A matter of men
The Men’s Health Program at Whittier Street Health Center offers an innovative and comprehensive approach to outreach, education, screening and referral services, all designed to connect men to the center’s numerous primary health care and support services.

Dalton Skerritt, (middle) program manager of the Men’s Health Program in the Edward Harris Clinic at Whittier Street Health Center, leads a discussion on men’s health issues.

According to Dalton Skerritt, manager of Whittier’s Men’s Health Program, providing those services is a team effort.

“I work with a talented and dedicated staff to reach out to men in the community to provide them with health education and make them aware of the variety of support services available to them at the Whittier Street Health Center,” he said.

While the program aims to provide health education to all men, it places a particular emphasis on reaching African American and Latino males. Establishing a line of communication with these and other hard-to-reach populations can be a tough task in its own right.

After the connection is made, according to Skerritt, the goal is “to introduce them to the services at Whittier Street.” The program works not only to inform men through educational outreach and keep their health on track with individual case management, but also to create a larger context for education by involving the community in the process.

Men’s Health Program staffers foster community organizing among men, provide a variety of health screening opportunities, and identify and enroll uninsured men for health care coverage, among other services. They also reach out to “pre-released” male criminal offenders, or those gradually transitioning from prison life back into the outside world.

A key part of informing men about the health center’s many options is convincing them that preventive care and seeking medical help are by no means admissions of weakness.

“We have found that many men perceive health centers to be only for women and children,” Skerritt said. “It is the intent of our entire staff to change that misconception and help these men view the center as a resource that can help them lead healthier lives.”

Setting the record straight is particularly critical when it comes to the scourge of prostate cancer. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

“Given the fact that the population we work with has a high percentage of African Americans and African American men are at the highest risk for prostate cancer, one of our main initiatives is to increase prostate health education and awareness among this population,” Skerritt said. “We provide information on the importance of screenings and how to access them.”

Skerritt admitted that addressing some misconceptions about prostate screenings prevalent in the African American community “has been a challenge for us.” To aid in dispelling the misinformation, Whittier’s Men’s Health Program has partnered with the Prostate Health Education Network, a local nonprofit organization committed to education and awareness efforts targeting African Americans.

“In all of our daily interactions in the community, our goal is to empower men to take care of their health and to become ambassadors of men’s health in their own communities,” Skerritt said.

One of Skerritt’s favorite stories about his program involves a man that came to the center a few years back with no job and no health insurance.

“While at the center, he received a prostate cancer screening test, which indicated that he had prostate cancer,” Skerritt recalled. “Our doctors arranged for early treatment, and his regular check-ups with his primary care physician indicate that he is now doing well and monitoring his condition.”

While the outcome was fantastic, that’s not why it’s Skerritt’s favorite story.

“As a result of his positive experience at the center, he enrolled in the eight-week Men’s Health Education Program, and will soon become an ambassador for the center in the community,” Skerritt added. “He is a perfect example of what we hope to accomplish at the Whittier Street Health Care Center through the Men’s Health Program.”