OhioHealth Cold Cap Therapy Program

A portion of race registration for the OhioHealth Capital City Half Marathon will go to the OhioHealth Foundation. The Foundation will use those dollars to provide funding for OhioHealth’s Cold Cap Therapy program, an innovative cancer care treatment that can help prevent or minimize hair loss from chemotherapy. Most traditional insurance plans do not cover costs associated with cold capping, so this philanthropic support means cancer patients can retain a sense of dignity and control during their treatment journey.

“It essentially freezes patients’ scalps in order to save their hair during some chemotherapy treatments,” said Bethany Golden, president of the Over My Head Boutique at the OhioHealth Bing Cancer Center and the Dublin Cancer Center. Patients wear their cold caps before, during and after treatment and they, along with a support person, are trained in how to use them by the team at Over My Head.

Jen Ernst is a four-time Cap City participant. She’s also a breast cancer survivor, who chose to utilize cold capping during her treatment.

“When I was told I had cancer and would undergo chemotherapy, my biggest fear was losing my hair,” Jen said. “I dreaded the thought of receiving looks of pity or encountering unsolicited conversations from strangers. I was thrilled when I learned that cold cap therapy was a service offered through the Over My Head Boutique at OhioHealth.”

So far, more than 130 patients have been able to receive cold cap therapy, thanks to donor support of the OhioHealth Foundation. Based on the average out-of-pocket cost per patient for cold cap therapy, the OhioHealth Foundation has been able to cover about 75 percent of that cost. Additional funding is vital to sustain and grow OhioHealth’s Cold Cap Therapy program and defray direct costs to patients on their cancer treatment journey.

Jen is thankful to this year’s participants for helping to support cold cap therapy through their registration.

“Cold cap therapy is an out-of-pocket expense and may not be an option for everyone,” Jen said. “Not only will the philanthropic support increase the accessibility to patients, but I believe it will help raise awareness about cold capping. Battling cancer is hard and everyone should have access to a therapy that can help maintain their confidence and dignity, provide hope and give them the strength they need to fight.”