MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Grant support from XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, is expanding access to lung cancer screenings in Marion and Harrison counties via LUCAS, a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art mobile unit that offers low-dose computed tomography scans.
A grant from XTO covered programmatic costs for visits to Fairmont’s WVU Medicine Outpatient Center and Monongahela Valley Association Health Center this month. Both visits were open to eligible patients from Marion and Harrison counties. Lauren McCauley-Hixenbaugh, program manager for LUCAS, said the two stops served a total of 11 patients.
“Our team is passionate about serving as many West Virginians as possible,” McCauley-Hixenbaugh said. “We couldn't do that without support from donors like XTO Energy, who have given us an opportunity to serve more patients in Marion and Harrison counties.”
McCauley-Hixenbaugh said LUCAS will return to Marion and Harrison counties in the 2022 season.
XTO Energy, an ExxonMobil subsidiary, is a leading oil and natural gas producer in the United States with expertise in developing tight gas, shale gas, and unconventional oil resources. With 38 employees, XTO Energy operates in 29 counties and holds more than 102,000 acres in West Virginia. The company seeks to make a positive impact in the communities in which it operates, including Marion and Harrison counties.
“XTO Energy is proud to partner with WVU to provide preventative healthcare to our neighbors in Marion and Harrison counties,” said Ian Kephart, operations manager for XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. “We value the well-being of our community, and this unique opportunity allows us to give back in a meaningful way.”
LUCAS, an acronym for Lung Cancer Screening, is a service of WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals and the WVU Cancer Institute. In West Virginia, more people die of lung cancer than colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer combined. LUCAS travels to 42 counties in the state without easy access to lung cancer screening.
Screenings are billed to private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. Uninsured patients living in West Virginia who meet screening criteria can receive their lung cancer screening on LUCAS through the generosity of donations and grant funds like those provided by XTO Energy.
LUCAS builds upon the success and infrastructure established by Bonnie’s Bus. Similar to mammography, regular lung cancer screening can detect cancer early, when it is easier to treat and cure. Both units are part of the WVU Cancer Institute Mobile Cancer Screening Program and work in collaboration with a statewide partnership of clinicians, public health professionals, and other community leaders to reduce the number of deaths from breast and lung cancer in West Virginia.
For information on LUCAS, see WVUCancer.org/LUCAS. Individuals and businesses interested in supporting LUCAS can visit WVUCancer.org/giving for more information.
The grant support from XTO Energy was provided through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.