CANCER COMMUNITY
SkinP Van Provides Skin Cancer Education and Prevention
While being able to enjoy Hawai‘ i’ s warm, tropical climate has numerous upsides, the sun exposure also puts many at risk for skin cancer.
The UH Cancer Center’ s new SkinP Van(“ Skin Check Van”) is touring O‘ ahu to promote skin cancer prevention. The initiative, generously supported by the Friends of the UH Cancer Center, began with a launch event in April 2024 at Kalihi Valley District Park. The goal is to educate the community about skin cancer prevention methods and highlight the importance of sun protection.
The mobile unit— with a crew of staff, students and doctors drawing variously from the UH Cancer Center, the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine, and the Hawai‘ i Dermatological Society— tours outdoor venues and is fully equipped with educational materials, including photoaging software, and tools to measure a person’ s total sun exposure throughout their lifetime.
Kū Ola Van Aims to Reach Native Hawaiian Men
Anew mobile clinic van with a fully functioning laboratory, exam table, automated wheelchair lift, and other customized features was officially dedicated in August 2024.
The van is used to reach Native Hawaiian men in communities throughout O‘ ahu. Emblazoned with the positive message“ Promoting Native Hawaiian Health and Well-being,” the van will make cancer screenings and exams more easily accessible for Native Hawaiian men. The van is the result of a collaboration between Ke Ola Mamo, the only Native Hawaiian healthcare system on O‘ ahu, and the UH Cancer Center.
The van helps to advance the mission of Kū Ola, a UH Cancer Center health program for Native Hawaiian kāne, or men, which has been in operation for more than two decades. Kū Ola was formed out of the need for Native Hawaiian men to meet together to share their health concerns.
1 4