--- description: Our free skin cancer screening and education program has completed the 2023 season, bringing hope in the fight against skin cancer. title: 1,845 Free Skin Cancer Screenings in 2023 - The Skin Cancer Foundation image: https://www.skincancer.org/wp-content/uploads/Louisville-scaled.jpg --- ![Sun \& Skin News]() # 1,845 Free Skin Cancer Screenings in 2023 By [Victoria Kopec](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/author/vkopec/) • Published On: October 10, 2023 • Last Updated: October 16, 2023 ![Destination Healthy Skin RV](https://www.skincancer.org/wp-content/uploads/Louisville-768x1024.jpg) #### Our [Destination Healthy Skin](https://www.skincancer.org/early-detection/destination-healthy-skin/) free skin cancer screening and education program has wrapped up another eventful season, with 1,845 free screenings in the books. Each year, the program brings hope and progress in the fight against skin cancer, helping thousands of people along the way. Here are the final numbers for 2023:  - **9,800 miles** traveled by our custom RV with two private exam rooms  - **42 events** around the country  - **1,845 free skin cancer screenings** provided by** 66 volunteer dermatologists**** ** - **788 potential skin cancers** and precancers identified by our dermatologists**,** including** 44 suspected melanomas**   - **168 potential atypical mole**s identified. These moles are a risk factor for melanoma - **6,200+ people** received free educational materials, skin care and sun protection products  ### **14 Years of Free Screenings and Skin Cancer Education**  We began this program in 2008 and have hosted 796 free screening and education events around the country. During this time:  - **29,124 people** have had free skin exams performed by volunteer dermatologists  - **11,794 suspected cancers and precancers**—including **529 suspected melanomas** – have been identified  - **103,000+** people have attended the events ### **Closing Out the 2023 Season**   We stopped at three locations in Ohio – Cleveland, Bellefontaine and Dayton – before heading down to Louisville, KY and then Nashville, TN, where we held our final events of 2023.   At all three Ohio events, we were grateful to have [melanoma](https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma/) warrior Leah Alexis Adams come by to lend a hand.  “It was an awesome experience to help and share my story with melanoma with others while educating people in my state on the importance of skin checks and being your own best health advocate,” she told us.    Our Bellefontaine event was a busy one, located outside a local hospital. Our volunteer dermatologist, Michael Conroy, MD, and his team screened a steady stream of participants.  One participant told us that his best friend’s diagnosis of [ocular melanoma](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/in-my-mothers-eyes-her-ocular-melanoma-story/) motivated him to get screened. He was worried about a black mole on his leg. The doctor suspected that the mole was a melanoma and scheduled an appointment to get it biopsied.    ### **Saving Lives, One Mile at a Time**  We are passionate about this program, and each year, our final few stops are both busy and bittersweet. Our location near a YMCA in Louisville made for a bustling event, with 100 participants on the first day. Big thanks to Virginia Kartha, MD, for volunteering to screen and educate patients. At Centennial Park in Nashville, our volunteer dermatologist Nashay Clemetson, MD, provided the final screenings of the season in a beautiful setting.  Even though we’ve just completed the 2023 season, planning for next year is already underway! We’re eager to get back on the road to provide more free screenings and education in communities around the country. Our ultimate goal is healthy skin for all!   ### **What People Are Saying**  Destination Healthy Skin is one of our most important educational programs — an opportunity to make a face-to-face connection with people all over the country and spread our lifesaving messages about [skin cancer prevention](https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/) and the importance of [early detection](https://www.skincancer.org/early-detection/). Here’s what some of our participants said about their experience: *“I’m so grateful all of this is free.”* (Idaho Falls, ID)  *“I want to prevent skin cancer and learn new ways to better care for my skin, gaining knowledge I can impart to my daughter.”* (New York, NY)    *“Today was an informative opportunity to assess my skin health and potential concerns, and also take preventative actions.”* (Panama City Beach, FL)  *“Great for people who may not be able to afford regular visits with a dermatologist.”* (Tempe, AZ)  ### **Powered by You**  Each year, this lifesaving program is powered by the generosity of our sponsors and people like you. We are grateful to our 2023 sponsors – EltaMD Skin Care; Bristol Myers Squibb; dsm-firmenich; Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group; Sun Bum; Merck & Co., Inc.; The Lynne Waxman Foundation; and The Sunshine Foundation – for all of their help to make Destination Healthy Skin possible.  And to every single person who donated to support the program – THANK YOU for keeping this lifesaving program on the road.   [**Support the 2024 journey**](https://give.skincancer.org/give/274781/#!/donation/checkout)   We hope you enjoyed following us as we traveled around the country. Here’s a collection of images from the final stretch of our 2023 Destination Healthy Skin program.  ![]()
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Participants check out the skin cancer education table in Nashville, TN
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Participants wait their turn for a skin exam in Cleveland, OH
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One of our event managers helps a participant fill out her screening form in Louisville, KY
  ##### Categories - [Ask the Expert](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/ask-the-expert/) - [Child Sun Safety](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/child-sun-safety/) - [Destination Healthy Skin](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/destination-healthy-skin/) - [Healthy Lifestyle](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/healthy-lifestyle/) - [Inside The Skin Cancer Foundation](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/inside-the-skin-cancer-foundation/) - [Monthly Newsletter](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/enews/) - [News & Research](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/news-research/) - [Skin Cancer Awareness Month](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-awareness-month/) - [Skin Cancer Information](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-information/) - [Skin Cancer Myths & Misinformation](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-myths-misinformation/) - [Skin of Color](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-of-color/) - [Tanning](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/tanning/) - [The Big See](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/the-big-see/) - [The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/the-skin-cancer-foundation-journal/) - [This Is Skin Cancer](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/true-stories/) - [Why We Give](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/why-we-give/) ##### Follow Us [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/skincancerfoundation) [![x logo]()](http://twitter.com/SkinCancerOrg) [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-skin-cancer-foundation/) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/skincancerorg/) [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/skincancerorg/) [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/user/SkinCancerFoundation) ##### [Sign up for newsletter](https://www.skincancer.org/newsletter-sign-up/)   ##### Popular Posts - [Ask the Expert: Does a High SPF Protect My Skin Better?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-does-a-high-spf-protect-my-skin-better/) - [Why Does My Skin Peel When I Get Sunburned, and What Should I Do About It?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/why-does-my-skin-peel-when-i-get-sunburned/) - [DIY Don’ts: Why At-Home Mole Removal Is a Bad Idea](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/diy-donts-why-at-home-mole-removal-is-a-bad-idea/) - [Amelanotic Melanoma: It Doesn’t Look Like Other Melanomas](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/amelanotic-melanoma-it-doesnt-look-like-other-melanomas/) - [Ask the Expert: Painful Moles](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-expert-painful-moles/) - [How Dangerous is Melanoma? It’s All a Matter of Timing](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/dangerous-melanoma-matter-timing/) - [Sun Protection and Vitamin D](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/sun-protection-and-vitamin-d/) ![]() [![candid logo]()](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/shared/248c6aa7-9ca9-4489-81b8-69bd7ed2f3d5) Open menu Menu Close menu SearchSearch ```json {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/"},"author":{"name":"Victoria Kopec","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/person\/88046b1f8356ff57f093f2c8079eac55"},"headline":"1,845 Free Skin Cancer Screenings in 2023","datePublished":"2023-10-10T17:12:06+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-16T17:03:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/"},"wordCount":706,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Louisville-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Destination Healthy Skin"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/1845-free-skin-cancer-screenings-in-2023\/","name":"1,845 Free Skin Cancer Screenings in 2023 - 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