The Stevens County Hospital Health Fair and cancer screenings will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 19th at Hugoton High School located at 215 W 11th Street in Hugoton, KS. The screenings are hosted by the Kansas Masons, Hugoton Lodge #406, and the Masonic Cancer Alliance (MCA). This community outreach event is open to the public. Insurance is not required and appointments are not needed for most screenings. Preregistration is preferred; walk-ins are welcome as time allows
Lodge members and staff from the MCA, the outreach network of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, are teaming up with health professionals from the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) and Stevens County Hospital to provide the screenings. Doctors from the University of Kansas Medical Center will offer free skin cancer screenings and prostate cancer screenings. Free take-home colorectal cancer screening kits and genetic counseling education will also be available. Free radon home testing kits will be available while supplies last. Registration forms are available at Stevens County Medical Clinic, Stevens County Hospital or Stevens County pharmacy and can be emailed to you upon request. To pre-register for mammograms call
913-945-7864. Walk-ins are welcome for mammograms as time allows. For those with insurance, mammograms will be billed to their insurance. For those without insurance, the Masonic Cancer Alliance will cover the cost.
Area Masons work with staff from the MCA and the Kansas Masonic Foundation to coordinate many of the screening events that often draw several hundred attendees of all ages. According to Brooke Groneman, MCA outreach director, more than 20,000 Kansas residents have attended the screenings since 2003.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer every day, and nearly 250 of those are diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer. The Centers for Disease Control reports that cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in Kansas, and the region has higher than average rates of skin cancer compared to other parts of the country. When it comes to the possibility of cancer, it is always better to catch a potential problem in the earliest stage possible. Anyone identified with a possible health concern at one of the screenings is advised to follow up with his/her local physician or provided with information on how to find a healthcare provider.
For more information on this health and cancer screening, call Camee Gifford at (620)544-8563 or
David Eckert at 620-544-1505.
