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Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas volunteer Aaron Lockard, RN with a gift of Life client
Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas volunteer Aaron Lockard, RN with a gift of Life client
Beaumont-based Gift of Life (GOL) conducted their first-ever men’s health screening event in Hardin County, which drew more than 60 participants on July 15.
Inside the Hardin County Health Department, the lobby was filled with onsite physicians, a full panel of primary care, prostate, cancer and lab staff, as well as volunteers, facilitating screenings for prostate-specific antigens, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, Hepatitis C and HIV.
On-site physicians provided consultations with men in attendance, poring over test results with those taking the screenings, and navigating new patients in directions of critical follow-up care.
Sharon Whitley, director of the Hardin County Health Department, said a total of 64 men were screened.
“We had anticipated 50 men,” Whitley said of the stellar turnout. “The fact that more men participated was a bonus. Hopefully, we can offer this screening again next year, but nothing has yet to be planned or scheduled for the future.”
“I want to thank the Gift of Life for offering such services in Hardin County, and I look forward to working with them again – organizations such as the Gift of Life help with health care gaps and challenges that rural areas face.”
Joe Penland, owner of Quality Mat Co., was instrumental in bringing the men’s health screenings to Hardin County; he was also at the Hardin County inaugural event.
Penland and his wife, Linda, both cancer survivors, know firsthand the importance of early detection and the critical consequence of ensuring medically underserved individuals have access to lifesaving healthcare. As supporters of GOL Men’s Prostate and Women’s Breast Health and Cancer Prevention Programs, the Penlands have made available hundreds of no-cost screenings for men and women, and helped diagnose breast and prostate cancer in more than 350 Southeast Texans.
“We are deeply grateful for the Penlands’ longtime support of our services throughout Southeast Texas and especially in their hometown of Hardin County, where we have provided women’s breast health screenings for a number of years,” Gift of Life Founder and Chair Regina Rogers said. “There is a great need, and Joe has been instrumental in our mission to bridge the innumerable medical barriers confronted by many local men. We are fortunate he could attend and witness the provision of services that are making transformational changes in the lives of hundreds of men.”
According to Norma Sampson, executive director, the men had access to $500 worth of free screenings. In addition to the health care services provided, participants also received food from the Southeast Texas Food Bank, a boxed lunch from Jason’s Deli, gloves and a t-shirt, and a $25 Walmart gift card.
During a June 24 event in Beaumont, Gift of Life provided more than 200 medically underserved men with prostate cancer screenings, primary care services, and more.
In 2023, an estimated 17,230 men in Texas will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and approximately 2,290 will die from the disease. Since 2000, more than 10,990 Southeast Texas men have received Gift of Life free prostate cancer screenings.