UF Health Cancer Center Introduces Mobile Screening Unit for Early Cancer Detection
The University of Florida Health Cancer Center launched a 40-foot-long mobile cancer screening bus Wednesday that will expand access to lifesaving cancer screenings and essential health care services, including 3D mammograms and cervical, colon, and prostate cancer screenings.
Called the Mobile Cancer Screening Connector, it’s the first of its kind in North Central Florida and will serve a region larger than Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined. It strengthens the Cancer Center’s efforts to detect cancer early — when it’s most treatable — by eliminating barriers like transportation and time away from work. Those barriers place a large burden on residents of the largely rural region of North Central Florida the center serves, where breast cancer is among the most prevalent cancers and many lack access to screening.
“We are so proud to launch the Mobile Cancer Screening Connector to bring vital cancer screening and health care services directly to people right in their own communities,” said Jonathan D. Licht, M.D., director of the UF Health Cancer Center. “As a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, this innovative mobile unit will help us reduce the burden of cancer in the expansive area we serve, with a particular focus on rural, aging, and underserved groups, and bring evidence-based health care where it’s needed most.”
The vehicle, funded by a $1.5-million grant from the UF Office of the President’s strategic funding initiative and matching funds from the Cancer Center, will offer clinics in the coming weeks. The center will partner with community and faith-based organizations to see patients in convenient neighborhood spots such as churches, shopping centers, and community centers.
In addition to screenings, the Connector will help residents reduce cancer risk through services such as HPV vaccination and smoking cessation resources. There will be information about all aspects of cancer and prevention, and opportunities to participate in UF research studies.
“By offering several types of cancer screening services in one place, we will use the Connector to reach more people, encouraging community members to get multiple cancer screenings closer to where they live and to bring their friends and family to get screened, too,” said Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D., the Cancer Center’s associate director for community outreach and engagement. “The Connector will foster meaningful relationships with rural community health providers, allowing UF Health to provide high-quality care beyond its walls.”
Studies show mobile mammography services are effective in reaching underserved communities. In the Cancer Center’s service area, 15 of the 23 counties have mammogram rates below the state average. All 15 of these rural counties have rates of advanced-stage diagnosis — cancers that are the hardest to treat — higher than the state’s rate. And 10 of the 23 counties have breast cancer mortality rates higher than the state average.
The unit will offer the same state-of-the-art 3D mammography technology as UF Health radiology centers and be staffed by an expert team of radiologists, physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and health workers. By providing a more detailed image of breast tissue, 3D mammography helps radiologists better distinguish normal breast tissue from possible abnormalities.
“Everyone seen on the Connector will receive the same high-quality, comprehensive health care that is offered in all UF Health practices, customized to their individual needs,” said Lakeshia Cousin, Ph.D., APRN, AGPCNP-BC, assistant director of community outreach and engagement at the UF Health Cancer Center and medical director of the Connector.
The team is committed to culturally tailored outreach, including offering services in patients’ preferred language, she said.
After a mammogram, breast images are transmitted via a secure connection to UF Health doctors, who analyze the images to tell if further testing or follow-up is needed. Working closely with a team of UF Health oncology nurse navigators, the Connector team will ensure patients have a detailed plan for follow-up care. The team will help those who are uninsured apply for vouchers from the Florida Department of Health to cover mammography costs.
Pamela Burnett knows the importance of early detection firsthand. A breast cancer survivor who lives in Deltona, she is the founder of The Beautiful Gate Cancer Support & Resource Center and creator of MASS: Mammograms After Sunday/Spiritual Service, the signature breast health education and screening program of the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation.
The Cancer Center has partnered with the program for years to host mammography clinics. Burnett said the Connector will strengthen personal relationships that are crucial for effectively educating people about cancer.
“We are looking forward to engaging communities at high risk for late-stage breast cancer and building trust,” Burnett said. “It’s a community effort, and it’s about all of us providing these services together.”