Jacksonville, Fla. – Shands Jacksonville Wellness and Education Clinics at Durkeeville on Myrtle Ave. and St. Matthew Baptist Church on West 27th St. will offer free health screenings from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, as part of “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day.”
Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day is a national campaign effort designed to encourage African-Americans and other minorities to become more involved in their healthcare and health choices by working with local organizations to help make appointments with healthcare professionals and to accompany them on doctor visits. Individuals are encouraged to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
The average life expectancy for African-Americans at birth is 71.8 years, compared to 77.4 years for Caucasians, according to the latest statistics from the Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. African-Americans are twice as likely to die from diabetes than Caucasians and the infant mortality rate is also twice as high.
“It’s better to pay now than to pay later,” says Elizabeth Means, vice president of community relations and community education at Shands Jacksonville. “On any given day under the right circumstance, any one of us can fall into the category of the working uninsured. That’s why we must make prevention and wellness our priority.”
The Shands Jacksonville Wellness and Education Clinics at Durkeeville (1605 Myrtle Avenue) and St. Matthew Baptist Church (1311 West 27th Street) will open one hour early and close one hour late for the convenience of those who work. Clinic staff will screen for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and will provide stroke assessments, foot exams and pregnancy tests. Both of these community clinics operate five days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Durkeeville clinic at 350-1118 or St. Matthew at 924-8846. Walk-ins are welcome.
Earlier this year, Shands Jacksonville was one of 10 hospitals across the state to join Florida: A Healthy State program, a statewide program aimed at helping Medicaid patients better manage their chronic medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Like “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day,” this initiative is designed for patients to take an active role in managing their own health.