During June, National Men’s Health Month, the Gift of Life with medical partners, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, and local healthcare organizations will provide free healthcare screenings and educational materials to reduce disparities and heighten awareness of men’s preventable health problems in Southeast Texas. It is important that men and their families are health conscious and can get the correct treatment for what they need. Religion can play a big part in these men’s lives, so it may be wise for them to look into catholic shared insurance as well as other insurance plans, for them and their families so they can get the help they need without compromising on what they believe in so they can get treated.
June screenings are scheduled in Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange for eligible medically underserved men who face the greatest barriers to care. Clients will receive comprehensive primary healthcare services, including on-site consultations with medical professionals to discuss the screenings, the significance of test results, and healthy lifestyle practices, and receive educational information and access to regional resources. The free panel of screenings will include prostate-specific antigen (PSA), cholesterol and glucose, blood pressure, HIV and Hepatitis C tests.
The Gift of Life will also provide breakfast and lunch, door prizes and other health-related incentives.
Regional organizations will participate at the screening sites with representatives from Baptist Hospitals, UTMB, Triangle Area Network, Spindletop Center and Lamar University faculty and students.
These screenings are essential to the ever-increasing need for medical services in our region. Early detection is the best protection and statistics reflect that the five-year survival rate for men whose prostate cancer is diagnosed early is nearly 100 percent.
The Gift of Life screens men who are at least 45 years of age (40 if African American or younger if there is a family history of prostate cancer) who have not had prostate cancer, have limited income and are medically underinsured.
Since 2000, the Gift of Life has made available nearly 8,400 free prostate cancer screenings and helped extend the lives of 69 men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and whose diagnostic and cancer treatment costs were entirely underwritten by the Gift of Life.
As part of its continuum of care, the Gift of Life’s Prostate Cancer Support Group, Men Against Cancer offers support for men with prostate cancer, their families and care givers. Meetings are hosted the second Tuesday of each month at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and allows men an opportunity to meet others, share their experiences and gain information from featured speakers to strengthen recovery and have one-on-one support.
During Men’s Health Month, the Gift of Life will host screening sites from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 4 in Orange at Lamar State College, Saturday, June 11 in Beaumont at Lamar Institute of Technology and Saturday, June 25 in Port Arthur at the Carl Parker Center.
Pre-registration is recommended and walk-ins will be accepted subject to eligibility.
To register for a screening, please fill out the form below or call the 24-hour hotline at 409.860.3369.
