BATON ROUGE, La. – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s Live Well Baton Rouge, a free cancer screening and community health event, returns to the capital city next month, capping off the organization’s spring Live Well series for 2023. This year’s event will be held Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. along Spanish Town Road in front of the Louisiana State Capitol.
Live Well Baton Rouge will also feature various health vendors, food, music and activities for kids.
Appointments are required for all screenings. Call (225) 425-8034 or visit pogo.marybird.com to schedule an appointment.
“Every year, Live Well Baton Rouge provides residents, many of whom are underinsured or uninsured, with free early detection and prevention services that they otherwise might not have access to,” said Renea Duffin, vice president, cancer support and outreach, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “We want every member of our community to be proactive about their health. If you haven’t been screened for cancer in the past twelve months, take advantage of this free opportunity.”
Last year, nearly 150 capital area residents received a total of 260 screenings, with 13 requiring additional patient navigation. Nearly 48% of those participants had never been screened for cancer prior to the event. Additionally, more than 67% of participants reported being uninsured.
“The data speaks for itself,” Duffin said. “Our work is literally saving lives across our community. While we are proud of the gains we have made through our previous Live Well Baton Rouge events, we know we still have so much more work to do.”
Live Well Baton Rouge would not be possible without the support of presenting sponsor, Karnival Krewe de Louisiane (KKdL). KKdL’s dedication to Mary Bird Perkins is on display annually at the organization’s Mardi Gras ball. Over the past year, the krewe has raised more than $375,000 for cancer research, early detection and education as well as supportive care for patients in the Baton Rouge area.
For more information about this event and other cancer screening opportunities in your community, please visit marybird.org/get-screened.
About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for more than 50 years. The cancer care organization provides care at 10 centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Gonzales, Hammond, Houma, Opelousas, Slidell, and Natchez, Mississippi, and its service area encompasses southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi regions. Mary Bird Perkins has a strategic affiliation with OneOncology and the largest radiation and medical oncology groups from across the area including exclusive partnerships with Southeastern Louisiana Radiation Oncology Group, which provides radiation therapy throughout Mary Bird Perkins’ service areas, Northshore Oncology Associates, serving St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, specifically the communities of Covington and Slidell and Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates, which services the Greater Baton Rouge area. For more information, please visit www.marybird.org.