Barbershops: Providing Innovative Health Services to Black Men

Men of color often face grim health statistics. They cope with obstacles related to education, socioeconomic status, and safety, all of which impact their overall health. African American men are less likely to get preventive care, or to have access to quality health care when they get sick.

In 2007 in Madison, Wisconsin, Aaron Perry, a former police officer, founded the Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association (RLWA) to bridge the divide between law enforcement and public health.  As RWLA evolved, it began to focus on how to address health disparities specific to African American men. Many of the health issues faced by Black men, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are preventable and treatable. But what is the best way to reach this community? One answer is in the center of Black men’s communities: barbershops!

Since opening its first health services center inside Madison’s largest Black barbershop, JP Hair Design, RLWA’s Men’s Health & Education Center has expanded to four barbershop service centers; free health and dental clinics; and a behavioral clinic. The project is an innovative health model for reducing health disparities and improving the social and health conditions of Black men in Wisconsin and beyond. If African American men are healthy, then the entire African American community can thrive.

Marvelitz Cutz Men’s Health & Education Center

On January 9, 2024, RLWA opened its third men’s health clinic inside Marvelitz Cutz’s newest barbershop. The clinic's first client recorded stroke-level blood pressure. After discussing his elevated blood pressure, he shared that he lost his health insurance four months prior and didn’t have medication. 

Within 24-hours, the clinic’s onsite insurance navigator completed paperwork for Wisconsin-sponsored insurance. He was also referred to the local free charitable pharmacy. Within 48 hours of the initial meeting, he received blood pressure medication and completed his application for insurance! 

Here, the client (in the white T-shirt) stands with Aaron Perry, founder of Rebalanced Life Wellness to his left and two Marvelitz Cutz staff members.

The Doctor Says I Have...Now, What? 

In 2023, Aaron Perry, in collaboration with illustrator Brandon Hadnot-Walker, published his five-book series The Doctor Says I Have…Now, What?.  Meant to inspire men to have more conversations about and support for their health, each book follows the journey of a fictional character who gets life-changing news about his health, taps into his support networks, and works to prioritize his health. Each book concludes with thought-provoking, reflective questions.