American Cancer Society and UChicago Medicine Partner to Build Hope Lodge Chicago, Offering No-Cost Lodging for Traveling Cancer Patients

Patients traveling long distances to the University of Chicago查看公司主页 Medicine for cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 treatment will soon have a new place to stay close to its anchor hospital on the city's South Side, as part of a partnership with the American Cancer Society查看公司主页. The American Cancer Society plans to build Hope Lodge Chicago, a facility at 5700 S. Stony Island Ave., that will provide free accommodations for cancer patients and their caregivers who travel to Chicago for treatment.

The project is being developed through a partnership between the American Cancer Society查看公司主页 and community partners, with UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条 serving as the primary partner. The University of Chicago查看公司主页 will provide the property through a long-term lease, and the medical center will contribute funds toward construction. The initiative also draws generous support from Rush University System for Health (搜索)搜索该词条 and other community partners.

Addressing the Financial and Logistical Burden of Cancer Care

"Exceptional cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 care should be within reach for every patient who needs it," said Tom Jackiewicz, president of the University of Chicago查看公司主页 Health System. "Hope Lodge Chicago will help make it easier for patients to travel to Chicago for care, while giving them the opportunity to remain close to the people who support them most. It is an important addition to the investments we are making to expand access to UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条's cancer care."

For UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条, the need is particularly significant as its cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 program continues to care for patients from throughout the region and across the country, including people seeking specialized treatments and access to leading-edge clinical trials.

"Cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 care is increasingly complex, and patients often need to travel to academic medical centers to access specialized expertise, advanced therapies and clinical trials," said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, director of the UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条 Comprehensive Cancer Center. "For patients and families already navigating the physical and emotional challenges of cancer, the cost and logistics of traveling for treatment can become another burden. Hope Lodge Chicago will help address that burden and allow patients to focus more fully on their care."

Shane Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society查看公司主页 and Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 Action Network (ACS CAN), underscored the broader significance of the effort: "When cancer treatment requires traveling away from home, lodging should not be the reason someone delays or misses the care they need."

A National Network of Free Lodging

Across the country, American Cancer Society查看公司主页 Hope Lodge communities provide free lodging to more than 36,000 cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 patients and caregivers each year, saving them more than $85 million in lodging costs. Hope Lodge Chicago will be the American Cancer Society's 32nd Hope Lodge; the organization currently operates 31 other locations across the United States and Puerto Rico.

Chicago is a major destination for cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 care, serving patients from across Illinois, the Midwest and beyond. But for many families, staying close to treatment is expensive and difficult to manage. Hope Lodge Chicago will provide no-cost lodging and support for patients and families who need to travel for treatment, helping reduce the financial and logistical strain that too often comes with cancer care.

Supporting Patients Beyond the Hospital

In addition to guest accommodations, Hope Lodge Chicago will include a Cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 Wellness Hub offering programs and services for patients, caregivers and members of the South Side community. The hub will focus on areas such as physical activity, nutrition, social connection and stress management. Activities will be offered through the American Cancer Society查看公司主页's ACS EMPOWER program, which provides education and supportive services to help people manage the transition from cancer treatment to survivorship.

Proximity to the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion

Hope Lodge Chicago will be located about one mile from UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条's new AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion (搜索)搜索该词条, a 575,000-square-foot cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 facility scheduled to open in April 2027. Together, the projects will expand not only the physical capacity of UChicago Medicine's cancer program but also the support available to patients who travel from across Illinois, the Midwest and beyond to receive specialized cancer care.

Opening in April 2027, the seven-story AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion (搜索)搜索该词条 will be Illinois' first freestanding facility dedicated to cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 care and research. Located on UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条's Hyde Park campus, the pavilion will bring inpatient and outpatient cancer care, clinical trials, advanced imaging and supportive services together under one roof. Key features will include 80 private inpatient rooms, 67 private infusion bays, dedicated clinical trial space, advanced imaging, a rapid assessment clinic for immunocompromised patients, and patient- and family-centered technology and amenities.

The pavilion also will be home to one of two locations of the UChicago Medicine (搜索)搜索该词条 Ralph Lauren Center, which will offer cancer (搜索)搜索该疾病 prevention, screening, treatment and other supportive services. The other site will be at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, which will open later in 2026.