Hair, Heart & Health
Styling A Healthier Future For Baltimore
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in African-Americans. While there has been a population-wide decline in mortality rates related to CDH in the United States, the rate of improvement has been slower for blacks than for whites.
African-Americans have a higher prevalence of risk factors for heart disease – including obesity, hypertension, diabetes and sedentary lifestyles. Coupled with lifestyle factors and often limited access to appropriate preventative care, health care providers find themselves challenged to address the disparity in care received by African-Americans.
In a joint initiative of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) found a way to cut through these challenges and deliver potentially life-saving preventative care to Baltimore residents in an unlikely setting – barber shops and hair salons.
As part of CareFirst Commitment – CareFirst's ongoing program to improve health care affordability, accessibility, quality and safety – CareFirst's Medical Affairs staff has developed several community-based initiatives to address health disparities.
A Cut And A Cuff?
At first blush, the notion of strapping a blood pressure cuff on a patron before picking up a pair of scissors in a salon or barber shop may seem odd. But that's precisely what is at the heart of the program developed by renowned UMSOM professor and cardiologist Dr. Elijah Saunders.
Health education at the community level has proven to be an effective intervention for preventable diseases such as CDH. Hair, Heart & Health embraces that concept and takes health education directly to men and women in Baltimore at their neighborhood salons and barbershops. Shops and salons have traditionally been places for neighborhood socialization. And hair care professionals often build friendly and sometimes personal relationships with patrons. Taken together, those factors made barbers and hair stylists potentially valuable allies in the battle against heart disease.
Taking It To The Streets Of Baltimore
Together, CareFirst and the UMSOM recruited 6 area barber shops and beauty salons for the program. The salons are located in areas of the city where residents are at high risk for heart disease and whose owners are considered community leaders. Using a training team including a registered nurse, registered dietitian, a physician, pharmacist and others, hair care professionals were educated on how to engage patrons in health care discussions. In addition – because high blood pressure is a significant risk factor for heart disease – program participants were trained and certified as blood pressure measurement specialists.
To date, 6 barber/stylists have been trained and efforts to recruit additional shops and hair care professionals will continue as the program moves into 2007. The efforts of barbers and stylists are augmented by screenings conducted at the shops by members of the UMSOM's Community Health Awareness and Monitoring Program.
Cut To The Chase…Does It Work?
Since the program's start, 579 individuals have been screened for high blood pressure at participating shops and salons. Based on those screenings, 82 individuals (14 percent) have been referred to a health care provider and all of those individuals have followed up with a physician. Participating hair care professionals have been equipped with education material and information to point their patrons to the care they need.
In addition to the direct impact on the individuals screened as part of the program. CareFirst invested in a public outreach effort designed to raise awareness in Baltimore's African-American community about their increased risk for heart disease and the steps they can take to prevent it. The outreach effort included:
- Advertisements in the The Afro-American
- Radio public service announcements on 6 Baltimore-area radio stations reaching African-American listeners
- News stories on WBAL-TV, WJZ-TV and in The Examiner, The Afro-American, Baltimore Times and other publications
- Online content on heart health on www.carefirst.com
Hair, Heart & Health's successful approach to addressing a major community health need is already being recognized as innovative and effective. Leading health care organizations including the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the American Public Health Association have recognized Hair, Heart & Health as a groundbreaking and effective way to address cultural divides and reduce disparities in health care.
