Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina awards $10,000 grant

Thanks to support from the Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina, Novant Health Cancer Prevention, Education and Early Detection staff is improving access to care for under/uninsured Mecklenburg County individuals at high risk for lung cancer through Novant Health’s Lung Cancer Screening and Education Program. Staff collaborates with Shelter Health Services, Charlotte Community Health Clinic and Lake Norman Community Health Clinic to encourage under/uninsured, high-risk individuals to enroll in program activities if they are long-term smokers or have experienced long-term exposure to secondhand smoke.

Staff provides education, smoking cessation counseling, nicotine patches and low-dose CT scans with the goal of reducing late-stage lung cancer diagnoses among the targeted population. Staff also provides gasoline cards to patients facing transportation barriers to screening appointments.

“We are proud to partner with Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina for the 2019 grant cycle,” says Maria Kuklinski-Long, manager of Novant Health Cancer Prevention, Education and Early Detection. “This grant affords under/uninsured individuals the opportunity to access lifesaving prevention and early detection measures to reduce the risk of late-stage lung cancer. We are extremely grateful for the generous support of the Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina in this important endeavor.”

To learn more about the Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina, please visit www.lungcancerinitiativenc.org.