Baton Rouge General Hosting Healthy Men Event at Mid City

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge General (BRG) is hosting a men’s screening event at its Mid City campus as part of The Healthy Men Project. Launched in November, the campaign encourages men ages 30-50 to be more proactive about their health. The screening event will take place Saturday, Feb. 19 from 8-10 a.m. The event is free, but registration is required at brgeneral.org/healthymen.

“We know that men tend to delay seeking healthcare and ignore their symptoms, so just thinking and talking about their health is a huge first step for a lot of men,” said Dr. Ubaid Abbasi, a family medicine physician at BRG Mid City. “Many men 40 and under assume they are healthy, not considering they could have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which are both risk factors for heart disease and stroke if they’re not under control.”

Attendees will have several opportunities to check in on their health. Following the screenings, attendees will have a one-on-one consultation with a BRG provider to discuss their results. Screenings include:

• Cholesterol, Glucose and Blood Pressure Test
• Grip Strength and Balance Assessment
• Body Fat % Scale and Waist Circumference Check
• Allergy screening with The Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center
• Eye assessments with Williamson Eye Center
• Flu shots and COVID vaccines

Sixty-five percent of men say they avoid going to the doctor as long as possible. Experts attribute this to various reasons, but two big ones are stigmas and the “superhero syndrome.” Many men buy into the stigma that they should be strong enough to handle things on their own. They may convince themselves that seeing a doctor is a sign of weakness and that their condition will improve on its own.

In an annual Cleveland Clinic survey, most men (82%) said they try to stay healthy to live longer for family and friends who rely on them, yet only half report that they’re getting that all-important preventative care.

For more information, visit brgeneral.org/healthymen.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

###