Introducing OM-CAN Ocular Melanoma Clinical Access Network
Access to Treatment Depends on More than Medicine
Recent research shows that more than half of cancer patients experience what’s known as catastrophic health expenditures, out-of-pocket costs so significant they threaten a family’s financial stability.
These costs include:
Gas or airfare
Hotels or short-term lodging
Lost wages
Childcare
Rental cars
Meals on the road
Ongoing surveillance travel
Another study found that financial factors are among the strongest predictors of whether a patient participates in a clinical trial, sometimes even more than race or ethnicity.
In other words:
Access to cutting-edge treatment and research may depend less on eligibility…
and more on whether someone can afford to get there, and keep getting there.
For rare cancers like OM, this reality is even more pronounced.
We’ve seen firsthand how the burden of travel can
Influence treatment decisions
Interrupt continuity of care
Prevent participation in research
Or determine whether a patient can remain on a clinical trial long enough to benefit
This is where access becomes equity.
Introducing OM-CAN
The Ocular Melanoma Clinical Access Network
The Ocular Melanoma Clinical Access Network (OM-CAN) is a collaborative funding network developed by the Eye on Grace Foundation to address the non-medical financial barriers associated with accessing specialized care and participating in clinical research.
OM-CAN is not a patient program. It is a partner network.
OM-CAN invites:
Individuals
Nonprofit organizations
Hospital systems
Industry partners
to contribute financially to a shared network designed to mitigate the travel-related financial stress experienced by patients with ocular melanoma.
Funds contributed through OM-CAN directly support the mission of the Eye on Grace Foundation, which provides non-medical financial assistance for travel and lodging so patients can access recommended care and participate in research, regardless of their zip code or bank account.
Because breakthroughs in treatment only matter if patients can reach them.
Partnership Levels Within OM-CAN
OM-CAN partners are encouraged to participate annually at one of four levels:
🥇 Gold Partner ($100,000 – $200,000+)
Gold Partners serve as leading collaborators in advancing equitable access to care. Their investment helps sustain year-round travel assistance for patients seeking subspecialty treatment or participating in clinical trials.
🥈 Silver Partner ($50,000 – $99,999)
Silver Partners provide critical infrastructure support for travel grants that allow patients to begin or continue treatment at specialized centers.
🥉 Bronze Partner ($25,000 – $49,999)
Bronze Partners contribute meaningfully to reducing logistical barriers that often interrupt care or prevent research participation.
👁 Vision Partner ($5,000 – $24,999)
Vision Partners expand the reach of OM-CAN by helping fund individual trips for surveillance, treatment, or clinical trial participation.
Why OM-CAN Matters
In 2025 alone, the Eye on Grace Foundation supported more than 900 patient and caregiver trips, deploying approximately $448,000 in travel assistance.
Every dollar contributed through OM-CAN helps ensure that:
A patient can enroll in a clinical trial
A caregiver can accompany a loved one
Surveillance imaging is not delayed
Treatment plans are not altered due to cost
Participation in research is based on eligibility, not affordability
OM-CAN exists to make sure that geography and financial resources do not determine outcomes.
Because in the fight against rare cancers like ocular melanoma, access is not a convenience … it’s a lifeline.
Learn more: Financial Factors are Driving Inequities in Cancer Trial Participation
Learn more: The Financial Toxicity of Cancer
Interested in learning more about OM-CAN?