It’s time for our 2025 Destination Healthy Skin (DHS) program to take a summer break after visiting 13 states this spring in our brand-new RV. We’re proud to share the impact we’ve made since hitting the road in April. To date, 37 dermatologists have volunteered their time and performed 1,336 skin exams—each one a potential life saved.
In the first half of the program, we reached the following milestones:
- Our volunteer dermatologists have identified 432 suspected skin cancers andprecancers including 77 basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), 29 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and 29 melanomas.
- The doctors found nearly 300 actinic keratoses, a precancer that can develop into squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs).
- Destination Healthy Skin visited 17 cities, with our team hosting a total of 27 events.
The Skin Cancer Foundation has provided nearly 33,000 free skin cancer screenings since our first mobile screening program launched.
Kicking it Into High Gear
The 2025 journey kicked off in April with a two-day event in Schaumburg, Illinois, where locals took advantage of the opportunity to receive free, full-body skin cancer screenings from board-certified dermatologists. From there, we closed out the month in Ohio, visiting both Columbus and Willoughby.
It’s important to pay attention to skin health from a young age, which is why it was heartwarming to see a preteen girl come for a screening with her grandma in Columbus. She had seen a small spot that she was concerned about, and she was eager to get screened. The spot ended up being a noncancerous congenital cyst, and she was grateful for the peace of mind the screening provided. Several other kids followed her lead and decided they wanted screenings, as well!
Big Screening Numbers in the Big Apple
During Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May, the RV headed to the bustling streets of New York City to make a splash at this special time of year.
One man biked all the way from Brooklyn to Manhattan because his wife sent him the screenshot of the DHS schedule. He got to the event after it officially ended, but Elizabeth K. Hale, MD, our senior vice president, generously stayed late to screen him. She was so glad she did. She found a potential basal cell carcinoma and a suspected melanoma. Our event manager gave him information on how to schedule a follow up exam. With gratitude, the man left a donation for The Skin Cancer Foundation.
At one of our events in Brooklyn, a 101-year-old woman was our first participant to use the new RV’s wheelchair lift: an important accessibility feature we were thrilled to add this year. The woman ended up having a potential squamous cell carcinoma and several suspected actinic keratoses.
Across five days in New York City, volunteer dermatologists performed an incredible 426 free screenings.
Grateful Comments
The kind words of DHS participants are a powerful reminder of the impact this journey has on communities. A few thoughts from the public:
“I just lost my father-in-law to metastatic melanoma three weeks ago, so having frequent checks means I can be there for my child in the future.”
“I think it’s a great opportunity to spread awareness and encourage healthy habits.”
“Very impressed with the quality of the RV, service and experience. Thrilled to be able to participate today — thank you for offering this!”
“So generous to help raise awareness and give preventative healthcare to people with or without health insurance.”
“Relief to be checked rather than wonder. Been trying to prioritize skin health lately.”
Destination Healthy Skin will be back on the road in September, so check our schedule to see if we are visiting a city near you!
Big thanks to our 2025 program sponsors, EltaMD Skin Care, Jergens Natural Glow, Merck & Co., Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb, Castle Biosciences, dsm-firmenich, Sun Bum and The Lynne Waxman Foundation, whose support fuels the 2025 journey around the country. We look forward to more stories, screenings and sun-safe smiles this fall. Below, get a glimpse of our journey, so far.
