City partners with local agencies to sponsor black barbershop health fair

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 10, 2013

For more information, please contact:
Nancy Woolery, Health Projects Manager, City of Bloomington Department of Community and Family Resources, 349.3851
Edward Hazelrig, Basileus, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. - Nu Alpha Alpha Chapter, 360.6171


City partners with local agencies to sponsor black barbershop health fair

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Department of Community and Family Resources, IU Health, Centerstone, the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Nu Alpha Alpha Chapter will host the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program on Jan. 26. Funding was provided by the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.

The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program will offer health screenings from 9 a.m to noon at two local barbershops: Angela's Ebony Designs, 1328 N. Woodburn Ave., and College Town Cutters LLC, 300 E. Third St. The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program is a statewide initiative sponsored by the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males. Bloomington is one of many cities in the state that participate in this initiative.

IU Health will provide blood pressure and A1C (diabetes) screenings, lipid panels (which require 12 hours of fasting), HIV and hepatitis C testing, and nutrition counseling that includes a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation.

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 health screening events are free and open to the public, and specifically will focus on providing care to the African-American community.

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