PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center on Tuesday held a free cancer screening clinic for uninsured individuals between the ages of 40 and 64.
Tenille Oderwald, supervisor of cancer services at OSF HealthCare, said COVID-19 has caused people to avoid the hospital, and in turn, cancer screenings are down.
“This year we’ve had a lot of uncertainties, but the one thing that’s for certain is cancer has not changed. We need to make sure people are coming in and get their screenings completed,” she said.
Cancer screenings are important for the early detection of cancer and improve chances of a full recovery.
“We are trying to reignite screenings for cancer … a one-stop-shop for the community offering mammograms, pap smears, skin checks, oral cancer checks, as well as lung cancer screenings,” she said.
An OSF Care-A-Van was present for wellness screenings as well.