Cleveland Clinic opens minority men’s health fair to the entire community; man says the screenings saved his life

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A new twist on a free health fair is making a real difference as it now aims to reach an even larger segment of Northeast Ohio.

Jim Taylor of Bedford tells 19 News that even though the name of the Cleveland Clinic’s annual free health fair has changed this year, the concept is the same and he owes them his life, “I came every year prior to COVID and three years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and I found that out because of the Men’s Minority Health Fair.”

Taylor says no truer words were ever spoken when it comes to that old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, “I had no symptoms whatsoever. Because of the high PSA level the doctor ordered the biopsy and that’s when they determined I had prostate cancer.”

For the first time in 20 years, the Cleveland Clinic’s annual Minority Men’s Health Fair is now the free Community Health Fair. The public, particularly minorities, the LGBTQ community and the underserved are welcome to attend says Doctor Crystal Gadegbeku, Chair of Nephrology and the Cleveland Clinic’s Urological and Kidney Institute, “We felt that health disparities are pervasive throughout our world and we wanted to open it up to all adults, and really emphasizing health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, as well as women, and LGBTQ communities.”

Health screenings that could cost hundreds of dollars at a doctor’s office were performed in minutes at no cost, and included checking for high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep disorders and kidney disease.

Priscilla Fayne of Cleveland was able to talk to a doctor about the signs of a stroke. She’s concerned because her family has a history of strokes, “this is very important because some people never get access to a doctor.”

Doctors say when it comes to your health, knowledge is power, “You know it’s not everything, but, it’s one step forward towards a healthy life,” Doctor Gadegbeku said.

Along with health screenings there was also a booth set-up at the health fair for job opportunities at the Cleveland Clinic, because doctors say health is often linked to your economic conditions.

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