Life-Changing Cancer Care, Close to Home
About the Funds
Following the formation of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Erie, generous donors helped to form the Hamot Health Foundation Cancer Fund and the SLM Breast Cancer Fund at Hamot Health Foundation. Since 2019, the Hamot Health Foundation Cancer Fund has been used to advance clinical cancer services at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Erie, while the Sandra Lynn Martin (SLM) Cancer Fund is designated to meet critical personal needs of cancer patients and their loved ones.
How the Funds are Used
SLM Breast Cancer Fund
- All dollars stay local—supporting the patients and families receiving care at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Erie.
- Financial support for cancer patients and families facing financial hardship
- Prescriptions and copay support
- Mortgage/rent/utility assistance
Sandra Lynn Martin
The SLM Breast Cancer Fund is named after Sandra Lynn Quigley Martin. A 1975 graduate of the Hamot School of Nursing, Sandy worked at UPMC Hamot for 26 years. She spent most of her nursing career caring for the hospital’s most critically ill patients. Sandy was passionate about her family, the Erie community, and local sports. She was extremely close with her three daughters and adored by their
peers who affectionately called her “Mommy Martin.”
Sandy was 56 years old when she passed away on June 28, 2011, after a courageous battle with triple negative breast cancer.
Her family established this fund to honor her life and aid other families who are
financially burdened by their fight with cancer.
Hamot Health Foundation Cancer Fund
- With support of local cancer research and clinical trials, our foundation is helping strengthen the clinical trials research infrastructure and staffing at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Erie so patients can access innovative cancer treatments close to home.
- We proudly fund wellness and recovery initiatives, such as the Moving Through Cancer program, which helps cancer patients stay active through exercise and physical‑therapy referrals, as research shows that patients who engage in regular movement during treatment experience better outcomes.
- We continue to invest in advanced treatment technologies, including funding cooling cap technology for chemotherapy patients, to enhance comfort and improve outcomes.
- We invest in ongoing staff training and professional development opportunities to ensure care teams remain equipped with the latest skills, knowledge, and best practices in cancer treatment.
