A key tenant of the Cancer Center’s mission is to bring cancer education and prevention to communities in all corners of the state. So, on July 23, the Cancer Center’s Community Outreach and Engagement team visited Holland, Vt., to offer free skin checks and sun safety resources during the community’s monthly food shelf pickup. The event was held in partnership with the Nulhegan Abenaki Health Equity Coordinator, Miss Lucy Neal; and Chief Donald Stevens, a member of the Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Board. 

Located deep in the Northeast Kingdom and four miles from the Canadian border, Holland is among the most rural communities in Vermont. Access to dermatology services is scarce in this area, but the need is great: Vermont has the highest rate of melanoma in New England and the third-highest rate in the country. 

To address this issue, the Cancer Center dispatched two dermatologists from the UVM Health Network—Joseph Pierson, M.D., and Dr. Eleni Pilitsi, M.D.—to provide skin checks during Holland's food shelf pick-up event. That morning, 68 families visited the food shelf and 30 individuals received skin checks. All screenings were free for community members. Meanwhile, the outreach team handed out sunscreen and other sun safety resources.  

Karon Thibault, the town librarian, said screening events are critical for her community. “Availability of doctors is so scarce that having someone to check alleviates some of the stress and anxiety by having an answer,” she said. 

The UVM Cancer Center will offer more free skin checks in the future, with the next event taking place on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex. The Cancer Center will partner with AgeWell Vermont during the fair’s annual Senior Day luncheon, where seniors can receive discounted tickets and free skin checks by UVM Health Network dermatologists.