Free medical radiation exposure screenings offered

Personnel from the Nevada Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP) will offer free medical screenings on Feb. 7 at the School of Medicine’s Family Medicine Center located in the Brigham Building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Screenings are by appointment only between the hours of 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Nevadans who participated on site during a U.S. atmospheric nuclear testing operation, lived downwind of the Nevada Test Site from 1951 to 1962, or worked in the uranium mining industry prior to 1971 may be eligible to participate.

Nevada RESEP offers no-cost medical screenings to eligible Nevadans, focusing on the early detection of cancers and other health hazards associated with radiation exposure. The program also provides education related to cancers and other radiogenic illnesses.

In addition, the program assists individuals in filing compensation claims under the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. As specified in the Act, eligible Nevadans who have had certain cancers or other illnesses may receive up to $100,000. Survivor benefits are also available.

The School of Medicine is the only institution in Nevada to offer free cancer screenings to individuals exposed to radiation from aboveground nuclear testing. Now in its 10 year, Nevada RESEP is under the direction of Thomas J. Hunt, M.D., associate family medicine professor at the School of Medicine.

Each clinic offers a comprehensive array of services aimed at improving the health and knowledge of Nevadans who were exposed to radiation, including complete physical exams and select lab services.

“Our goal is to reach every person in the state of Nevada who may have been affected by harmful radiation exposure during nuclear testing, to provide them with access to free medical screenings that provide early detection, and to ensure that these individuals receive valuable information about health hazards associated with radiation exposure,” Hunt said.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Nevada RESEP Program Coordinator at 702-992-6887.

The University of Nevada School of Medicine, a research-intensive, community-based medical school, has served Nevada for more than 40 years as its only public medical school. Our mission is improving the health of Nevada’s diverse population through world-class biomedical research, an innovative curriculum integrating basic and clinical sciences, and highly competitive residency and fellowship programs that complement a statewide network of urban and rural clinical facilities. Through targeted growth and investment in research, clinical services and education, we will become a resource for improving health care regionally and across the country.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Grant H1GRH27374, Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program, in the amount of $202,974, GY 2014-15. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.