June 21, 2010, Brooklyn, New York-- Kingsbrook has partnered with the New York
Daily News for the fourth year, to offer free Prostate Cancer screenings to men in Central Brooklyn from June 21-25. Screenings will be available from 10-4pm at Kingsbrook's main campus at 585 Schenectady Avenue between Winthrop Street and Rutland Road or from 1pm-4pm at the facility's off-site family health center, Pierre Toussaint located at 1110 Eastern Parkway (Thursday's from 1pm-6pm).
Prostate Cancer and its related ailments continue to impact Kingsbrook's community members at a relatively high rates.
In 2009, the Journal of the National Medical Association reported that African American men were 2.4 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men. African American men are also more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at a more advance stage. Additionally, the report revealed that while the prostate cancer incident rate in Brooklyn
is high, the rates are even higher in Central Brooklyn. Nieghborhoods such as Bedford Stuyvesant/Crown Heights, East Flatbush/Flatbush and East New York maintain the highest prostate cancer rates for African-American men (279.5 per 100,000 men). This part of Brooklyn, which happens to be Kingsbrook's primary service area, is also home to a considerable Caribbean male population. Research shows that prostate cancer cases in the Caribbean were diagnosed at a later stage than African American men in the US. Additionally, the risk of death for Caribbean-born men was more than three times higher than US born men. These combined statistics create the elevated instances that have
been reported over the years.
" Research shows that early detection and treatment remain the keys to preventing some of the severe complexities that can, and usually arises, when a disease goes untreated," stated Enid Dillard, Director of Marketing & Public Affairs at Kingsbrook. "It's been noted that lack and or delay of prostate cancer screening is a major contributor to the high rates of later stage diagnosis. We want to make a difference, especially in Central Brooklyn where are men need this intervention the most."
If you or someone you know can benefit from these free prostate cancer screenings we encourage you to visit one of the sites listed above. Should you need more information please call Kingsbrook’s Public Affairs office at 718-604-5062.
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, celebrating its 85th year, is an 864-bed teaching Medical Center, dedicated to meeting the health needs of one of Brooklyn’s most culturally diverse communities. Kingsbrook continues to implement programs and services that respond to the vital health needs and concerns of the community at large. Centers of Excellence Include: Physical & Rehabilitative Medicine, including Brooklyn’s only New York State approved Traumatic Brain Injury & Coma Recovery Unit, an inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Program, an outpatient Caribbean Community Mental Health Program, the Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Center, Orthopedic Surgery, an ADA Certified Diabetes Self-Management Center including a Comprehensive Health & Obesity Management Program, a Women’s Wellness Center featuring Minimally- Invasive Gynecological Surgery and state of the art Digital Mammography. Other specialty areas include: Emergency Services, Ambulatory Surgery and a Certified Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory, as well as a 538-bed Adult and Pediatric long term care facility. Kingsbrook and Rutland Nursing Home are JCAHO certified and not-for-profit members of the Greater New York Hospital Association and the Healthcare Association of New York State.
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