Cancer screenings are critical for preventing and treating disease, yet people too often lack access to these services. Screening also represents an essential gateway to better community health.
To meet this mission, Jesse Keiper, a member of St. Luke’s Cancer team, organized a free cancer screening and prevention fair that highlighted St. Luke’s comprehensive commitment to care—from detection to treatment to continuing wellness.
Jesse, an oncology prevention and advocacy specialist who has been with St. Luke’s for more than a decade, coordinated the inaugural screening fair in February at the St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus. Despite the bitter cold, more than 40 screenings for skin and head and neck cancers were conducted. Attendees also learned about screening and prevention for other types of cancer and toured the Upper Bucks Center for Hope & Healing—a one-of-a-kind patient-centered space for support throughout the cancer journey—where oncology dieticians made smoothies and answered questions about nutrition.
Jesse organized the screening fair as part of her capstone project for a Master’s of Social Work from Moravian University. She designed the event to convene multidisciplinary cancer treatment teams around the shared goals of exceptional care and positive patient experiences, creating an opportunity to showcase St. Luke’s growing Centers of Excellence for cancer treatment.
The Centers of Excellence initiative is intended to encourage and foster communication and coordination among Cancer team members as they work to provide personal and seamless patient care. Currently there are four Centers of Excellence; the number will soon expand to 11 to include all disease‑specific cancer programs at St. Luke’s.
“It’s not just about being ‘excellent’ in the clinical setting, but it's how we deliver care and how we work together as a team,” said Kerianne Pollinger, Director of Oncology Excellence and Accreditation at. St. Luke’s.
Pollinger has been Jesse’s field supervisor for two years and encouraged her to coordinate St. Luke’s screening fair plans. Jesse’s work also underscores St. Luke’s mission to identify and cultivate talented employees who live in the communities they serve.
“Jesse is homegrown St. Luke’s talent and reflects what makes our St. Luke’s family so special,” Pollinger said. “We grow our own leaders, and we approach that responsibility with the same intention and care that we bring to our patients.”
Jesse is organizing the next St. Luke’s cancer screening and prevention fair for August 1st from 9 a.m.-noon at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus in Allentown. The event is free, and anyone can walk in, or accompany family members, to get screened and to learn more about how prevention and early detection can save lives.
“It’s about that one community member who builds trust and rapport with us. Therefore, they’re going to trust the system and come to these appointments,” Jesse said. “It’s about relationship-building in the community.”
