TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — A new community wellness hub at a Tampa barber shop is making healthcare more accessible by bringing free health screenings directly to where men feel most comfortable, addressing critical health disparities highlighted in Hillsborough County's latest Community Health Assessment.
WATCH: Free health screenings now available at Tampa barber shop as county tackles health disparities
The Envision Resolution Foundation has partnered with Shear Excellence Barber Shop at 4707 East Bush Boulevard to install a self-service health screening station. The hub allows clients and community members to check their blood pressure, get EKG heart readings, and monitor their weight and oxygen levels at no cost.
"We're really excited that we're offering the opportunity to barber shops so that their clients can come in and do a free health screening," said Antoinette Davis, president and CEO of the Envision Resolution Foundation. "It's open to their clients and the general public to come get their blood pressure checked. They can do an EKG reading of their heart, check their weight, check their oxygen, and various things in the wellness hub."
The wellness hub is free and is entirely self-serve.
The strategic placement in barber shops addresses a critical healthcare gap identified in Hillsborough County's 2024 Community Health Assessment, which found that chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes are leading causes of death, with higher rates among Black individuals. The assessment also revealed that 3,591 preventable hospital stays occurred per 100,000 Medicare enrollees, compared with Florida's 3,035.
Davis explained the reasoning behind this unconventional approach.
"We know from data that the population of men are showing higher rates of hypertension, diabetes and other chronic conditions, so we partner with barber shops as well as hair salons, places of worship and community centers to just make sure that people knowing their numbers is accessible," Davis said.
This initiative is part of Envision Resolution's broader "Know Your Numbers" campaign, which targets generational chronic conditions in communities of color. The campaign encourages people to understand their blood pressure and A1C levels to prevent strokes and heart attacks.
"As an organization, we are solutions-based so we know that we have a public health crisis in communities of color where there has been generational chronic conditions," Davis said. "So our campaign, which is know your numbers, is really geared towards giving the opportunity for people to know what their blood pressure is, encouraging them to get their A1C and just being aware so that we can get in front of strokes and heart attacks and other conditions that we see in our community."
The Community Health Assessment found that Hillsborough County has higher rates of heart disease deaths (161.2 per 100,000) compared to Florida (140 per 100,000), with death rates for heart disease, cancer and stroke highest among Black individuals in the county.
Community Health Assessment Hillsborough County by Tampa Bay 28
The impact of this work extends beyond simple health screenings. Davis described the meaningful outcomes she has witnessed.
"It is very gratifying to hear guys who tell stories about learning that they're having issues with their blood pressure, and now they've tapped into our network to go and see a doctor," Davis said. "There are other stories that people tell about learning about how to advocate for themselves in healthcare spaces so that they felt more respected, and they felt like their care was better. So we feel like we are saving lives, one person at a time, preventing, as I said earlier, strokes and things like that. So it is definitely gratifying."
Cedric Carrington, board chair at Envision Resolution, became involved after attending the organization's barber shop talks and quickly recognized the value of their mission.
"I went from attending barber shop talks to really understanding the compelling message," Carrington said. "So I became a member of Envision resolution, and was quickly voted in as the board chair at Envision resolution. They endeavor to bring health and wellness programs to the community that help black communities and over wise or otherwise marginalized communities. So I'm all about that mission of promoting health and wellness in our communities, and that's why I'm on board now."
Carrington's involvement deepened as he attended multiple sessions and saw the comprehensive approach to wellness.
"I think understanding fitness and its linkage from financial to physical to mental fitness and wellness is all linked together, and I think in envision resolution, they endeavor to link them and educate the public on the aspects and components and how to improve in each of those different categories," Carrington said. "So after about two or three iterations of attending barber shop talks, I was interested in being more of a permanent presence with Envision resolution. So I asked Antoinette to come on board, and shortly thereafter, I was the board chair."
The wellness hub addresses significant healthcare disparities that exist in marginalized communities, according to Carrington. The Community Health Assessment found that 13% of Hillsborough County residents are uninsured, and healthcare access and quality was identified as the top health focus among community organizations surveyed.
"We have significant health and wealth disparities in marginalized communities, and this definitely helps to bridge that gap," Carrington said. "The Wellness hub allows you to have the metrics to immediately determine your health. They can prevent strokes, they can inform you on your diet and your exercise habits, so that you can have the longevity that we so deserve. Traditionally, we've inherited certain practices and traits, and I think we need to mitigate and combat those effects through our intentional, deliberate choices for what we consume, how we exercise and even how we save our money and all that contributes to mental health."
Carrington has become a passionate advocate for the organization's mission, even involving his family in their wellness initiatives.
"Promoting, envision resolutions, mission has been easy for me. I will not promote or advocate for things I don't believe in," Carrington said. "So I so strongly believe in it. One, I'm a walking advertisement. I got my wife enrolled as well, so she's active, and she was a participant in wellness challenge. So we're both winners, right? Everyone who participated as a winner because they have increased health or increased health outcomes now. So we're proud of that, but it is very easy to promote and support something that you believe in."
