>> WE TURN NOW TO A NEW AND
UNCONVENTIONAL WAY OF THINKING
ABOUT WHERE WE MIGHT GO FOR
PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE, A BARBER
SHOP.
WE HAVE THIS STORY ABOUT AN
INNOVATIVE MODEL OF HEALTHCARE
THAT'S ON THE CUTTING EDGE.
>> I HAD THIS IDEA WHEN I USED
TO COME AND GET MY HAIR CUT
WHEN I HAD HAIR.
I WOULD COME TO THE BARBER SHOP
AND HEAR GUYS TALKING ABOUT ALL
TYPES OF HEALTH PROBLEMS.
THEY WOULD GET THAT BEAUTIFUL
HAIRCUT AND WALK OUT THE DOOR
AND JUST OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS
HEARING THIS AND THEN HEARING
WHAT THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY WAS
SAYING ABOUT WE CAN'T REACH
BLACK MEN.
>> HAVING MADE HIS OWN HEALTH A
PRIORITY AFTER FINDING OUT HE
WAS DIABETIC AARON PERRY WAS
FAMILIAR WITH THE STATS.
EVEN WITH TODAY'S MEDICAL
ADVANCEMENTS ONE QUESTION
RESOUNDED IN HIS MIND.
>> WHY CAN'T WE FIGURE OUT HOW
TO KEEP BLACK MEN ALIVE LONGER
THAN 51 YEARS OF AGE?
>> WE'RE SEEING BLACK MEN WITH
INCREASINGLY HIGHER RATES OF
CANCER, LUNG DISEASE, DIABETES,
OBESITY, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
AND OTHER THINGS THAT THREATEN
THEIR QUALITY AND LENGTH OF
LIFE.
>> THIS DOCTOR IS THE CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER AND STATE
EPIDEMIOLOGIST FROM THE
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES.
A LONG TITLE FOR WHAT SHE CALLS.
>> A DISEASE DETECTIVE.
>> WHEN IT COMES TO IMPACTING
LONG-TERM HEALTH ISSUES.
>> PREVENTION IS KEY.
INSTEAD OF WAITING AND UNTIL A
PROBLEM COMES UP AND THEN GOING
TO THE DOCTOR TO WORK ON FIXING
IT, WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING
THAT WE CAN TO REACH PEOPLE
WHERE THEY'RE AT.
>> AARON HAD AN IDEA ABOUT THAT.
>> WHY DON'T WE BRING THE
MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO THE BARBER
SHOP?
IT JUST MADE SENSE.
>> THIS SIMPLE SOLUTION TO
ADDRESS A COMPLEX PROBLEM HAD
NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
>> SO I PITCHED THAT IDEA TO
JEFF PATTERSON, THE OWNER.
>> HIS BARBER WHEN HE HAD HAIR.
>> HE WAS A CUSTOMER HERE AND
KNEW WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS WE
RAN AND HIS PRESENTATION WAS
OUTSTANDING.
IT WAS A NO-BRAINER.
>> WITHIN MONTHS THE REBALANCED
LIFE BALANCE ASSOCIATION, THE
FIRST EVER MEN'S HEALTH CENTER
OF ITS KIND OPENED ATTACHED TO
THE GP HAIR DESIGN BARBER SHOP
IN MADISON.
>> WE DO BLOOD PRESSURE
SCREENINGS, FLU SHOTS, DIABETES
TESTING, GLUCOSE TESTING AND
CHOLESTEROL TESTING AND IT WILL
ALWAYS BE FREE AS LONG AS I'M
ALIVE, YOU KNOW?
WHEN WE STARTED WE HAD TO
CONVINCE THE GUYS TO DO THIS.
NOW IT'S JUST LIKE SECOND
NATURE.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THE
BARBER SHOP PROVIDES THAT MAKES
THIS MODEL SO SUCCESSFUL.
>> IT'S A TRUST THING.
I THINK BARBERS HAVE A GOOD
PERSUASION OVER THEIR CLIENTS.
THERE IS TRUST.
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRUST IT
IS NOT JUST CREDENTIALS,
BUILDING TRUST IN RELATIONSHIPS
WHEN YOU MAKE IMPORTANT
HEALTHCARE DECISIONS FOR
YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY
MEMBERS, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT
PERSON IS RELIABLE.
YOU NEED TO BE IN A SAFE SPACE.
>> THE BARBERS TAKE THAT
RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE
PANDEMIC AND HELPING DISTRIBUTE
THE COVID-19 VACCINE.
>> I ALWAYS TELL THE BARBERS
HERE WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT
WE SAY BECAUSE OUR CLIENTS
BELIEVE IN US.
SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY IS SO
IMPORTANT AND ALSO IN MANY OF
THESE SPACES YOU AREN'T ALONE.
>> THE BARBERS, YOU KNOW, THEY
JUST KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ALL
OF THEIR CLIENTELE.
>> MARRIAGE, KIDS, WORK
PROBLEMS, WORKING OUT,
EVERYTHING.
>> THERE IS ALWAYS A PLACE TO
COME HERE.
>> FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR TRUST IN
HEALTH OUTCOMES ARE ROOTED IN
FACTORS BEYOND THE MEDICAL
FIELD.
>> STRAOUK TOURAL RACISM
CONTRIBUTES TO UNEQUAL ACCESS
TO WEALTH, HOUSING, FOOD AND
HEALTHCARE.
ALL THESE THINGS HAVE A
PROFOUND IMPACT ON HOW LONG
PEOPLE LIVE AND HOW HEALTHY
THEY ARE.
>> THEY SPAN GENERATIONS.
>> WE'RE STILL FEELING THE
RIPPLE EFFECTS OF MANY THINGS
THAT HAPPENED HUNDREDS OF YEARS
AGO IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IN THAT SETTING THAT HAS HAD AN
IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S ACTUAL
BIOLOGY.
>> SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR THE
NEXT GENERATION IS EMBEDDED IN
THIS FAMILY SETTING.
>> WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
>> THE CRAZY THING IS THEY
STILL HAVE BOOSTER CHAIRS AND
PARENTS BRING THEM AND THEY GET
OLDER AND START COMING IN
THEMSELVES.
>> THE HEALTH EDUCATION CENTERS
EXPANDED TO TWO CENTERS.
RESILIENT HAIR DESIGN AND BE
RIGHT BARBER SHOP.
>> I COME IN EVERY OTHER WEEK
ME AND MY FAMILY.
>> I ALWAYS WANT TO -- MAKE
SURE MY HEALTH IS GOOD.
>> I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT
PEOPLE NOBODY ELSE KNOWS.
>> IF I WANT SOMETHING HERE I
CAN TELL THEM GO BACK HERE AND
CHECK IT OUT.
>> AARON IS SETTING HIS SIGHTS
HIGHER HOPING TO OPEN CENTERS
IN OTHER STATES AND BECOME THE
NATION'S FIRST FEDERALLY
QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER IN A
BARBER SHOP
>> WE'RE MAKING THIS A PRIORITY.
WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF