UnityPoint Health – Trinity Brings Medicine to Davenport Barbershop
A Davenport barbershop will have a permanent health station installed that will provide access to health information, resources, and education, and be the site of health screenings and in-person provider education.
Sherwin Q. Robinson is owner of 4 Sher Cut & Style.
The health station, part of the “Medicine in the Barbershop” partnership between UnityPoint Health – Trinity and 4 Sher Cut & Style, is partially funded through a grant from the University of Iowa College of Public Health, Business Leadership Network Community Grant program. It will help advance health and wellness for African-American men while offering a health access point for clients of the barbershop.
The goals of the program are to address health disparities, advance trust in the African-American community, increase education and awareness around specific health challenges facing the Black community, bring healthcare to the community where people live and work, and assist members of the community in accessing appropriate healthcare services.
“My goal in partnering with UnityPoint Health – Trinity is to motivate and inspire men to communicate, be conscientious, be confident in who we are, and take initiative to recognize and prevent any ailments, disease or sickness — physical or mental – that have plagued us for generations,” Sherwin
The barbershop is at 1706 Brady St., Davenport.
Q. Robinson, Sr., owner of 4 Sher Cut & Style, said Wednesday.
“With personal knowledge and tools, my clients can live healthier lives and be better advocates for themselves and their families,” he said.
4 Sher Cut & Style is located at 1706 Brady St. and is named in recognition of Sherwin’s four sons, whose names all begin with “Sher.” Robinson has been a licensed barber since 1998.
Within the local region, the 2018 Quad Cities Community Health Needs Assessment found that the percentage of African-Americans who perceived the ease of obtaining local healthcare services as only fair or poor was significantly higher (26.3%) than that of whites (11.3%). One or more emergency room visits per year was found to be higher among African-Americans as well
UnityPoint Health — Trinity is launching the “Medicine in the Barbershop” program in part with a public health grant from the University of Iowa.
(18.7%) when compared to whites (10%).
The prevalence of certain diseases was also found to be slightly higher in the Black community, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and the presence of one or more cardiovascular risks or behaviors.
“UnityPoint Health – Trinity is committed to achieving health equity for all and eliminating healthcare disparities,” said Daniel Joiner, UnityPoint Health – Trinity’s diversity and community impact officer. “In order to achieve this, we embrace ideas that provide health care services beyond traditional sites where people would go for resources and care.
“One of our goals is to strengthen and expand community partnerships that support health equity,” he said. “We believe that connecting with people in barbershops through this initiative is a great way to reach our African-American neighbors in a setting that is not only frequented often but is a place where people feel comfortable.”
The health station at 4 Sher Cut & Style on Brady Street in Davenport includes a permanent desk in an area where customers waiting for a haircut can access health information and risk assessments on an iPad loaded with health apps and resources.
Health screenings and community education events with physicians will be scheduled in the future when it is safe to gather in groups again, according to a Trinity release.
