For patients and caregivers, the cancer journey can often feel like a daunting voyage into unfamiliar terrain. Beyond the disease itself, complex medical decisions, insurance claims, and personal finances become roadblocks on the path to wellness.
As a communications professional in radiation oncology, Courtney Snodgrass helps lead her patients, many of whom belong to vulnerable populations in underserved communities, through the complexities of cancer treatment and medical billing.
“I’m very passionate about cancer, healthcare, and treating the whole patient, which includes relieving their financial anxieties,” said Courtney, a native of Nashville, Tennessee.
“Our patients trust us during a hard time in their lives,” Courtney explained. “We don’t send patients to collections. We always answer the phone so patients don’t have to deal with an automated system. And we do whatever we can to make the billing process as simple as possible.”
In her career, she’s driven to turn patients into survivors through compassionate care – the same motivation that has led her to serve on the Survivor Fitness Foundation board of directors.
In 2018, a Survivor Fitness trainer at Courtney’s local gym introduced her to Meg Grunke, the non-profit’s executive director.
“We were looking as a company to support organizations that work with local cancer patients and fit our mission to serve the whole patient,” said Courtney. “We are big on health and fitness as a company and have a lot of initiatives to encourage people to take care of themselves.”
For the past four years, Courtney’s company has matched Giving Tuesday contributions to Survivor Fitness, a scholarship-based program providing cancer survivors with one-on-one fitness training and nutritional counseling in Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
“I love their mission,” said Courtney. “I’m big into fitness myself. Seeing how it’s helped me personally with my mental and physical health, it’s inspiring to know they’re helping a lot of people who might otherwise not have that service – especially where they live.”
Courtney knows what it means to have access to essential services that are local and convenient. Her company recently expanded to operate its own radiology clinics in rural Alaska, Oklahoma, and Oregon with a mission to reach patients with limited treatment options.
Similarly, she knows the importance of having a local resource like Survivor Fitness to bridge the gap between remission and wellness.
“A lot of studies show that getting help and getting treatment close to home helps in recovery because you’re around your friends and family,” explained Courtney, who envisions Survivor Fitness eventually expanding nationwide.
“I think Survivor Fitness will eventually increase its offerings to patients in more places while still staying true to its mission, one patient and partnership at a time,” she said.
As a proud Survivor Fitness board member, Courtney is pioneering a simpler, safer route to good health for cancer patients everywhere.
Courtney Snodgrass, MSDM is Manager of Marketing and Communications at Radiation Business Solutions in Nashville, Tennessee. Click here for a complete list of Survivor Fitness board members.
