Man Up Health Expo for Men

Mercy Health - Cincinnati is hosting the second annual Man Up! men’s health expo from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, November 3, at its Bond Hill Home Office, located at 1701 Mercy Health Place (formerly Showcase Cinema Drive), Cincinnati, OH 45237.

Last year, nearly 300 people attended Man Up! and they took part in hundreds of diabetes, cholesterol, vision, glaucoma, prostate, behavioral health and lung cancer screenings. Over 25 participants expressed a wish to connect with a primary care doctor for regular care.

This year’s event, hosted by Mercy Health Physicians Keith Melvin, MD and Kent Robinson, MD, features a wide array free health screenings, a complimentary light meal and keynote presentation from Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Sr., a prostate cancer survivor.

The event agenda runs as follows:

5–7 p.m. - health screenings
7– 7:45 p.m. - keynote speaker Ken Griffey, Sr.
7:45 – 8 p.m. - event closing

Admission is free but attendees must register in advance and participate in the health screenings to hear Ken Griffey, Sr. speak. Griffey will address his career as part of the Reds’ famed Big Red Machine and why having regular health screenings is so important.

“The screenings we’re providing at Man Up! are vital, valuable and could ultimately help save someone’s life, especially when you consider that men are 100% less likely than women to have an annual physical exam. They also die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death. These facts are not unrelated,” said Dr. Robinson.

“There are significant health disparities in our country and African American men remain at the bottom of the list for life expectancy. It doesn’t have to be this way,” said Dr. Melvin. “By hosting the Man Up! men’s health expo, Mercy Health is addressing this health gap. I urge African American men in our community to take advantage of this free health event and register today.”

The following health screenings will be available from 5-7 p.m.:

• Blood pressure: High blood pressure can cause strokes, heart disease, kidney conditions and eye problems.
• Body fat: High percentages of visceral and subcutaneous fat are linked to cardiac disease, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and other health problems.
• Blood glucose: Everyone age 45 and older should be screened every three years to determine if they are at risk for pre-diabetes or diabetes.
• Cholesterol: High cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease, has no symptoms. The only way to detect it is through a blood test.
• Prostate: Prostate cancer can be found early through a blood test that measures a man’s prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. The American Cancer Society recommends African-American men begin screening at age 45.
• Colon: Regular colorectal cancer screening is one of the most powerful weapons against colorectal cancer. Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States.
• Vision: Routine eye exams are and can help detect glaucoma and chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
• Behavioral health: Behavioral health screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine if you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety, which are common and treatable.

Man Up! is possible thanks to generous support of sponsors, including Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, Pfizer, Urology Group, Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, City of Cincinnati and Medpace.