Kim Cloud thought he was going in for a quick routine checkup a few years ago. Instead, they found prostate cancer.
“I’m cancer-free because I caught it in time,” said Cloud, who is vice president of the East Bay Dragons, the West Coast’s oldest Black motorcycle club.
It’s just one of many reasons Cloud and the East Bay Dragons invited Alameda Health System (AHS) physicians to a recent party. The AHS doctors provided free health screenings for members, testing their blood pressure and blood sugar for any early indications of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
Research shows that Black men are less likely to go to the doctor, and are also at higher risk for certain diseases. Dr. Alejandro Diaz, vice-chair of Internal Medicine at AHS, said that’s why AHS providers prioritize getting out into the community to provide free health services.
KQED, the Bay Area’s NPR affiliate, covered the story. Listen below.
