Leading subspeciality expertise:
MSK is 100% focused on cancer, subspecializing across 400+ common and rare cancers.
For Unions
Access to cancer care expertise, support, and guidance
MSK Direct is a cancer benefits program that works in collaboration with unions to support members affected by cancer, at every stage of their cancer journey. Union members will benefit from Memorial Sloan Kettering’s lifesaving discoveries, research, cancer treatments, and leading outcomes.
MSK Direct empowers union members to take control of their treatment plan with:
- Navigation to clinical care and treatments: Guidance to world-class care at MSK or locally
- Comprehensive support: Personalized guidance and support for members and organizations
- Expert medical opinions: Second opinions from world-renowned, subspecialized cancer experts
- Screening & prevention resources: Cancer screening, risk assessment tools, and educational resources
Video | 1:18
Why Unions Choose to Partner with MSK Direct
Learn how MSK Direct works.
Where and how your union members are treated first matters.
Cancer is among the toughest and most challenging diagnoses an individual will ever face. MSK Direct seeks to mitigate the traditional barriers to accessing high-quality cancer care by providing people with the right subspecialized cancer expertise in the care setting that is best for them.
- 100% focus on cancer, subspecializing across 400+ common and rare cancers.
- 25% better 5-year survival rate compared to other hospitals.
- Resources for patients and caregivers to support a comprehensive approach.
- Services in multiple languages.
Video | 2:28
One Man’s Hope to Educate Others about MSK Direct — Marcos' Story
Marcos, a union member with access to MSK Direct, talks about his experience at MSK and his hope for others to learn how MSK Direct can help connect you to the right cancer specialists and support you every step of the way.
Marcos Ramirez:
My name is Marcos Ramirez. I work with the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit. It means a lot to me to be in a union, especially noticing the work that we put into the city.
Marcos Ramirez:
Hey Jill. Hey. How are you? How's it going?
Marcos Ramirez:
What I love about my job is that it's all hands on. We do get to meet the people in person and then they see that, you know, we're here to help. My whole journey with cancer started back in 2020. I just started developing really, really bad stomach pains and they weren't getting any kind of relief. I GI doctor recommended I get a CT scan and when the scan came back and that's when I got the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I immediately sought care at MSK because it is the frontier hospital to go to for cancer care, not only in New York, but uh, throughout the whole world it seems.
Ariela Noy, MD:
When Marcos first came to MSK, he had a very aggressive lymphoma that happened because he had a kidney transplant and that put him at risk for complications.
Marcos Ramirez:
It just made me comfortable knowing that I was in the best hands available.
Sergio A. Giralt, MD:
Where you get treated for cancer matters. Memorial Sloan Kettering is special because we are one of the first comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Experience makes a difference. Through MSK Direct, we can help patients and their family access the resources that will make their cancer journey easier.
Ariela Noy, MD:
At the end of his treatment, Marcos still had a teeny tiny spot and unfortunately that showed that he still had lymphoma. Because Marcos was at MSK, he was able to get on an MSK led clinical trial that gave him the best chance to be cured for his cancer.
Sergio Giralt, MD:
Through MSK Direct, the care advisors will have access to all the portfolio of the clinical trials we have.
Ariela Noy, MD:
Marcos' lymphoma disappeared with his first set of scans and it has never come back.
Marcos Ramirez:
That was glorious. This journey for cancer is never going to be easy, but when you have a team like MSK behind you, it definitely makes the ride a lot easier.
Ariela Noy, MD:
Everybody at this institution, it's just completely dedicated to each individual patient and seeing them through with everything that they need to get through their treatment.
Marcos Ramirez:
So I would love my brothers and sisters from the union to know that MSK Direct can save their life like it did mine.
Cancer in the workplace
A 2023 study published in BMJ Oncology revealed a 79.1% global increase (from 1990-2019) of early onset (ages 14-49) cancer diagnoses.1
50% of workers are afraid to disclose their cancer diagnosis for fear of stigma or losing their job.2
92% of cancer patients feel the support they receive from the workplace, positively affects their health.2
This puts employers in a powerful position to affect positive change.
Sources: 1 BMJ Oncology, 2023; 2 Working with Cancer Pledge, (n.d.).
Cancer costs and new cancer cases are on the rise.
With MSK Direct, your members will have the benefit of:
Superior outcomes:
MSK has a 25% better 5-year survival rate compared to other hospitals.
An expert diagnosis and treatment plan:
Getting the correct diagnosis first lowers unnecessary costs and improves outcomes.
Ready to bring MSK Direct to your members?
We’ve successfully partnered with unions to meet diverse healthcare needs. With MSK Direct, your members have expedited access to equitable cancer care, while your organization benefits from a dedicated account manager and MSK’s clinical leadership program, working together to create tailored, strategic cancer care solutions for your population.
Learn more