The Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center (SWI-AHEC) located at the University of Southern Indiana, is a community partner in the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males (ICSSBM) 5th Annual Indiana Black Barbershop Health Initiative, which will offer free health screenings in barbershops in 15 cities across Indiana from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11.
Free blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol screenings will be offered, along with prostate health information. Participating barbershops in Evansville include Fila’s Designs, Brown’s Elite Hair Salon, Jerald’s Barbershop, Lynch’s House of Coiffure, Shark’s Den Barbershop and One World Barbering Salon.
The mission of the Indiana Black Barbershop Health Initiative is to increase black male awareness about health disparities and health prevention. According to the ICSSBM, black men live seven fewer years than other racial groups, have higher death rates than women for all leading causes of death, are twice as likely as white men to die prematurely from cardiovascular disease and have the highest prostate cancer rates in the world.
USI students in Dr. Swateja Nimkar’s public health course compiled lists of Evansville-area health resources that they will distribute at the various sites. Students also will volunteer during the event, as will registered nurses on the USI faculty.
The USI Community Health Center at Glenwood Leadership Academy, ordinarily closed on Saturday, will be open during event hours for patients in need of immediate healthcare.
Other community partners include the City of Evansville Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, Community Action Program of Evansville (CAPE) Minority Health Initiative and Evansville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Call the Evansville Human Relations Commission at 812-436-4927 for more information or to volunteer.
