Live From Chicago: Bringing Sun Protection Awareness to Communities

The 2024 Chicago SPF Fest, sponsored by Neutrogena, the Melanoma Research Foundation, and Walgreens, provided free skin checks and free sunscreen samples to Chicago community members for UV Safety Month. Local dermatology clinicians participated in the event by conducting skin cancer checks and educating community members about the importance of sun protection.

Renata Block, MMS, PA-C, a board-certified physician assistant at SKIN Dermatology in Munster, Indiana, and a Dermatology Times Editorial Advisory Board member, was one of the clinicians in attendance. While there, Block interviewed fellow dermatology clinicians about the importance of community outreach for skin cancer awareness and encouraging early detection, as well as highlighted the Melanoma Research Foundation with the organization’s chief executive officer.

At the event, Block spoke with Jang-Mi Johnson, PA-C, president of the Illinois Society for Dermatology Physician Assistants; Jennifer Choi, MD, chief and professor of oncodermatology and medical dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Kyleigh LiPira, MBA, chief executive officer of the Melanoma Research Foundation; Megan McLuckie, NP, a board-certified adult-gerontology nurse practitioner at Pinnacle Dermatology in Chicago; and Katherine Jerge, PA-C, a board-certified physician assistant also at Pinnacle Dermatology in Chicago.

Following the SPF Fest, the Melanoma Research Foundation hosted a Miles for Melanoma Chicago 5k at Montrose Beach that included free skin screenings by QualDerm clinicians.

Interview With Jang-Mi Johnson, PA-C

Block: Why is community outreach important to you as a dermatology physician assistant?

Johnson: It's important because a lot of patients don't always have access to dermatology care, or they don't even realize that dermatology care is something that they should have access to. So, being out in the community, it's really important to tell everyone, “Hey, you have skin, your skin needs care. Come and see us.

Block: I couldn’t agree more with you, I think annual skin exams are so important. And you're right, a lot of people don't think they need one. What do you tell your patients and the reasoning why they need one?

Johnson: Well, if they have skin and they've been exposed to the sun, there's always that risk of potential skin cancers, but also sometimes you'll discover a skin condition that someone may not know that they had during an exam.

Block: How do you educate your patients who have darker complexions or skin of color?

Johnson: I know that there's a rumor or a myth that skin of color doesn't need skin protection from the sun, and it doesn't need to be checked because people with darker skin don't get skin cancers. But that is a myth. It is so important that everyone get their skin checked. I have some skin of color patients who have skin cancer, believe it or not. Melanoma is actually the most common, and it is also found in later stages in people of skin of color.

Interview With Jennifer Choi, MD

Block: Why do you think community outreach and skin cancer screenings are important?

Choi: I think this is really important because skin cancer is still one of the most common cancers that affects everyone in the US, and it's important to offer skin cancer screenings for anyone walking by who may not have accessibility to a dermatologist, and also to increase awareness that this could happen to them.

Block: Do you think skin cancer rates are increasing because people are getting more skin cancer checks?

Choi: That is probably part of the reason why we're detecting more skin cancers, that we are actually increasing awareness. So, with more checks, we're probably detecting more skin cancer. I think something that is very encouraging is that recent evidence has shown that in the younger population, meaning under 30, the skin cancer rates actually seem to be decreasing, and that also may be partly due to increased awareness, in terms of sun protection.

Interview With Kyleigh LiPira, MBA

Block: Why is the Melanoma Research Foundation so important?

LiPira: The MRF was established to support melanoma patients and caregivers and really create awareness about melanoma to the entire public. We were founded by a patient 28 years ago, and our mission at that time was just to fund research. And thankfully, research has improved, and more lives are being saved. Our mission expanded from there to education and advocacy. So, educating the community about melanoma, how to prevent melanoma, like we're doing today with skin checks, and create awareness about how you can prevent melanoma from occurring.

Block: You are creating so much awareness in the community, and this is going to be an amazing event. What do you see happening in the next year for the Melanoma Research Foundation?

LiPira: We are going to continue to spread awareness. We have an amazing campaign called #GetNaked which encourages people to check their own skin and see a dermatologist once a year for a full-body skin screening so that they know their skin. But they can also catch things early because we know that if you catch melanoma early, your entire journey is very different in terms of treatment and options.

Block: When caught early, the survival rate of melanoma is 99%, and that speaks volumes. In regard to catching that melanoma early, 90% of skin cancers are attributed to UV radiation from the sun, and it's so important to get that annual check and the fact that you're out here serving the community and educating the public, we cannot thank you enough.

LiPira: We know how hard it is to get into a dermatologist. Sometimes it can take upwards of 6 months to get your skin checked. We’re here to serve the community.

Interview With Katherine Jerge, PA-C, and Megan McLuckie, NP

Block: With skin cancer checks, you did this last year, and what difference did you see in regard to volunteering with this community outreach in educating the public about skin cancer? Have you noticed more people coming into the clinic?

Jerge: I would say absolutely yes. Last year we had a lot of people and that was their first full-body skin examination ever. Thankfully, a lot of the patients that I saw at the event actually followed up in the clinic and we did their first full body exam and a couple of them had biopsies, and some of them did have things that needed further treatment.

Block: How do you feel about turnout and the impact that you're making?

McLuckie: It's just been so exciting because last year we were here too, the same group of us, and we had such an impressive turnout. I didn't even expect as many. So this year I'm expecting just as much, if not more, and it's just really exciting to see people interested in their skin, interested in getting to know what are the signs of melanoma, and so it's a nice education point, and with the energy of this event too all centered on melanoma awareness. Most of the people here know somebody who's had melanoma, and that's why they're here today. So it's an extra point of reaching out to the community.

How do you get involved in community outreach? Email DTEditor@mmhgroup.com for an opportunity to be featured.