Saturday screening events on National Lung Cancer Screening Day help working families take a preventative step close to home

Many people who could benefit from lung cancer screening do not realize they qualify. Highpoint Health is looking to change that through patient education, as well as making screenings more accessible. This Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the health system is expanding access to low-dose CT (LDCT) lung screening with Saturday appointments at three locations on National Lung Cancer Screening Day, Nov. 14, 2026. Working adults and families can take an important preventive step close to home.

LDCT is a quick, noninvasive scan that looks for early signs of lung cancer in people at higher risk, often before symptoms begin. Early detection matters because lung cancer found at an early stage is more treatable.

Who should ask about screening? Screening is recommended for people at high risk based on age and smoking history. You may qualify if you:

• Are between the ages of 50 and 77;
• Have a 20 pack-year smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years); and
• Currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.

Smoking and age are the most important risk factors for lung cancer. However, other factors include environmental exposures, prior radiation therapy, other lung diseases and family history. Insurance coverage and eligibility requirements vary.

"Many people don't realize lung screening is for them, or they're worried about what it might find,” said Erin Palmer, one of Highpoint Health’s cancer navigation nurses. “As a lung cancer navigator, my job is to make sure no one has to figure out the next steps alone. If you think you may be at risk, start with a conversation with your primary care provider.”

Throughout Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Highpoint Health is highlighting every part of its lung cancer care:

• Prevention and screening: LDCT lung screening for eligible, higher-risk adults.
• Incidental lung nodule program: software that scans CT reports to flag possible lung nodules for review by a team of surgeons, pulmonologists, and radiologists.
• Follow-up care: a nodule is not automatically cancer, but follow-up screening matters so patients don't fall through the cracks.
• ION robotic navigational bronchoscopy: a minimally invasive, more precise way to diagnose and stage lung cancer, first offered in Sumner County at Highpoint Health – Sumner.
• Lung cancer navigator: a dedicated navigator who guides patients from detection to diagnosis and next steps.

How to get screened

Start by getting a referral for a low-dose lung CT from your primary care provider. Then schedule your appointment in advance. A provider order is required. A LDCT can be scheduled anytime, but on Nov. 14, we are offering special hours for working families.

Event details – Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026

• Sumner Station: 7:30 a.m.–noon
• Riverview: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Trousdale: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Many insurance plans cover screening for eligible patients. Self-pay patients pay a flat rate of $99. Not sure whether you qualify? Take the Lung Health Risk Assessment at HighpointHealthSystem.com/LungCare and share the results with your provider.