[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 114 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCING A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE BLACK BARBERSHOP HEALTH 
 OUTREACH PROGRAM'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST HEALTH 
                              DISPARITIES

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                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 2010

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a 
resolution that recognizes the Black Barbershop Health Outreach 
Program, a unique initiative that seeks to improve health outcomes in 
black communities across the country through education, community 
involvement, research, and culturally relevant strategies.
  African American men are especially vulnerable to the impacts of 
racial health disparities, with the lowest average life expectancy of 
any group in the United States. Due to various factors, including 
inadequate access to quality health care services, African American men 
suffer from disproportionately high rates of hypertension, diabetes, 
and other health conditions that are largely preventable and 
manageable. While a lack of trust, culture, and access to routine 
primary care has prevented many black men from significantly benefiting 
from interventions and treatments for these conditions, black-owned 
barbershops have served as cultural institutions in the black community 
for generations and provide health advocates with an opportunity to 
empower and educate black men about their health in a trusted and 
familiar space.
  In 2007, the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program was launched by 
the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation in an effort to increase 
public awareness about cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and 
hypertension among black men. By partnering with black-owned 
barbershops, as well as local leaders, facilities, and organizations, 
the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program provides culturally 
specific education and health services to black men. These include 
screening for hypertension and diabetes; disseminating information on 
early detection, management, and prevention; conducting research; and 
referring men to facilities that can address additional health and 
medical needs.
  Since its founding, the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program has 
expanded its initial focus on hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease 
to include prostate cancer, and continues to build upon its success. To 
date, it has screened over 10,000 men in 230 black-owned barbershops 
for diabetes, hypertension, and prostate cancer across the country. The 
project's organizers plan to screen 20,000 men in 2010 and 500,000 men 
by 2012. Furthermore, the Black Barbershop Health Program will also 
target black-owned beauty shops to reach black women, and take a 
holistic approach to diagnosing, preventing, and managing 
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes in the black 
community.
  My resolution commends the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program 
for its valuable contribution to community health and the national 
fight against racial health disparities. In addition, my resolution 
expresses a commitment to supporting organizations, programs, and 
initiatives like the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program that 
empower individuals to become informed health advocates in their 
communities.
  Madam Speaker, culturally competent health education and delivery 
methods are essential to preventing and combating racial health 
disparities, and to maximizing the effectiveness of interventions and 
treatments that seek to achieve and support better health at the 
community level. I commend the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program 
for the important work it does and remain committed to supporting 
community-oriented approaches to health reform in health legislation 
and initiatives arising at both the state and federal levels.

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