FirstHealth’s Lung Cancer Program named Center of Excellence
By Staff Report, posted Aug 26, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com
FirstHealth’s Lung Cancer program has once again been named a Center of Excellence by GO2 for Lung Cancer, recognizing the program’s commitment to providing the Sandhills with patient-centered, evidence-based lung cancer care.
An estimated 237,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer annually, and while it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths, lung cancer survival rates are growing at a rapid pace thanks to the availability of new treatments for people diagnosed with the disease.
Bradley Icard, D.O., advanced bronchoscopist with FirstHealth Pulmonology and Pinehurst Medical Clinic and director of FirstHealth’s lung screening program, said the recognition from GO2 for Lung Cancer is a testament to the ongoing work of the system to both increase screening rates and treat lung cancer cases in a comprehensive way.
“FirstHealth is uniquely positioned to make a major impact on North Carolinians who have lung cancer,” Icard said in a press release. “The adult smoking rates for the Sandhills are nearly double the national average. Combining the growth of our lung screening program with our multidisciplinary thoracic team approach, we will continue to identify lung cancers early and offer exceptional care.”
Icard said FirstHealth is already ahead of the curve nationally when it comes to identifying lung cancer early, when it is much more treatable.
“Here at FirstHealth, 46% of lung cancers are diagnosed at stage 1 disease, while the national average is about 26%. This means we are catching these cases when they are curable. This growth and ability are thanks to the system’s investment and the pioneering work of Michael Pritchett, D.O.,” Icard said in a press release.
Pritchett is an advanced bronchoscopist with FirstHealth Pulmonology and Pinehurst Medical Clinic. He also serves as the medical director of the Chest Center of the Carolinas, a multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic at FirstHealth.
Dr. Pritchett has been on the forefront of new technologies to revolutionize the diagnosis, staging and treatment of lung cancer, even innovating new techniques and procedures that have gained world-wide adoption.
“We continue to enhance our ability to provide high-quality, compassionate cancer care that’s close to home for residents in the Sandhills and beyond,” Pritchett said in a press release. “We offer world-class cancer care and support that follows patients and their families from diagnosis into treatment and through to recovery.”
“We are proud to have FirstHealth’s Lung Cancer program join the community of GO2 for Lung Cancer Center of Excellence that is national in scope and local in impact,” said GO2 Chief Healthcare Delivery Officer Joelle Fathi in a press release. "Across the U.S., the majority of people at risk for or living with lung cancer are served by a local community hospital near their home. Through the GO2 Center of Excellence network of community hospitals, clinics and academic and VA medical centers, we are fostering and supporting essential knowledge sharing and collaboration that brings national and global advancements in early detection, treatment and care close to home.”
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