SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Program helps those exposed to radiation testing in 1950s and 1960s
Personnel from the Nevada Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP), offered through the University of Nevada School of Medicine, will hold free medical screenings on Saturday, Dec. 3, at University of Nevada, Reno in the Brigham Building. Screenings are by appointment only.
Nevadans who lived near or worked at the Nevada Test Site during the period of atmospheric nuclear testing (1951 – 1963) may be eligible to participate.
The Nevada RESEP offers Nevadans exposed to radiation no cost medical screenings and education on cancer and illnesses related to exposure to nuclear radiation.
In addition, the program assists individuals in applying for compensation through the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Under this act, eligible Nevadans who have had cancer or other radiogenic illnesses may receive up to $75,000 in compensation.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine is the only institution to offer free cancer screening clinics to Nevada residents exposed to radiation from above-ground nuclear testing and is able to do so because of a Health Resources and Services Administration grant, now in its seventh year.
Under the direction of Thomas J. Hunt, M.D., associate family medicine professor at the School of Medicine, screening and diagnostic services facilitating early detection of cancers and other health hazards associated with radiation are offered at periodic clinics held in various locations throughout Nevada.
“Our goal is to reach every person in the state of Nevada who may have been affected by harmful radiation exposure during nuclear testing, to provide them with access to free cancer screenings that provide early cancer detection, and to ensure that they receive valuable information about health hazards associated with the radiation they have been exposed to,” Hunt said.
Each clinic offers a comprehensive array of services aimed at improving the health and knowledge of Nevadans who were exposed to radiation including complete physical exams, x-rays and selected lab services.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Nevada RESEP Project Coordinator at 702-992-6887.
As the state’s only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been a leader in healthcare, medical education and research in Nevada since 1969. The School of Medicine includes 16 clinical departments including family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, surgery, and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and five nationally recognized departments in basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering. The more than 185 doctors of University Health System, the school’s clinical practice, offer care in more than 40 medical specialties and subspecialties with eight physician offices in the Reno/Sparks area and seven in Las Vegas. The school is committed to a best practices approach to medicine and is dedicated to exceptional healthcare for Nevada now and in the future. For more information visit www.medicine.nevada.edu.
