As the weather gets warmer and summer quickly approaches, physicians at WMed Health Family Medicine want to provide peace of mind when it comes to skin health.
Members of the community are invited to a free skin spot check clinic from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, at WMed Health Family Medicine, 555 W. Crosstown Parkway, in Kalamazoo.
You do not need to be a current patient at WMed Health to attend the spot check clinic. The event is free and open to the public.
“Skin cancer is treatable,” said Kristi VanDerKolk, MD, a family medicine physician at WMed Health and associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Cure rates are higher when it is caught early. If you have a spot, get it checked out. Even if it is quite small, we still want to see it.”
Walk-ins are welcome and patients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Patients are also welcome to call the office at 269.585.0200 for a specific appointment time.
Patients of all ages are welcome, and health insurance is not needed.
“Often, there is a lack of awareness and a lack of access to resources when it comes to skin cancer,” said Andrew Luciano, MD, a family medicine physician at WMed Health and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Having a no-charge opportunity for anyone who has concerns to come be evaluated is an important service to our community.”
WMed Health physicians expect to be able to examine lumps, bumps, moles, rashes, warts, precancer, skin cancer and scars. They will give patients advice on the next best steps.
Attendees will receive free sunscreen for participating in the event.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with one in five people developing the disease by the age of 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control offers the following tips to stay healthy as summer weather approaches:
- Stay in the shade.
- Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher