CLEVELAND — Cleveland Black Men's Wellness Day will take place at Wade Oval on Saturday from 7 a.m to noon, featuring a 5k run/walk, plenty of entertainment and family fun, as well as free health screenings.
Participants will have access to free health tests by University Hospitals caregivers and other providers including blood glucose, cholesterol, prostate cancer screenings and more at 10820 East Blvd. in Cleveland.
"Cleveland Black Men's Wellness Day is an excellent opportunity to help remedy healthcare disparities faced by African American men,” said Dr. David Headen, a Cleveland native and internal medicine physician at University Hospitals serving as the event’s honorary chair. “Participants will see familiar faces eager to solve their health challenges and serve as a guide to the great care University Hospitals has to offer.”
UH said the hospital system will also provide attendees with community resources to "help set them on the path to better health." The Cleveland-based health provider cited statistics asserting that more than 40% of men do not go to the doctor and that women tend to live about seven years longer than men as a result.
Avoidance of healthcare is especially precarious for Black men, UH said.
Dr. Randy Vince, UH's director of minority men's health, said Cleveland Black Men's Wellness Day seeks to reach men who might otherwise avoid seeking care.
"We’re making an effort to highlight these issues to push for change," Vince said. "I'm passionate about seeing more Black men live healthier lives."