The Jaguars Foundation, Florida Blue, and The 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. (J100), kicked off National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month by partnering to launch the Men Tackling the Big C Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education (MTBC) initiative this past Monday, August 28. The MTBC program will provide coordinated outreach to inform men and their families about risks factors, screening, diagnosis and treatment options related to prostate cancer.
"We are extremely excited about this opportunity to work with our community partners Florida Blue, the Jaguars Foundation, former Jacksonville Jaguar player Kevin Hardy, and a host of others to save lives," said Charles Griggs, President of the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. "Our intent is to educate the community so they will know that a prostate cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. With early detection, prostate cancer is 100% treatable."
According to the Florida Prostate Cancer Advisory Council, in Florida one (1) in four (4) men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. At higher risk are African American men and men with first and second degree relatives with prostate cancer. This higher risk group represents men who are two-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnose with prostate cancer.
"The NFL and the Jaguars have been strong supporters of tackling prostate cancer," said Peter Racine Senior Vice President of Jaguars Foundation and Community Impact. "We know that prevention and early detection creates the best scenario for the cure of any disease, particularly cancer."
The MTBC initiative will feature a prostate cancer risk assessment web site (to be launched on September 1), outreach during 2017 Jaguar home games, health fair screenings, system of care referrals, prostate cancer support group, speaker's bureau network and sponsored events.
"We are excited to reach men at the Jaguars games to help them understand their risk," said Darnell Smith Market President North Florida Region Florida Blue. "Florida Blue remains committed to closing the health disparity gap and we look forward to the day we can say we've reached health equity."
The MTBC initiative seeks to reduce the number of men getting prostate cancer through prevention, and the number men dying from prostate cancer through screening and treatment. The MTBC initiative encourages men to discuss early detection evaluation options with their healthcare provider to determine the best patient care preferences.
The 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. is actively working to improve the overall health and wellness of Duval County residents by specifically focusing on the health outcomes related to prostate cancer. One of the pillars of the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. is to influence positive outcomes in men across a lifetime by providing guidance, modeling behaviors and initiating programs that will address chronic disease health disparities plaguing minority men.