The organization's wellness challenge extends the impact beyond the physical hub location, creating ongoing engagement with healthy habits.
"The hub is stationary. Here the barber shop. Talks are monthly, or you can catch them twice a month on the first and fourth Tuesdays," Carrington said. "But the wellness challenge is all the time. What you choose to do when? You sleep, how you eat, how you exercise, so and it doesn't end. Just because the challenge is over, you can continue. So we've created camaraderie amongst the participants, and we promise to keep each other honest, informing those healthy habits."
Trey Brady, executive director of Smart Health Initiatives, provides context for why this innovative approach is necessary. Brady sits on health assessment committees for both Advent Health and the county health department and has extensive knowledge of community health challenges.
"One of the things that people may not know is that every four years, the city of Tampa, the county of Hillsborough and most of the surrounding counties do a fairly comprehensive health assessment," Brady said. "They send out a survey, people respond, and that becomes the impetus for us to determine where we are in our community as it relates to access what kinds of disease, chronic disease, impacts the community, and quite frankly, gives us a road map on what to do about it."
The 2024 Community Health Assessment, which surveyed 1,202 residents, found that the top health problems to be addressed include being overweight, poor aging, mental health issues, cancers and tobacco use. The assessment also identified distracted driving, alcohol abuse and substance misuse as the top risky behaviors harmful to community health.
The assessment results reveal persistent challenges despite a quality healthcare infrastructure in the region.
"Here's what we know. Chronic Disease is at the top of the list, whether it's heart disease, diabetes, and it seems to be getting worse in some ways," Brady said. "The question is, is that we live in a community where health care, we have quality health care, you have Bay care, Advent health, Tampa General. The question though, is, is that with all of that quality health care surrounding us, why are we still having a difficulty accessing it, and that's where we focus?"
Brady emphasized that traditional healthcare delivery models are insufficient for reaching underserved communities.
"The question becomes, how do you bring those services to a community that often needs it worse than anywhere else," Brady said. "And so there are ways in which you can do that. And one of the things that I've learned sitting on the actually sit on two of the committees. Advent has one, the county health department has another. I sit on both. One thing that I've learned in my time there is that you have to bring the services to the people. You can't expect them to come to you."
Brady praised Envision Resolution's approach as particularly effective for reaching men, who are often reluctant to seek healthcare. The Community Health Assessment found that 68.8% of adults in Hillsborough County are overweight or obese, compared to Florida at 64.6%, with the Hispanic population having the highest rates at 76.5%.
"There are creative ways to do that, and this is a great example," Brady said. "And vision has come up with a very novel approach, and more specifically focused on men. Because unfortunately, I have to admit, we are probably some of the worst when it comes to wanting to go to the doctor. So in many cases, Antoinette and her organization brings that directly to the men that are most in need, gives them the opportunity to come in to a safe space, sit down, have a self service environment where they can kind of do it on their own terms, in their own time, get the answers that they need, know their numbers and then be able to make quality decisions about what they should do about their health."
The trust factor is crucial to the success of this model, according to Brady.
"I think the value that envision brings to the table is that if you want to impact a community, they have to trust you," Brady said. "And so when you look at this approach, when you look at where it is in a barber shop, I think the reality is, is that she understands that you can't just deliver healthcare. You've got to fashion it in such a way to where people, your specific audience trusted enough to want to use it. And that is the novel approach that she's taken. And I'm just glad to be a part of it."
Brady noted that while other innovative healthcare approaches exist in the community, each takes a different strategy.
"The answer is yes, but they tend to take different approaches," Brady said when asked about other similar initiatives. "I mean, so you have Healthy 22nd Street Community Garden, public gardens. You have Tampa General doing their garden project, really, just literally down the street. So everyone takes a different approach. But the good news is, is that we have creative minds coming together to put together a solution, that in many ways, they're the only ones that can do it."
The Community Health Assessment identified several key factors needed to improve quality of life, including access to healthcare, low-cost healthy foods, good health information, good jobs and economy, and a clean environment. The assessment also found that 22% of survey respondents reported a time in the past 12 months when they did not receive the medical care they needed, with affordability and appointment availability as the top barriers.
Brady emphasized the importance of community-led solutions to healthcare challenges.
"I think that, again, we can't hope that anyone else is going to come to the rescue," Brady said. "We have to do it ourselves. And so I think when we combine our efforts, we can get farther, faster."
The wellness hub at Shear Excellence Barber Shop, owned by Donald Mitchell, represents the first location, with plans to expand to two additional sites in 2026. Davis encouraged community members to take advantage of this resource.
The initiative complements Envision Resolution's ongoing barber shop talks, held on the first and fourth Tuesdays of each month, creating multiple touchpoints for community health engagement. This approach aligns with the Community Health Assessment's findings that identified the need for culturally competent providers and services located in communities where needs are greatest.
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