection
- Colon cancer prevention and early detection
- Living Tobacco Free (access to tobacco cessation resources)
- Lung Cancer Early Detection and Prevention Clinic
- Lung Cancer Screening
- Culture and language in health: Making services available in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways for patients
- Indigenous health: Building relationships to support local Indigenous populations in cancer-related health needs, including with the həliʔil Program at Fred Hutch.
- Foundational community benefit: Building strong systems, supporting research and promoting health education to support local community health
