KPMAS and West Baltimore Barbershop Makes National News for Working Toward a Healthier Community
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States (KPMAS) and New Beginnings Barbershop have teamed up to offer free flu immunizations and preventive screenings in a Southwest Baltimore neighborhood near Union Square and Hollins Market.
And, people are noticing.
The initiative was featured last week on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Watch the segment here: http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/cdc-reaching-epidemic-levels-for-flu-in-some-parts-of-us-864516675634. This national coverage comes only one week after The Baltimore Sun reported covered the initiative on its front page.
The program provides no-cost flu vaccinations, body mass index calculations, blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks, HIV tests, and take-home colorectal cancer tests in the convenient and familiar setting of the barbershop. These services are available regardless of whether visitors are Kaiser Permanente members. Kaiser Permanente members will also have the option of scheduling follow-up visits, while non-members may be referred to community clinics, if appropriate.
As part of our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve, KPMAS piloted the program to address health disparities and gaps in healthcare. The effort at New Beginnings barbershop is just one example of Kaiser Permanente’s work to reduce health disparities and help communities across the country. Learn more about our Thriving Communities work.
Feel free to share these links and the flyer with your family and friends, and visit New Beginnings at 1047 Hollins St., Baltimore, MD, 21233 the next time you’re in the area. The program runs on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This isn’t the first time KPMAS has been featured in a national news outlet. In September 2014, the Today Show‘s “Shine a Light” segment featured Lester Holt getting his blood pressure taken in our Mobile Health Vehicle at the Baltimore Health Fair. Check out the clip here (fast forward to the 1:35 mark to see our segment).
