Connect

Did you know more than 5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States each year? And one in five will get skin cancer in their lifetime? According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States with about one in five people developing it in their lifetime.

During National Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May including National Sun Safety Week, UVA Health and its community partners teamed up for several events to raise awareness — supporting our strategic plan initiative of cultivating healthy communities and belonging for all:

A Closer Look

UVA Health Department of Dermatology, UVA Cancer Center, and UVA School of Medicine collaborated to host the annual Skin Cancer Screening, with 190 appointments made and patients seen — and of those, 48 patients referred for further evaluation.

Some presumptive diagnoses included actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, atypical nevus, and melanoma — one of the most common forms of cancer diagnosed in adolescents and young adults.

UVA Health skin cancer experts recommend people should get screened if they:

• Are frequently exposed to the sun and UV light.
• Have a family history of skin cancer.
• Have a mole that has changed in shape, color, or size — or a sore that won’t heal.

“I want to emphasize how important each of you is to this community service event,“ Mark Russell, MD, FAAD, Director, Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery, UVA Health, commended team members. ”It simply doesn’t happen without you! Your individual commitment and team effort make it a success.”

“I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for your incredible work in making this year’s skin cancer screening event a tremendous success,” hailed UVA Health University Medical Center CEO Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, FACHE. “Your hard work, commitment, and collaboration truly make a meaningful difference. I am continually impressed by the impact on patients who may not have otherwise received care. Thank you again for your unwavering dedication to caring for our community.” 

Enlightening the Next Generation

UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (OCOE) continues its partnership with New River Community Action (NRCA) to bring the “Ray and the Sunbeatables” sun safety program to NRCA Head Start classrooms across the New River Valley.

Developed by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Sunbeatables is an evidence-based curriculum designed to teach young children about the importance of sun safe behaviors to help lower their lifetime risk of developing melanoma. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. Establishing sun safe habits as early as in preschool can help prevent the cumulative damage of the harmful UV rays. Sunburns during childhood can increase melanoma risk, so it’s important for children to develop sun protection habits at an early age.

Adapted and implemented by OCOE, Sunbeatables first launched in three NRCA Head Start classrooms in 2021, growing to five classrooms in 2022, and to all 11 in 2024 — now engaging 228 Head Start students and supplying classrooms with curriculum materials and teacher guides to support successful implementation across the New River Valley.

“It was wonderful to see how the teachers adapted the program to their classrooms,” says Meagan Graham, Outreach and Education Specialist, who joined OCOE in 2024 to support Sunbeatables expansion and help NRCA implement the program in their classrooms — many for the first time.

“Despite weather setbacks earlier this year, we were still able to ensure the kids learned important sun safe habits,” adds Graham. “I’m excited to see how this program continues to grow in the years ahead!”

From May 19 to 22, NRCA also celebrated Head Start’s 60^th birthday with end-of-year events across its sites, during which OCOE hosted interactive sun safety activities for families. Each student received a goody bag filled with sun-safe materials and educational resources for caregivers to promote sun safety at home. 

Graham says the OCOE-NRCA collaboration helps families build lifelong sun-safe habits and highlights the impact of community-driven prevention efforts and reflects OCOE’s commitment to reducing the burden of cancer for the patients of tomorrow — a key aspect of UVA Cancer Center’s mission.

Skin Cancer Screening

Ray and the Sunbeatables