The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program: Atlanta Health Initiative

 

Atlanta, Ga – Visiting a barbershop in Atlanta on Saturday, June 11^th, 2011 could mean more than just getting a haircut.  It might save your life. The Back Barbershop Health Outreach Program, a unique, grassroots approach to health screening and education, will be held at more than 15 barbershops in Atlanta and surrounding counties on Saturday, June 11^th, from 11 a.m. to   4 p.m.

The Black Barbershop Heath Outreach Program, led by the founder, Dr. Bill J. Releford, D.P.M., along with a squadron of volunteers, the outreach program seeks to empower African American men to better understand cardiovascular diseases through a three pronged approach: Screening, Education and Referring men to the doctor that need follow-up care. The program was funded by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, UCLA and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Those found to be “at risk” will receive the Real Black Book; a local resource guide that lists low cost medical care providers in their communities.

This year’s partners of the Atlanta BBHOP Initiative include the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, The DAP (Diabetic Amputation Prevention) Foundation, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Andis Company and AARP. The outreach program also enjoys support from local community partners and is proud to welcome Sanford-Brown College, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.  

“The need to address health care disparities in African American men is paramount in light of the fact that they have the lowest life expectancy of any group in the U.S.,” said Dr. Releford a podiatric surgeon. “For decades, the black barbershop has served as a centralized gathering place where African American men feel comfortable discussing the most important issues that impact their lives: politics, social trends, family and finances.  Now, we are introducing an important discussion of health and the critical need for health awareness.”

 

Recent figures show African American men are 30% more likely to die from heart disease than White men, according to the Office of Minority Health – an arm of Health and Human Services, a federal agency.  Also, African American men suffer from prostrate cancer at a level that’s more than twice the mortality rate for any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S., according to the CDC.    

 

Through black-owned barbershops, which represent a cultural institution of familiarity and trust, the outreach program has adopted a novel means to spread health information. Over 25,000 African American men have been tested in 23 cities, including New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Washington, DC, Baltimore and California since 2007 when the outreach program was launched. The ultimate goal by 2012 is to screen more than a half-million African American men.

 

Since 2007, nearly 750 black-owned barbershops have participated in the program. To learn more about the health outreach effort, and to view a complete list of those barbershops involved, please go to www.BlackBarbershop.org.

                                                                                                                        

Brief Profiles of the Program’s Largest Sponsors 

 

The Diabetic Amputation Prevention (DAP) Foundation

The DAP Foundation’s mission is to help decrease the diabetes-related amputation rate among high-risk populations around the world and to address the escalating number of individuals with undetected cardiovascular disease. The DAP Foundation’s outreach program seeks to partner with community groups and organizations to improve health conditions that adversely affect African American males through education, prevention and early detection screenings. The foundation’s efforts already have been duplicated in Oakland, Chicago, Washington, DC, Baltimore, St. Louis, Kansas City, Atlanta, New Orleans and other metropolitan areas.  For more information on participating in the program, or learning about sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.BlackBarbershop.org.

 

About Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science

 

CDU is a private nonprofit, nonsectarian, minority-serving medical and health sciences institution. Located in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles, CDU has graduated more than 550 medical doctors, 2,500 post-graduate physicians, more than 2,000 physician assistants and hundreds of other health professionals.  The only dually designated Historically Black Graduate Institution and Hispanic Serving Health Professions School in the U.S. CDU is recognized as a leader in translational and health inequities research, specifically with respect to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health, and HIV/AIDS. The university is among the top 7 percent of National Institutes of Health-funded institutions and rated one of the top 50 private universities in research in the U.S.  Recently, the CDU/UCLA medical program was named the “best performer” in the University of California system for producing outstanding underrepresented minority physicians. For more information, visit http://www.cdrewu.edu/

 

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

 

The Prostate Cancer Foundation is the world’s largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research focused on discovering better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. Founded in 1993, the PCF has raised more than $370 million and provided funding to more than 1,500 research projects at nearly 200 institutions worldwide. The PCF also advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more governmental research funds. PCF advocacy has helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer since 1994. More information about prostate cancer and the PCF can be found at www.pcf.org.

 

About AARP

 

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.  We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 35.1 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.  We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.                                                         

About Sanford-Brown College                     

Sanford-Brown College – Atlanta offers career-focused training programs such as Cardiovascular Sonography, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Medical Assistant, and Medical Billing and Coding, and Advanced Massage Therapy that are designed to help students gain the specific skills and knowledge that employers are seeking.  SBC is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (DOE).   SBC – Atlanta does not guarantee employment or salary. SBC – Atlanta is part of the Career Education Corporation network of schools (NASDAQ: CECO). For more information, please go to www.sanfordbrown.edu/Atlanta.

 

For more information and a complete list of participating barbershops, visit www.blackbarbershop.org

 

                  

PARTICIPATING BARBERSHOPS IN ATLANTA