The Barbershop & Salon Program
We have some great shops that we are partnering with to improve the health of our community. The support of the owners and their clients makes our volunteer work easy and extremely rewarding. Our volunteers and students help us to provide this valuable service. By the end of 2012 we had 12 shops, screened 466 folks, and logged over 471 hours of volunteer time. We distributed literature / pamphlets, pedometers, bags, cookbooks and gift cards. About 20% of those screened had stage 2( highest stage) of high blood pressure. Some of the highest blood pressures we recorded were in the relatively young– early to mid 30 years old. Hypertension/high blood pressure is a very treatable disease. It can be a silent disease. First you have to know you have it. Get your blood pressure checked. Then it needs to be treated. Treatment usually involves lifestyle changes and many times, medication. Make sure that: “Hair is tight! pressure is right!!” as one barbershop/salon volunteer suggested.
Get your Barbershop or Salon Involved!
The Barbershop and Salon Health Outreach Program Toolkit (Toolkit) is a collaborative effort between the Colorado Black Health Collaborative and the Kaiser Permanente African American Center of Excellence (AACE). The Toolkit is designed to empower community health workers, clinicians, and volunteers to launch, sustain, and monitor the success of an effective barbershop and salon outreach program. This type of program can cost “dimes” to start and sustain, but there certainly are examples of programs that have had millions dedicated to this worthwhile endeavor.
This how-to- guide:
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- Describes the reason for the outreach
- Health Disparities Gives the inside view of the shops
- Culture Reviews the history of health initiatives in shops
- Walks users through the logistics of starting, running, and marketing a program
- Provides volunteer training materials
- Gives pointers on analyzing data, preserving experiences, and creating annual reports
- Provides an ample list of resources and an evaluation
Barbershop & Salon Program Contacts
Barbershop/Salon Schedules
Byron Conner, MD
(720) 579-2126
Program Meeting Scheduler
Terri Richardson, MD
(720) 579-2126
Volunteer Coordinator
Alfredia Conner, RN
(303) 680-4064