Needs Beyond Medicine is committed to providing comprehensive support for cancer patients by offering financial assistance for non-medical expenses and promoting early detection through educational outreach.
Needs Beyond Medicine began in 2001 as a grassroots effort led by a dedicated group of community members and healthcare professionals. Their mission was to alleviate the financial strain faced by breast cancer patients by covering essential non-medical expenses, including transportation, rent, and other living costs.
By 2006, the organization had grown significantly, and in 2009 it officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Relief Program was formally established as the cornerstone of the organization’s services, evolving to support individuals with all types of cancer.
Needs Beyond Medicine is proud to partner with hospitals, clinics, and community organizations across Utah to ensure equitable access to support. As a stand-alone nonprofit, it collaborates with all care providers, regardless of affiliation, enabling cancer patients to receive assistance no matter where they receive treatment.
Under the leadership of full-time staff member Philip Brown and with the unwavering dedication of its many volunteers, Needs Beyond Medicine has expanded its impact. Beyond financial assistance, the organization provides educational seminars focused on cancer prevention, early detection, and awareness to empower communities throughout Utah.
Looking to the future, Needs Beyond Medicine envisions expanding its services into the Rocky Mountain region. The organization remains steadfast in its mission to support cancer patients with non-medical financial needs while raising awareness about all cancers and equipping individuals with life-saving knowledge.
Phil Brown, director and founder of Needs Beyond Medicine, first started with the organization in 2006 when it operated as a volunteer-driven committee. The committee hired Phil to help establish a business plan and future for the organization. In early 2008, the committee disbanded and did not want to continue, so Phil decided to push forward with establishing Needs Beyond Medicine as a 501(c)3. That goal became a reality in 2009. As Needs Beyond Medicine’s first employee and current operational head, Phil has been a long-time advocate for both the care of cancer patients and the education on how the disease can be better managed through early detection.
Phil’s passion of building awareness in the community through education, as well as his dedication to caring for the needs of those living with cancer, are inspired and driven on a daily basis by his own personal tragedy; Phil’s mother, Karen Brown, passed away in 1996 of ovarian cancer after 18 months of battling the disease with surgeries and chemotherapy. To honor her, one of Needs Beyond Medicine’s events is named after her, and there’s a scholarship set up in her name. The scholarship is to help current nursing students with tuition and books while they are attending nursing school in Utah.
It is Phil’s goal to raise awareness among the general public of the life-saving benefits of early cancer screenings. His objective is to expand Needs Beyond Medicine and the regions it serves throughout the country so that the message and work of the organization can reach and benefit more lives. Phil earned both his Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Needs Beyond Medicine
P.O. Box 712043
Salt Lake City, UT 84171
info@needsbeyondmedicine.org