Senior Health and Wellness Day Offers Free Prostate Cancer Screenings

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and Clinton Baptist Church partnered on the community outreach event.

CLINTON, Md. — Health-conscious community members in Prince George’s County visited Senior Health and Wellness Day, a resource fair held by Community Health at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and Clinton Baptist Church on Saturday, Nov. 23. At the event, MedStar Health clinicians offered on-site prostate cancer screenings for eligible men at no cost. Participants were also not asked for their insurance information.

Prostate cancer effects Black men living in Prince George’s County at an alarmingly high rate. They are diagnosed almost 40% more often than U.S. men on average and die from the disease almost 80% more often, according to county statistics. Physicians currently recommend all men over age 50 receive a digital rectal exam screening. For black men, or men with a family history, screenings are recommended starting at age 40.

Chile Ahaghotu, MD, vice president of Medical Affairs at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and a board-certified urologist, provided the free screenings at the church.

“The good news is that when prostate cancer is detected early, it is highly treatable,” Dr. Ahaghotu said, “That’s why we need to make sure all men are getting their screenings at the recommended age. Bringing free screenings directly into the community is a way to make this kind of preventative care more accessible and empower more men to checked.”

“It is devastating to learn that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. men, especially amongst African American men,” said Colin Pugh, pastor of Clinton Baptist Church. “I led by example by signing up first for an exam, and many who joined us were getting checked for the first time. I appreciate that our partnership with MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center helps us promote better health in our community and carry out our vision: We Grow, We Serve, We Love.”

At the event, Community Health team members also arranged for several local organizations and vendors to offer a variety of resources and information for visitors aged 55 and older, along with their caregivers. The attending organizations included the Prince George’s County Health Dept. and Dept. of Aging, Maryland Insurance Administration, Pathways, Inc., Employ PG County, Giant Foods, and more.

“We at MedStar Health are constantly looking for ways to enhance the health and wellbeing of our communities,” said Jessica Gamero, community health program manager at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, “By bringing our invaluable partners together, both inside and outside the walls of our hospitals, we have the opportunity to make a real difference on health issues and also address the social determinants of health affecting our communities.”

Saturday’s Senior Health and Wellness Day marked the third collaboration between MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center and Clinton Baptist Church that provided free prostate cancer screenings to the community.