SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Personnel from the Nevada Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP) will offer free medical screenings on Saturday, August 25, 2012 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 Program offers Nevadans exposed to radiation no cost medical screenings. This screening program also provides education on cancer and illnesses related to exposure to nuclear radiation.
In addition, the Nevada RESEP 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 (HRSA) grant, now in its seventh year. Under the direction of Thomas J. Hunt, M.D., associate 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 the Family Medicine Center in Las Vegas and at clinics periodically held in various locations throughout Nevada.
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.
“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.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Nevada RESEP Project Coordinator at 702-992-6887.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine, a research-intensive, community-based, statewide medical school, has served Nevada for more than 40 years as its only public medical school. Our mission is improving the health of Nevada’s diverse population through world-class biomedical research, an innovative curriculum integrating basic and clinical sciences, and highly competitive residency and fellowship programs that complement a statewide network of urban and rural clinical facilities. Through targeted growth and investment in research, clinical services and education, we are a resource for improving health care regionally and across the country.
