Phoebe Men’s Health Fair a Fathers Day tradition

ALBANY – Darrell Sabbs planted seeds of change at Tift Park 17 years ago when he brought local churches to the table in an effort to address issues relating to men’s health in Albany.

Sabbs recalls going from one church to the next.

“I organized a group of deacons by going to the deacon boards,” the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital director of community benefits and government relations said. “I took a doctor with me; I got good responses so I went to more churches. We called it ‘Men on the Move.’ Every stop that we made, the men knew their health was important and had questions. So why not have a big conversation on men’s health?

“I was new in this world. I wasn’t really a health promoter then. I was just a community organizer, an activist kind of guy. (I said) Let’s invite all the men in town. Let’s cook for them. These are all men; it was Father’s Day, so let’s do some barbecue. We’ll get some doctors out there and do some health screens. Men came in splendid numbers; the only thing was — and this is a funny story about it — I did not consider that cooking barbecue and doing health screens was an oxymoron. So I have guys over here eating pork ribs, and they’re sitting out in the sun. When they go get their blood pressure checked, the numbers are sky high.”

Sabbs acknowledged he knew the program was off to a great start by the community response; however, some changes were in order.

“The next year, we moved it inside,” he said. “I learned a little bit more. I grew from that, and I learned it had to have the element of prevention involved with it. That jump-started it all.”

Since that start, the Saturdays of Father’s Day weekend have become a tradition, drawing between 400 and 600 men to learn how to make changes that lead them toward a healthier life. They are screened for high blood pressure, diabetes, prostate cancer, and cholesterol. With this information in hand, they are much more attuned to the messages that the keynote speakers provide relating to these issues.

“We’ve been beating the drum for preventive health care for men,” Sabbs said. “Why did we pick men? Because all the data from CDC and Public Health, even 17 years ago, showed men die earlier than women. Particularly, black men are dying more from chronic disease in our area than any other demographic group. Women have a longer expectancy due to lifestyle, A lot of that is due to lifestyle and riskier behaviors. We have this male mentality that we’ll get over it. Men have mechanics, lawyers … we have barbers. But we don’t have doctors.”

Women generally see doctors on a regular basis after puberty. Men may not see a physician for decades unless they are in the military or involved with sports. Often, when they finally do see a doctor, it may be too little too late.

During the past 17 years, figures show that more than 7,000 men have been presented with information relating to their personal health levels and educational information related to preventive health care. Sabbs also acknowledged that many of the issues that the health fairs have addressed are the same pre-existing conditions that make men more susceptible to COVID-19.

Due to COVID-19, this year’s Health Fair will be held at Tift Park Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. Social distancing will be practiced. Masks are required and will be provided. A variety of speakers will be on hand, including Dr. James Black, Dr. Derrick Heard and the Rev. Daniel Simmons.

The impact of these men’s health fairs is evidenced by the testimonials of the wives and daughters who tell Sabbs, “If my daddy or my husband had not gone to the health fair, he would not know that he had cancer, high blood pressure or diabetes.”

Frank Wilson, the former director of the Albany Civil Rights Museum, credits his 17-year involvement with the health fairs for his lifestyle changes and an eventual pattern of regular check-ups.

Wilson said he had asthma, resulting in him having to go to the Emergency Room three to four times a week. After becoming involved with Sabbs and the health fairs for the past 17 years, he began working with doctors to get control over the condition.

“I had a big scare in 2005 where I was on a ventilator and I coded three times in the ER,” Wilson said. “I haven’t had an attack since 2009.”

His new awareness of the importance of preventive health and screening were validated in 2015 when screening showed elevated PSA levels. He began a schedule of testing, and in 2019 his levels jumped to a level justifying radiation and chemo therapies.

Today Wilson is cancer free. However, while he battled cancer, he broke an ankle and contracted COVID-19, leading to a six-week hospital stay.

“During this time, I was not aware that in my deteriorated state that I had COVID,” he said. “I thought I was being treated for pneumonia. It wasn’t until I got out of the hospital that I learned they had called my family to tell them I only had 48 hours to live.”

Wilson has a message for other men.

“First thing I say to men is ‘go to the doctor; go to the doctor,’” he said. “If you love your family, go to the doctor, because you want to stay around for them. Because I went to the doctor, I will be able to celebrate Father’s Day with my children, my grandchildren, and my great grandchildren.

“If we are going to have healthy families, you have to have healthy fathers who go to the doctor, especially men after 40. They need that PSA test. They need a physical and to get a full battery of tests. We’re not just talking about cancer, we’re talking about heart attack, diabetes, blood pressure … things that affect men in general but African American men in particular. I have to applaud the medical community in Albany because they stay on top of things. I am here because of them and the Almighty God. Men have some issues about this thing or that, but do you want a doctor’s finger where it goes or do you want an embalmers needle where it goes? You have a choice.”

File Photo: Carlton FletcherStaff Photo: Tom Seegmueller