Creating Access to Lung Cancer Screening in a Rural State Through a Mobile Unit
LUCAS provides LCS to the most rural areas of West Virginia (WV). Residents of WV have poor cancer health outcomes, negative behavioral contributions, & disparities that compound these outcomes. Building upon Appalachian values of independence, family, community, hard work, & resilience, LUCAS uses these strengths to implement successful initiatives. Several factors make LUCAS unique: · Existing relationships with communities, · Referral back to local providers, · Working with multiple health systems, · Mobile power solution · Integrated AI technology · Traveling the entire state. After reviewing state smoking and lung cancer data, the need to expand beyond mobile mammography was evident. With few existing mobile LCS units and the unique aspects of our state and program, most of the design needed to start with a blank slate. To serve all areas of WV, there was a need for mobile power. Collaboration with partners allowed this project-limiting step to be resolved. The team also developed the procedures, processes, and outreach components from the ground up. A key piece of the WVUCI Mobile Cancer Screening Program is the relationship with communities. Leveraging established relationships from the mammography unit and the 30+ years of community-based programs, Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) was prepared to lead the development of LUCAS. The existing collaboration with over 150 community partners allowed us to strengthen our infrastructure using surveys to examine the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, & practices of providers and community understanding & knowledge.