Canes Cares Annual Community Fair Expands Cancer Screenings, Mammography
Summary
- Canes Cares brought mobile mammography directly to Oak Grove Park, expanding access to breast cancer screening in South Florida.
- The event integrated cancer screenings into a broader community health fair focused on prevention.
- The mobile screening was part of a broader commitment by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to meet communities where they are through Canes Cares.
Brightly wrapped mobile screening vehicles pulled into Oak Grove Park in northeast Miami on Saturday, March 14, transforming a familiar neighborhood space into a hub for preventive care. The Sylvester Game Changer™ mobile cancer screening vehicle, along with the MAMMOLINK mobile clinic that provided mammograms, brought cancer screenings directly into the community, offering women a convenient opportunity to take an important step toward early detection.
The mobile screening was part of a broader commitment by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth — University of Miami Health System, to meet communities where they are through Canes Cares, the University of Miami’s signature community outreach initiative.
More Than a Screening Event
The Canes Cares Health and Resource Fair extended beyond breast cancer screening. The event brought together a wide range of preventive services under one umbrella, including cancer screenings, dental screenings, primary care services and HIV testing. Over the course of the day-long event, more than 75 people were screened and 17 women received mammograms.
Community partners joined Sylvester clinicians and staff to provide health education and connect attendees with ongoing resources, reinforcing that prevention is not a one-day event but part of a broader continuum of care.
The location itself played an important role. Oak Grove Park, a central gathering place in the neighborhood, offered a welcoming environment where families could learn, ask questions and engage with health care providers outside the walls of a hospital or clinic. For some attendees, the fair marked their first interaction with Sylvester. For others, it served as a familiar annual touchpoint that reinforced a growing relationship.
The Sylvester Game Changer, UHealth SoLé Mia Medical Center, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Adolescent Medicine, Sylvester’s Behavioral and Community-based Research Shared Resource (BCSR), UM Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and UM Rapid Access Wellness (RAW) Clinic joined community partners at information and screening tables. Together, they offered a range of health screenings, education and resources designed to connect residents with care and reinforce prevention in a familiar, community-centered setting.
“What makes efforts like Canes Cares effective is the partnerships,” said Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate director for community outreach and engagement, vice president for health promotion and chief well-being officer at Sylvester. “When health care providers, community organizations and local partners come together in familiar spaces, screening becomes part of the community fabric, not something people have to go out of their way to seek.”
Bringing Breast Cancer Screening Into the Community
Breast cancer screening was a central focus of the Canes Cares Health and Resource Fair. Early detection remains one of the most effective tools for improving breast cancer outcomes, yet many women delay or forgo mammograms because of logistical challenges, cost concerns or limited access to nearby facilities.
“Too often, we ask people to navigate a complex health care system on their own,” said Alicia Diaz Oria, M.P.H., director of the office of community outreach and engagement at Sylvester. “Canes Cares flipped that model. We brought high-quality care into a trusted community space and removed as many obstacles as possible, so taking care of your health felt accessible and achievable.”
Designed to Remove Barriers to Care
Inside the MAMMOLINK mobile unit, women received high-quality mammograms interpreted by fellowship-trained breast imaging radiologists. Appointments took about 10 minutes and same-day results were provided, helping streamline the screening experience.
The Sylvester team worked closely with patients during the community screening initiative, where simplicity was critical in helping women feel comfortable and informed.
“When someone stepped onto the mobile unit, they were often carrying more than just questions about a mammogram,” Diaz Oria said. “Their role was to make the experience feel supportive and straightforward, answering questions, easing concerns and helping women understand what came next, whether that was reassurance or follow-up care.”
“Trust is built over time, and it’s built through presence,” Dr. Kobetz said. “Community-based screening initiatives like Canes Cares help close gaps in early detection by meeting people in environments where they feel comfortable and respected. That connection is critical to improving outcomes.”
This approach reflects Sylvester’s broader mission as South Florida’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and a national leader in cancer prevention and early detection research.
A Model That Continues to Evolve
The Canes Cares model also underscores the power of visibility. A mobile mammography unit parked in a neighborhood sends a clear message: health care belongs there. It invites conversations, normalizes preventive care and turns awareness into action.
“For the women who stepped onto a mobile unit for a mammogram or cancer screening, the experience may have lasted only minutes,” Dr. Kobetz said. “But the impact — early detection, reassurance or a timely referral for follow-up care — could last a lifetime.”
Tags: cancer research, cancer screening, Dr. Erin Kobetz, Game Changer, mammography, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center