Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, investigators at Moffitt and Ponce Health Sciences University acted quickly to address barriers to mental health care in cancer patients in Puerto Rico with support from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
To date, 235 referrals for no-cost mental health services have been provided to patients and their families. Efforts continue through recent supplemental funding to address the long-term mental health consequences of Hurricane Maria in addition to the 2019 earthquakes and COVID-19 pandemic.
