Free Skin Cancer Screenings Offered in Palm Springs
A mobile clinic provides no-cost full-body skin exams at the Mizell Center as Riverside County melanoma diagnoses rise.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cancer
Live Poll
Would you get a free skin cancer screening if one were offered near you?
The Skin Cancer Foundation's Destination Healthy Skin mobile clinic is offering free full-body skin cancer screenings at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs on Friday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to noon, on a first-come, first-served basis. The screenings come as Riverside County's melanoma diagnosis rate rose between 2019 and 2023.
Why it matters
Riverside County averaged about 700 new melanoma cases a year from 2019 through 2023, and about one in seven cases from 2018 through 2022 was diagnosed after the cancer had spread. Free access to screening in the Coachella Valley may help residents identify skin cancer earlier.
Riverside County averaged about 700 new melanoma cases a year from 2019 through 2023, and about one in seven cases diagnosed from 2018 through 2022 had already spread. The source does not report how many screenings the mobile clinic will perform or how many abnormal findings it will identify.
The players
Skin Cancer Foundation
The Skin Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on skin cancer prevention, detection and education, and it operates the Destination Healthy Skin mobile clinic.
Phi-Yen VuTran
Phi-Yen VuTran is a physician assistant who conducts the skin cancer screenings inside the mobile clinic.
Eisenhower Health
Eisenhower Health is a Coachella Valley health system that offered a limited number of free skin cancer screenings in La Quinta in May.
Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine
Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine is a free clinic that offers dermatology referrals to eligible adults in the region.
The details
The screenings are conducted by volunteer dermatology providers, with physician assistant Phi-Yen VuTran examining patients inside an RV that has two private exam rooms. The foundation also distributes information on skin cancer and sun protection, along with sunscreen samples.
Timeline
From 2018 through 2022, about one in seven melanoma cases in Riverside County were diagnosed after spreading.
From 2019 through 2023, Riverside County's melanoma diagnosis rate rose.
In May, Eisenhower Health offered a limited number of free skin cancer screenings in La Quinta.
On Friday, November 6, 2026, the Palm Springs screenings run from 10 a.m. to noon.
Health Landscape
The Palm Springs event extends the Skin Cancer Foundation's Destination Healthy Skin mobile clinic model into the Coachella Valley, where Riverside County's melanoma diagnosis rate rose between 2019 and 2023. Such mobile screening adds to the limited free dermatology options that local clinics like Eisenhower Health and Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine have offered.
Residents in the Coachella Valley can attend the free screenings on Friday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mizell Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Those seeking follow-up care may also look into dermatology referrals offered through Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine.
The takeaway
Regular skin checks and daily sun protection can help catch melanoma earlier, when treatment is more effective. Residents who cannot attend a free event can ask a primary care provider or dermatologist about a routine skin exam.
Further reading
Explore more on Cancer coverage for the local context behind these screenings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KESQ.
Live Poll
Would you get a free skin cancer screening if one were offered near you?
