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Screening and Education Bus Supports COVID-19 Response

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Staff members standing with Cancer Education and Screening Bus

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the 香蕉视频 of Utah is deploying its Cancer Screening and Education Bus to assist with COVID-19 testing. Beginning today, the bus will target areas where rates of COVID-19 positive tests indicate a need for additional testing. This effort is in collaboration with 香蕉视频 of Utah Health (U of U Health) and in coordination with local and community partners.

Since its debut last fall, HCI鈥檚 Cancer Screening and Education Bus has provided mammography to more than 1,000 women, most of whom identify as low-income and underserved. Last month, HCI made the difficult decision to suspend routine cancer screenings, which included pausing mobile breast cancer screening. This decision was made to reduce the community spread of COVID-19, protect health care staff, and conserve personal protective resources.

Now, HCI is stepping up to assist in a unique way during this unprecedented time. The 45-foot-long mobile unit has been temporarily outfitted with special equipment to help with COVID-19 specimen processing and storage.

鈥淲e are honored to support these critical efforts and find new ways to serve our community,鈥 said Don Milligan, MBA, executive director of HCI鈥檚 cancer hospital at U of U Health. 鈥淩edirecting some of our resources to better serve the immediate needs of individuals and families is the right thing to do at this unprecedented time. It extends our collective commitment to improving the health of all Utahns.鈥

鈥溝憬妒悠 of Utah Health has established many COVID-19 testing locations with the goal of reaching as many residents as possible,鈥 said Richard Orlandi, MD, chief medical officer of ambulatory health for U of U Health. 鈥淲e are grateful to Huntsman Cancer Institute, who for over two decades, has been a trusted partner in our community. We are excited to begin this new collaboration with a strategic approach to provide resources and testing to some of our most vulnerable communities.鈥

Additional collaborators include ARUP Laboratories, the Utah Department of Health, the U of U鈥檚 David Eccles School of Business, and U of U Health鈥檚 Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.

People experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should call U of U Health鈥檚 coronavirus hotline at 801-587-0712 for an initial phone screening. This call will determine if a patient should be evaluated by a health care professional using virtual urgent care or needs to be tested at one of U of U Health鈥檚 testing sites.

Media Contact

Heather Simonsen
Public Affairs Senior Manager
Huntsman Cancer Institute
801 581-3194
public.affairs@hci.utah.edu

About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the 香蕉视频 of Utah

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the is the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a legacy of innovative cancer research, groundbreaking discoveries, and world-class patient care, we are transforming the way cancer is understood, prevented, diagnosed, treated, and survived. Huntsman Cancer Institute focuses on delivering the most advanced cancer healing and prevention through scientific breakthroughs and cutting-edge technology to advance cancer treatments of the future beyond the standard of care today. We have more than 300 open clinical trials and 250 research teams studying cancer. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center. Our scientists are world-renowned for understanding how cancer begins and using that knowledge to develop innovative approaches to treat each patient鈥檚 unique disease. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.

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