IU Health Mobile Lung Screening Unit Coming to Dubois County in April

A 40-foot truck carrying a CT scanner will pull up to the Dubois County Health Department on Thursday, April 23, giving eligible Jasper-area residents access to the same lung cancer screening technology typically found inside a hospital. The IU Health Mobile Lung Screening Unit will be on-site at 1187 South Saint Charles Street from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and appointments are required.

The screening is a low-dose CT scan designed to detect lung cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. It requires no needles, no special diet, and no change of clothes. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and early detection can significantly increase survival rates.

Eligibility is specific: individuals who currently smoke or who have quit within the last 15 years and are between the ages of 50 and 77 may qualify. Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, typically cover the screening for those who meet those criteria. For individuals without insurance, financial assistance may be available.

To check eligibility and schedule an appointment, call 317-962-5864 or email lungscreening@iuhealth.org. For general questions or directions to the South Saint Charles Street site, contact the Dubois County Health Department directly at 812-481-7050 or visit duboiscountyin.org.

The mobile unit is Indiana's first program of its kind, launched March 4, 2025, with a ribbon-cutting at Tom Wood Aviation in Fishers. Built around a partnership between the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and IU Health, the program was funded through a transformational gift from the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation, which IU Health then matched dollar for dollar. The program aimed to deliver approximately 2,000 scans in 2025 alone, coordinating follow-up care for patients within their own communities after each stop.

"Make no mistake, this mobile lung screening program will save lives and save dreams," said Nasser Hanna, MD, at the program's launch. "We know that we can significantly reduce mortality by diagnosing lung cancer early."

The Dubois County stop is part of a broader statewide circuit that has already taken the unit through Blackford, Jay, and Bartholomew counties, among others. Anyone who may qualify should call ahead: the April 23 window at 1187 South Saint Charles Street runs just six hours, and no walk-ins are guaranteed.