Mobile cancer screenings expand across Utah with new unit

Huntsman Cancer Institute's new Mobile Screening Clinic was unveiled Thursday, Jan. 9 with a ceremony in Payson, Utah on Jan. 13. Photo: Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

The expansion comes as Utah struggles with below-average cancer screening rates. State data shows only 63.8% of Utah women 40 or older received mammograms within the past two years, compared to the national average of 67%, placing Utah in the bottom tenth nationwide

PAYSON, Utah — Huntsman Cancer Institute unveiled its second mobile cancer screening clinic Thursday with a ribbon cutting event in Payson, Utah this morning, expanding its efforts to bring preventive care to underserved communities across Utah.

The new $1.6 million unit, funded through the Huntsman Cancer Foundation’s 2023 gala, will offer digital mammography alongside colorectal cancer screening, skin cancer checks, HPV testing, and blood-based cancer screening services.

“At Huntsman Cancer Institute, we want to expand access to world-class cancer care, and better access to screening is an important part of that objective,” said Mary Beckerle, CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The expansion comes as Utah struggles with below-average cancer screening rates. State data shows only 63.8% of Utah women 40 or older received mammograms within the past two years, compared to the national average of 67%, placing Utah in the bottom tenth nationwide.

Since launching its first mobile unit in 2019, the institute has served an average of 1,465 patients annually, reaching 20 of Utah’s 29 counties. The demand quickly overwhelmed the initial unit’s capacity.

“Once communities realized that we had the ability to take our mobile clinic to underserved people, we received many requests that had us booked out for months at a time,” said Lynette Phillips, manager of community cancer screening at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The institute confirmed plans to expand services to Summit County in 2025, with scheduled stops in Coalville and Kamas. Specific dates are still being determined.

Utah First Lady Abby Cox endorsed the program’s expansion: “I grew up in a rural area and have seen firsthand how distance can affect health care options for women. Programs like the mobile mammography clinics from Huntsman Cancer Institute are critical in showing up for rural and underserved urban communities in our state.”

The new unit will begin offering mammography services January 16.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Wasatch Behavioral Health in Payson, which houses both the Utah County Health Department and Mountainlands Community Health Center. The location holds added significance as Utah County prepares for construction of Huntsman Cancer Institute’s second comprehensive cancer center campus in nearby Vineyard.