Barbershop Talk to Host Free Community Event on April 8 as Part of National Public Health Week
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Barbershop Talk initiative will host a community forum at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, at Saint Mark Baptist Church, 5722 W. 12th St., in Little Rock.
During the free event, a documentary highlighting Barbershop Talk will be shown. Barbers and program participants also will take part in a panel discussion regarding Barbershop Talk. A meal will be provided.
Barbershop Talk, a research project of the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, aims to improve men’s health by teaching men about the widespread dangers of heavy alcohol consumption.
Camille Hart, Barbershop Talk research program director, said it’s important for residents of central Arkansas to see the documentary and learn about Barbershop Talk and why they should support the initiative.
“People need to see the film as it focuses on not only Barbershop Talk but also the value of having popular community gathering spaces, like a barbershop, where you can distribute pertinent information out to the community,” she said. “Building relationships with people is key. The film also shows the importance of the rapport between the program staff and the barbers.”
The Barbershop Talk forum is part of the college’s recognition of National Public Health Week, which is April 8-12. The week celebrates and brings attention to the societal impact of public health and its programs, such as Barbershop Talk.
Launched in August 2023, Barbershop Talk is currently in 61 Arkansas barbershops spanning 15 counties with over 600 participants. Arkansans being aware of the need to address men’s health factored heavily into the growth of the program, according to Hart.
“The Barbershop Talk team, we were out in the community, doing the work, listening to men, and providing them with knowledge to improve their health,” Hart said. “The model works to promote men’s health. We need to figure out how to make it sustainable within each community.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,015 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###