The Urology Health Foundation is recognizing 20 years since expanding its mission to bring free prostate cancer screenings and education to communities across Alabama, with a particular focus on rural and medically underserved areas.
Founded by Birmingham urologist Dr. Thomas E. Moody, the organization began in 2003 as the Urology Centers of Alabama Educational Foundation, initially focusing on educating physicians and other medical professionals about advances in urological care.
In 2006, the organization was renamed the Urology Health Foundation and expanded its mission to include free patient education and screenings for urological diseases. The following year, UHF launched its statewide prostate cancer screening program.
Since 2007, the foundation has provided more than 20,000 free prostate cancer screening visits in 23 Alabama counties, including communities throughout the Black Belt. Today, the organization continues to provide approximately 1,000 screening visits each year. To schedule a screening, see this list of communities and dates.
Foundation leaders said the program was created in response to Alabama's high prostate cancer death rate and significant disparities affecting African-American men.
Access to screening and treatment can be especially difficult in rural communities, where residents may face financial challenges, limited access to medical care and a shortage of specialists.
UHF's approach has been to "bring the doctor to the patient" by taking free screenings directly into underserved communities. When a screening identifies a potential problem and a patient cannot afford treatment, the foundation also works to help connect that person with care at no cost.
The foundation credits partnerships with the Alabama Department of Public Health, local media outlets, churches, Extension offices and chambers of commerce with helping the program reach men who might otherwise go without screening.
Over the past two decades, Alabama's prostate cancer death rate has declined along with the national trend, while disparities in early-stage diagnoses between Black and white men in the state have narrowed. UHF believes its emphasis on screening and early detection has contributed to those improvements.
As it marks the anniversary, the foundation plans to continue its free screenings while working to expand its reach into additional Alabama communities.
"All told, this has truly been a collaborative effort," the foundation said of the program and the community partnerships that have supported it.
The Urology Health Foundation is also encouraging Alabamians to learn about upcoming screening opportunities and support its work through tax-deductible donations to help bring prostate cancer screening and education to more communities across the state.
Learn more about UHF here.
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