Corporate Angel Network COVID-19 Update
/CAN continues to operate and assist those needing to travel during this challenging time. While CAN usually completes approximately 250 to 300 patient flights per month, flight requests are down dramatically, averaging between five and eight per week for the last two weeks. This is largely due to patients canceling their requests, as they are stable enough to wait until the situation passes. Treatment centers are also rescheduling patient appointments if it is not critical. That being said, those who are requesting to fly with CAN are in urgent need and we will continue to exhaust all options to serve them.
While several flight departments are currently closed, CAN is still receiving available flights from those still in operation. The team has also had success using the NetJets Flight Repositioning tool and is still able to use NetJets hours as needed.
Additionally, multiple partner organizations have offered to perform dedicated flights for CAN patients. One participating company completed a dedicated flight for a pediatric patient this past Friday, March 20, from Minnesota to California.
CAN is in close communication with other organizations in the oncology field, including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Gift of Life and Be the Match. They are working directly with Gift of Life to register bone marrow and stem cell donors needing to travel as commercial flights become more limited and restricted.
CAN will continue to assess the COVID-19 situation and alert all participants if the operating status changes.