Moncrief Cancer Institute debuts new Mobile Screening Clinic funded by Tarrant County

DALLAS – March 19, 2024 – Moncrief Cancer Institute debuted its new Mobile Screening Clinic prior to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting today. The $1 million, 36-foot cancer screening clinic was funded by Tarrant County through a three-year, $9 million grant awarded to Moncrief Cancer Institute in 2022. Part of the federal funding Tarrant County received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the grant enabled Moncrief to expand its comprehensive cancer screening program to more underserved residents in Tarrant County.

“The pandemic caused disruptions in cancer screenings, and through this grant, we’ve been working to avoid a post-pandemic cancer crisis in Tarrant County by providing free cancer screening services to our most vulnerable residents,” said Keith Argenbright, M.D., Director of the Moncrief Cancer Institute and Professor in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “In two years, we’ve screened nearly 10,000 residents for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, with many of these patients being screened on our first Mobile Screening Clinic. By adding this second Mobile Screening Clinic, we can double our screening efforts in Tarrant County for breast cancer and prostate cancer, the most common cancers among women and men. We’re tremendously grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Commissioners Court to have an even larger impact on the health of our community.” 

Over half a million new cases of breast cancer and prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, according to the American Cancer Society. These cancers have a high cure rate when they are caught early, and screening is the key to early detection, Dr. Argenbright said. Eligible residents in Tarrant County can receive free breast cancer and prostate cancer screenings on Moncrief’s new Mobile Screening Clinic, which is ADA-accessible and equipped with the latest medical technologies, including digital 3D mammography and high-speed telemedicine links to cancer experts.

“The Moncrief Cancer Institute’s Mobile Screening Clinic will bring cancer screening services directly into communities that need it the most and provide a proactive measure to combat cancer in Tarrant County,” Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said. “The Mobile Screening Clinic will ultimately save lives and improve outcomes through early detection and intervention. This strategic investment made by the prior Tarrant County Commissioners Court, through American Rescue Plan funding, represents a long-term commitment to the well-being of the residents of Tarrant County.”

“I have enjoyed a long partnership with the Moncrief Cancer Institute around the disparate impact of prostate cancer on the African American community,” Tarrant County Precinct 1 Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks said. “When the opportunity presented itself to expand throughout Tarrant County with the programs, procedures, and screening procedures we had developed over the years, I thought this was an outstanding use of ARPA dollars.”

About Moncrief Cancer Institute

Moncrief Cancer Institute is a nonprofit, community-based early detection and support center and part of the Simmons Cancer Center, the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Texas. Moncrief Cancer Institute offers an exceptional level of academic medical expertise in cancer services. 

About UT Southwestern Medical Center 

UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 21 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,100 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 120,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5 million outpatient visits a year.

Media Contacts:

Tracy Greene, Marketing and Communications Manager, Moncrief Cancer Institute
Email
Phone: 214-803-3585

Bill Hanna, Public Information Officer, Tarrant County
Email
Phone: 817-884-2535