Emory leaders, VIP guests and speakers participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Winship Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening launch event held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, through generous support from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and in collaboration with Mount Sinai Health System, celebrated the launch of the new Winship Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Program today at a community event inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium with health care leaders, city officials and local celebrities. The initiative aims to bring accessible initial screenings to men across Georgia at no cost to them, with a focus on addressing disparities in prostate cancer among those at highest risk, including Black men.
The celebration drew an enthusiastic crowd and featured appearances by special guests Montell Jordan and Atlanta Falcons legend Chris Draft, along with Freddie Falcon and Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders. The event was emceed by Fred Blankenship, with a program and ribbon-cutting ceremony on the field, followed by a reception in the stadium’s Delta Club Lounge.
A united front addressing disparities
Dr. Suresh Ramalingam, Dr. Ash Tewari, Arthur Blank and Dr. Joon Lee at the Winship Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening launch event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Community leaders and physicians stressed that the mobile screening clinic is an important step toward narrowing longstanding health disparities. Speakers included Joon Lee, MD, CEO of Emory Healthcare; Arthur M. Blank, chairman of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation; Suresh Ramalingam, MD, FACP, FASCO, executive director of Winship Cancer Institute; and Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, system chair of the Department of Urology at the Mount Sinai Health System and founder of their mobile screening initiative in New York. The program opened with a blessing from Reverend Skip Mason. Milton Little, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta and a prostate cancer survivor, also spoke at the event.
“Bringing prostate cancer screening directly into neighborhoods helps break down the barriers that too often keep men from getting tested,” says Martin Sanda, MD, Louis McDonald Orr Distinguished Professor of Urology at Emory University School of Medicine and director of Winship’s Prostate Cancer Program, who leads the team running the screening initiative. “By making prostate cancer screening more convenient and accessible, we can find the disease earlier, when it’s most treatable, and ultimately save more lives.”
Ramalingam emphasized the power of collaboration in tackling such disparities. “This initiative reflects the best of what can be achieved when health systems, community leaders and philanthropy come together for a common cause,” he said. “This bus will conceivably be a beacon of hope on wheels, traveling out into communities, providing vital health information to more Georgians so they can make informed decisions to get treatment sooner, while still treatable and manageable.”
“As a prostate cancer survivor, I know firsthand the life-saving impact and peace of mind that screenings can have on men,” said Arthur M. Blank, owner and chairman, Blank Family of Businesses. “It is an honor for our Family Foundation to partner with Mount Sinai and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University on this incredible initiative. Our hope is that this mobile unit will stand as a symbol of trust, access and equity in our community. I pray for all my brothers who face this disease and encourage all men to get screened.”
“I founded this initiative to bring prostate cancer screening directly to the communities that need it most. Since launching our first mobile unit in New York, Mount Sinai has screened more than 11,000 men, about 20 percent of whom, importantly, required follow-up,” said Ash Tewari, MD, MBBS, MCh, Kyung Hyun Kim, MD Professor and Chair of the Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. With the initiative now extended to Georgia communities via Winship’s collaboration, the shared commitment to healthcare among the participating organizations is a “hand-in-hand commitment to rewrite the narrative around prostate cancer for all men across America and the globe. Every screening is a step toward increasing access, raising awareness, and advancing toward our long-term goal of screening one million men. Here’s to the next million miles and the million lives we hope to reach.”
Making screening accessible
Fred Blankenship of WSB-TV gets screened on the Winship Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Bus.
The mobile screening clinic is equipped to provide quick and convenient PSA blood tests—often the first step in detecting prostate cancer—without the need for a full clinical visit. By bringing this service directly into communities, the program aims to reach men who may not otherwise seek care due to work schedules, lack of transportation or misconceptions about screening.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States, and in Georgia, with Black men facing some of the highest incidence and mortality rates. Early detection can dramatically improve survival rates, yet screening participation remains uneven across demographic groups.
For more information about the initiative, including a schedule of events where people can obtain screenings on the bus, visit online.
“Our goal is simple,” Ramalingam adds, “we aim to ensure that every man in Georgia has the opportunity for early detection and timely treatment, regardless of location or circumstance.”
