LCMC Health and Helix announced Uniquely You, a five-year initiative that will offer no-cost genetic screening to 100,000 interested Louisiana adults, giving people greater insight into certain inherited health risks and helping physicians identify opportunities for earlier intervention and prevention. Enrollment will begin in early 2027.
Through the initiative, eligible participants can learn whether they have inherited genetic risk factors associated with certain hereditary cancers or an inherited condition that can lead to early heart disease. These risks can sometimes go undetected through traditional care or family history alone. By identifying these risks earlier, Uniquely You can give participants and their healthcare providers additional information to guide prevention and care.
For LCMC Health, Uniquely You represents an investment in a different model for the future of healthcare — one that combines what physicians know about a patient today with information that may help identify future health risks.
Genetic risk does not always reveal itself through symptoms or even family history. Uniquely You will screen for inherited risk associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancers (BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes), Lynch syndrome, and familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes very high cholesterol and can lead to early heart disease.
Across Helix Research Network® programs, approximately one in 75 participants have received a positive result for one of these serious genetic conditions for which preventive steps or treatment may be available. Participants with a positive result through Uniquely You will be offered genetic counseling at no cost to help them understand their results and potential next steps.
How Uniquely You Works
Beginning in early 2027, eligible Louisiana adults will be able to participate through a simple process:
1. Learn and decide: Adults 18 and older can learn about Uniquely You and what participation involves.
2. Enroll and provide consent: Participants enroll online and complete an informed consent process before joining the study.
3. Provide a DNA sample: Participants provide a sample at a participating location or through an at-home cheek swab kit. The sample is sent to Helix for genetic testing.
4. Receive results: Confidential results are returned to a patient's electronic health record showing whether any of the inherited health risks included in the program were identified.
5. Understand what comes next: Participants with a positive result are offered genetic counseling at no cost to help them understand their results and potential next steps.
The potential of Uniquely You extends beyond individual screening. By engaging 100,000 participants, LCMC Health and Helix aim to learn more about the health needs of Louisiana communities and support future research and more personalized care.
With Sequence Once, Query Often®, Helix’s technology allows information from a single DNA sample to potentially support additional genetic testing in the future, which may eliminate the need to collect another sample.
The program is designed to make participation as accessible as possible. Participation is voluntary, results are confidential and genetic screening is provided at no cost. Over time, information gained through the program is intended to help researchers and clinicians better understand the health needs of the communities they serve in order to develop more personalized approaches to prevention and care.