Province partners with cancer foundation to provide mobile lung screening units for rural Albertans

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on September 26, 2024.

Rural Albertans will soon have access to better opportunities to check in on lung health, thanks to a new project by the province.

Alberta’s government and the Alberta Cancer Foundation are partnering with the not-for-profit 19 to Zero to support mobile lung health units that will bring screening services to underserved communities across the province.

“Living outside of a big city shouldn’t mean less access to vital testing and screening services. Early detection is key to successful cancer treatment, and these specialized mobile clinics will bring essential diagnostics to thousands of Albertans in rural, Indigenous and underserved communities each year,” said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

This mobile screening program will receive $1.5 million from the province, which will be matched by the Alberta Cancer Foundation. It is the hope that making these services more readily available to those who would otherwise face prohibitively long travel times will result in better care and better outcomes for these residents.

The mobile units include a converted medical sprinter van for pulmonary function testing and a custom-built diagnostic imaging truck, operated by Aceso Medical and integrated with Connect Care, ensuring instant access to test results for radiologists and pulmonologists.

“We are committed to ensuring every Albertan has access to the health-care services they need when and where they need them,” said Health Minister Adriana LaGrange. “These mobile units will help bridge existing gaps in the health-care system and improve outcomes for Albertans in rural and remote areas.”

One in 13 Albertans will develop lung cancer in their lifetime and more than 1,500 lives are lost each year due to this disease, making this a priority for the welfare of Albertans.

The province will be working with health-care partners to help determine where these units will be needed most, and a schedule for visits from them will become available online.

The first units are expected to be on the road in spring 2025.

Share this story: