April marks the start of Minority Health Month; but what does that mean to the citizens of Cleveland?
Healthy Cleveland host Leah Haslage sat down with Frances Mills, Director of the Cleveland Department of Minority Health, Tammie Jones, Program Manager for the Office of HIV/AIDS Services, and Kristina Austin, Chief Marketing Officer of The Gathering Place, to discuss Minority Health Month, its history, and what services are available to the greater Cleveland community.
Minority Health Month was designated in the state of Ohio in 1989 as a way to bring to light the health disparities in the various minority groups in the state. By the year 2000, April was nationally recognized as Minority Health Month.
A service made possible by Minority Health Month is The Gathering Place, a cancer support center that offers free resources to the Cleveland community. Such resources include:
- Workshops & lectures geared towards arming individuals and families with knowledge about the cancer treatment process.
- Wig salons that offer free wig to patients who have lost their hair from chemotherapy
- Medical librarians to help simplify & explain medical terminology
- Free transportation to and from The Gathering Place for those without transportation
- Free childcare for those attending a workshop or lecture
For more information on The Gathering Place, you can reach them through any of the following means:
Call: 216-595-9546
Tweet: @touchedbycancer
Visit: www.touchedbycancer.org
Email: info@touchedbycancer.org
The Cleveland Department of Public Health will be holding three events throughout the month of April specifically geared towards Minority Health Month.
When: April 5th 4PM-7:30PM
What: Community conversation & book signing with author JL King
Where: East Cleveland Community Theater, 14108 Euclid Avenue
Call: 216-420-8641
Visit: http://bit.ly/2DrfHlp for free tickets
Free & open to the public!
When: April 19th, 9AM-2PM
What: Achieving Health Equity, a public discussion with intent to close the health gap between Cleveland communities
Where: CSU Student Center, 2121 Euclid Ave
Call: 216-802-3193
Visit: www.bit.ly/2018CLEOMHequity
Free & open to the public!
When: April 21st 10AM-2PM
What: ABC’s of Cancer in the African American Community
Where: Affinity Missionary Baptist Church, 4411 E. 175th Street
Call: 216-595-9546
Advanced registration is required.
Finally, free HIV/AIDS testing, along with standard STD testing is available at the following locations:
J Glen Smith Health Center, 11100 St. Clair Ave.
Telephone #: 216-249-4100
T.F. McCafferty Health Center, 4242 Lorain Ave.
Telephone #: 216-651-5005
For more information, you can call Tammie Jones at 216-420-8641, send an email to tjones@city.cleveland.oh.us, or visit Clevelandhealth.org
For questions on anything covered in this article, you can call the Office of Minority Health at 216-664-3052
