The Screen for Life Coach is touring Greenstone and the North Shore in June and July and then in northwestern Ontario in August and September.
The Screen for Life Coach travels to rural and remote communities offering residents access to breast, cervical, and colon cancer screening.
"The reason why this cancer screening is important is because in our communities not all types of cancer screening tests are available which mean that travelling to larger cities to access these services is sometimes required,” Marathon Family Health Team promotions coordinator Michele Lajeunesse said.
Lori Hamilton, the interim mobile coach coordinator for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, acknowledged that northwestern Ontario is isolated from accessing life-saving programs such as cancer screening.
“Compared to other parts of Ontario, Northwestern Ontario covers a vast geographical area,” Hamilton said. “Especially for remote northern communities, where the nearest breast screening location can be many hours away. Our goal is to reduce the distance a client has to travel in order to access these health services.”
Hamilton advised that women aged 50 to 74 years should have a mammogram every two years, and people should complete a Pap test every three years to screen for cervical cancer. Anyone aged 50 to 74 years with no family history of colon cancer should complete a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit every two years to screen for colon cancer.
Book your screening appointment on the Screen for Life Coach today by calling (807) 684-7777.
The season's travel schedule is available online.
With files from Al Cresswell, CFNO Radio
