City of Bloomington sponsors Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program

[image:BBS_Health_Fair_poster.jpg,left]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2013

For more information, please contact:
Nancy Woolery, Health Projects Manager, City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, 349.3851, [mailto:wooleryn@bloomington.in.gov]
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, 349.3471, [mailto:brennerc@bloomington.in.gov]


City of Bloomington sponsors Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program

Bloomington, Ind. - Bloomington is one of 12 Indiana cities promoting the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, which provides public health screenings and education that are targeted toward the African-American community.

Two health fairs will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on April 13 at the Hoosier Barber Shop, 2534 E. 10th St., and at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. These events are free and open to the public, and will include blood pressure tests, lipid panels (fasting, 12 hours), diabetes A1C tests (non-fasting), spinal screenings, and HIV and hepatitis C tests. Light refreshments will be served.

The goal of the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program is to screen African-American men and women for chronic and acute health problems. Black men suffer disproportionately from preventable diseases and have a lower life expectancy than any other ethnic group. Black-owned barbershops represent a cultural institution that regularly attracts large numbers of black men and provides an environment of trust and an avenue to disseminate health education information.

The Black Barbershop Health Outreach program is sponsored in part by the City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males, the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, IU Health Bloomington, Centerstone, and Dr. Osmon's Chiropractic Center.

For more information, please contact Nancy Woolery at 349.3851 and [mailto:wooleryn@bloomington.in.gov], or Craig Brenner at 349.3471 and [mailto:brennerc@bloomington.in.gov].

###