With COVID seemingly on the wane, it’s time for vaccinated people to get back to the beach. It’s time for them to get back to summertime gatherings with their family. It’s time to get back to enjoying the company of one another.
And, after many people put their routine health checks on hold while hunkering down during the pandemic, it’s also time to get back to regular preventative health screenings.
In fact, the return to screenings is the focus of a new initiative St. Tammany Health System is working on in collaboration wit the America Cancer Society and the Commission on Cancer to urge Northshore residents to re-engage with their primary care providers regarding regular checkups and cancer screenings.
“Simply put, regular cancer screening tests can improve and save your life,” St. Tammany Health System Community Health Coordinator Anne Pablovich said, adding that screenings increase the chances of detecting some cancers early, when they may be easier to treat.
“For instance,” she said, “St. Tammany Health System saw a substantial decrease in colonoscopies, considered the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening, during the pandemic. Colorectal cancer is largely preventable in average-risk individuals through the detection and removal of precancerous growths before they become cancer.”
To help in that regard, St. Tammany Health System recently introduced its Be Well Bus, a 40-foot motorcoach outfitted with a variety of screening equipment, including for mammograms, that is designed to provide screening opportunities for local residents right in their neighborhoods.
Local residents can watch for it at festivals, health fairs and other community gatherings. Coming up, for example, it will be at Peter Atkins Park in Covington from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 19 for a Juneteenth Freedom Celebration, where attendees can visit it to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine.
People can visit StTammany.health/BeWell for more information on the Be Well Bus schedule.
They can also reach out to their healthcare provider to schedule a screening at their own convenience or call St. Tammany Health System at (985) 898-4001 to schedule an appointment.
“Either way,” Pablovich said. “The whole point is that screenings save lives – and that the time to get back to screenings is now. We’re encouraging everyone in our community to talk to their doctor or a healthcare professional about getting on track with their recommended cancer screenings.”