Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington Hosts Successful Free Cancer Screening Event

(Covington, La.) – More than 130 Northshore residents safely took proactive measures to protect their health by participating in Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s third annual Live Well Northshore event at the Covington Trailhead. Funded by the Ben Blanchard Memorial Foundation, Northshore residents received screenings for four different types of cancers at no cost at the Oct. 3 event. Live Well cancer screenings included breast, colorectal, prostate and skin. Any participants who received an abnormal finding are being assisted by a patient navigator to ensure necessary follow-up care is promptly accessed. “Nationally, we are seeing a lack of access to healthcare, especially cancer prevention, education and early detection services in local communities due to time constraints or other commitments, and unfortunately, this can result in cancers going undetected,” said Brittny Costella, early detection specialist for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Covington. “Events like Live Well Northshore provide us the opportunity to offer education and early detection on the weekend for the local community in a safe and accessible environment.” Due to COVID-19, the Cancer Center took extra steps to ensure the safety of both participants and staff. A number of practices were put in place to ensure the safety of everyone, such as increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting practices for high-touch areas and appointments for all screenings were required to ensure social distancing. All screening participants and staff were required to wear masks. The Cancer Center offers screenings throughout the year. For more information, call (985) 276-6810 or visit marybird.org/covington.   About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for almost 50 years. The cancer care organization provides care at nine centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma, Gonzales, Zachary and Natchez, Mississippi, and its service area encompasses southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi regions. For more information, please visit www.marybird.org.