THUNDER BAY – Health – Cancer screening services hit the road on March 31st as the Screen for Life Coach’s 2014 travel season begins. Between Mar. 31 and Oct 5th the Coach will visit over 35 communities across the Northwest region, including First Nation communities.
“The beginning of travel season is exciting for us each year,” says Lauren Beach, Mobile Coach Lead at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC). “This is the first full travel season with our new coach that offers three organized cancer screening programs.”
Women who are 50 years of age and older can access the Screen for Life Coach for breast screening mammograms and a take-home ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) kit. Women 30 years of age and older are also able to book an appointment for a cervical cancer screening Pap test.
Dr. Stephanie Block, Mobile Coach Medical Lead with Prevention and Screening Services at TBRHSC says “Cancer screening is an important to help prevent cancer and find it in its early stages when it is easier to treat. The Coach is a groundbreaking service that brings cancer screening closer to home for women who might not be screened otherwise due to lack of accessibility.”
To emphasize the importance of accessibility, Beach adds “Each year the Screen for Life Coach has increased access to diagnostic mammography for approximately 200 women who live in remote communities. Without the coach these women would have to travel into Thunder Bay or another larger city centre. The coach brings these services close to home.”
The Coach will start its screening tour through the region in Dryden. During its 173 days in the region, the Coach will travel as far West as Kenora and in the East to Wawa with many other stops in between. Over the course of the year annual mileage surpasses 17,600 kilometres.
Women who are eligible for cancer screening services on the Screen for Life Coach are encouraged to book their appointment today by calling: 1-807-684-7777 or 1-800-461-7031. For the full travel schedule and a virtual tour of the coach, visit: www.tbrhsc.net/screenforlife.
