A clean bill of health: Phoebe to host Men’s Health Fair this weekend
The Men's Health Fair will take place this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Billy C. Black Auditorium on Albany State University's east campus.
ALBANY, Ga. – The Phoebe Health System is celebrating Father’s Day by giving local men something just as important as any gift, a clean bill of health…
Phoebe’s Director of Community Benefits and longtime organizer, Darrell Sabbs tells us about all of the services they’re providing this weekend.
“…We invite men out each year to come and get their prostate screened, their blood pressure screened, diabetes screened, and get information from doctors. Cause we have also what we call ‘shop talk’ inside of it. Men love an environment where they can be comfortable and honest and truthful about a subject matter…” said Darrell Sabbs, Dir. Community Benefits, Phoebe.
A subject matter that Dr. Derek Heard says is simple…
That most men feel it’s okay to simply ignore their health because it’s not a high priority.
“…This health fair helps do that. It brings it back to the forefront. In honesty, men a lot of times will push their health off. They’re worried about working, they’re worried about taking care of the household, they’re worried about making sure everything is done and they’ll push their health to the back burner. But we need to bring it back to the forefront,” said Dr. Derek Heard, Medical Dir. Phoebe Primary Care.
But, given the fact that prostate cancer, one of the issues they’ll be screening for this weekend is the second leading cause of death among men, and with it taking place just before Father’s Day…
And, maybe thinking of a different kind of gift.
“…We again make sure we’re putting our men, our fathers back in the forefront, and putting their health in the forefront. And so we think this has been a great undertaking, and has worked well in the past, and we hope to do this again in the foreseeable future,” said Dr. Heard.
“We use father’s day as an opportunity to raise awareness. So the only thing you hear for Father’s Day is buy a tie, buy a grill, or a lawnmower, no. We’re asking you to come and get involved in your health and your wellness,” said Sabbs.
With the older population in the area, the health system is expecting a major turnout of men in the community to take a stand for their health.
The Men’s Health Fair will take place this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Billy C. Black Auditorium on Albany State University’s east campus.
Brian Roche reporting.
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