Recorded presentation

Sherry A. Adeyemi, BS, Baltimore City Health Department, 210 Guilford Avenue, 3rd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410 396-4502, Sherry.Adeyemi@baltimorecity.gov

The crisis in men's health disproportionately impacts men of color. While men in the U.S. live on average 5 years less than women, African American men have a life expectancy of 68 years compared to white men at 73.8 years. The outlook is grimmer for these men in Baltimore. African American men in Baltimore have a life expectancy less than 60 years. The Health Department's Men's Health Center seeks to alleviate these disparities in health care among underserved Baltimore males by directly addressing financial, social, structural barriers that men face to seeking care. The Center is a full-service primary care facility providing medical care at no cost to uninsured males, ages 19-64, with a male-focused model of health care delivery emphasizing care coordination. Care coordination begins with community outreach workers, entails determining client eligibility, identifying health problems, providing primary care, screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes, tuberculosis, prostate, oral care and often includes enrolling men into parenting classes, providing referrals to combat substance abuse and associated mental health problems, domestic violence education, and linking men to job and educational opportunities. Since opening three years ago, the Center has served more than 5,000 clients through more than 10,000 medical encounters. Clients of the Center are among the most marginalized in society: men of color living in poverty, newly released inmates, men with substance addictions. Components of the Center's care model can be integrated with traditional health care facilities to enhance entry points into healthcare for men.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the barriers to access to care for men of color.
• Understand the importance of case management in the coordination of care.
• Provide ways to integrate the Men's Health model of care into traditional settings.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Baltimore City Health Department
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation