AdMeTech Foundation Joins Senator Harriette Chandler, Mosaic and Barbershop Health Network to Raise Awareness
WORCESTER, MA, May 15, 2015—AdMeTech Foundation will support and participate in the “Saving Our Men Symposium” on Sunday in coordination with Mosaic Cultural Complex, which created Barbershop Health Network to educate men of color about screening and early detection of preventable diseases, including prostate cancer.
The symposium, held at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts in Worcester at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., will feature discussions on specific health problems within high-risk communities, and address prostate cancer as a major health disparity among men of color. Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Harriette Chandler (D—Worcester), a longtime advocate for prostate cancer awareness, will be the guest speaker.
“I thank AdMeTech Foundation, Mosaic Cultural Complex, and Barbershop Health Network for hosting this symposium to raise awareness about the high risk of prostate cancer and emphasizing the need for prevention through screenings, education, and treatment,” said Senator Chandler.
In addition to the symposium, the event also includes presentation of general health information, free screening, the annual barbershop basketball tournament and festivities with music and food.
According to AdMeTech Foundation, prostate cancer is the most common major malignancy in the US and in Massachusetts, with 60 percent higher incidence and 2.5 times higher mortality in African American men. The mortality rate among African Americans in Worcester County is 15 percent higher than the state average.
“Prostate cancer is a central issue in men’s health, with unacceptably high mortality in men of color,” said Dr. Faina Shtern, President of AdMeTech Foundation. “This panel is the first step of many in expediting transfer of the life-saving advances in patient care to all men throughout the Commonwealth, especially the most vulnerable and underserved.”
The symposium is one component of a multi-faceted statewide prostate cancer education and awareness campaign funded by the Department of Public Health and led by AdMeTech Foundation in cooperation with the Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Coalition, Men of Color Health Awareness and the NAACP New England Area Conference. The campaign is focused on men at high-risk of prostate cancer and seeks to save lives, improve quality of life, and reduce health care costs.
About AdMeTech Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Boston, MA, AdMeTech Foundation established the Manogram® Project providing international leadership for groundbreaking programs in research, education and awareness in order to advance early detection and treatment (www.admetech.org.)
About Mosaic Cultural Complex: Mosaic Cultural Complex (MCC) is a grassroots organization whose mission is to provide the highest level of services and to improve the quality of life for vulnerable populations. (http://mosaicinc.net.)
About Barbershop Health Network (BHN): Established by MCC, BHN is a cross sector partnership to reduce the health disparities of Latino and Black men, with the following objectives: 1) Educate to increase health literacy: 2) Screen for and detect diabetes, hypertension, and prostate cancer: 3) Refer men to primary care physicians; and 4) Access: Provide men with community/clinical linkages to support lifestyle changes that promote healthy eating, physical activity, access to wellness services and help with other non-medical determinants of health such as housing, school issues, and financial subsistence. BHN has proven to be an effective way to reach men of color. Black and Latino-owned Barbershops represent a cultural institution that provides an environment of trust, an avenue to disseminate health education information and provide services.
