Free Health Fair and Farmers Market on November 2 to Offer Health Screenings and Fresh Produce and Pantry Staples to Underserved Populations
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (October 14, 2024) – DKBmed, an integrated continuing medical education company, and Sunshine Cathedral (1480 SW 9th Avenue), the world’s largest progressive LGBTQ+ church, have joined forces to launch “Feeding Souls, Protecting Bodies: HIV Outreach in South Florida” initiative with a free health fair and farmers market on November 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. This quality-of-life improvement program special event will offer complimentary HIV screenings and health check-ups plus free, fresh produce and pantry staples from local vendors.
The “Feeding Souls, Protecting Bodies: HIV Outreach in South Florida” program aims to educate providers who serve populations with higher rates of HIV due to social determinants of health by addressing those disparities to improve patient outcomes, particularly regarding testing rates and PrEP utilization. Delivered in partnership with Sunshine Cathedral, the program is designed to reach underserved communities in South Florida through a series of fresh farmers markets and health fairs, providing free access to nutritious food and health screenings. Sunshine Cathedral’s current food sharing ministry reaches 750+ people each week through a Wednesday morning food pantry and weekend distribution; those they reach are 80% BIPOC, largely senior citizens, queer-identifying, lower-income, and/or formerly unhoused veterans.
While the incidence of HIV in the United States has been declining and progress in HIV prevention is being made, the progress is not uniform, and significant disparities based on race, ethnicity, and region exist. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida, specifically, has one of the nation’s highest rates of HIV diagnosis, with 21.7 per 100,000, compared with national rate of 12.7 per 100,000. AIDSVu relates that In Fort Lauderdale, the rate is 36 per 100,000.
Additionally, according to Feeding America, the Fort Lauderdale area has a significant population of people with food insecurity. Food insecurity is associated with poor nutrition, chronic disease, and lack of health care access. Between 25% and 80% of people living with HIV experience food insecurity, and they have significantly worse HIV-specific health outcomes. Screening people who attend a food pantry/farmer’s market may identify people living with HIV who are either unaware of their diagnosis or not engaged in care.
“By concentrating and targeting our efforts on Fort Lauderdale’s underserved population, we hope to help break the barriers to care for people who have inadequate access to food and, possibly, unstable housing and employment,” said David Serota, MD, MSc, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Initiatives like the ‘Feeding Souls, Protecting Bodies: HIV Outreach’ program allow us to close the gaps in HIV care and move us closer towards ending the HIV epidemic.”
At the Feeding Souls farmers’ market, medical staff from Holy Cross Health will be on-site to offer health education, pamphlets and free screenings for HIV, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, Hepatitis C, and syphilis. Referral coordinators will also be present to help patients schedule follow-up visits with healthcare providers. Event visitors are encouraged to engage with the various partners through a fun health passport game. DKBmed will offer a $10 gift card for those who return their passport with all the stamps plus they will be entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift card.
For more information about the health fair and farmer’s market, contact Anne Steele, Sunshine Cathedral, at [email protected] or Matt Miller, DKBmed, at [email protected].
About DKBmed
DKBmed is an integrated continuing medical education company operated by an experienced team of medical education experts. DKBmed provides health care professionals with effective medical education that closes identified knowledge and practice gaps to improve patient health.Working with accredited providers and other partners, DKBmed develops innovative educational programs and quality improvement (QI) initiatives, bringing new learning methodologies to the CME landscape. DKBmed has become a leader in QI in the independent medical education space with QI projects in Pain Management, HIV, Depression, Influenza, and Diabetic Eye Disease. DKBmed was also an early adopter of case scenarios with real patients and live actors, TED/DKBmed Talks, 3D animation, webcasts, podcasts, and smart phone applications for clinicians and patients. These forward-thinking approaches enable health care professionals to learn and access educational programs in a manner that is most convenient and appropriate for them.
DKBmed’s programs are accessible through the company’s website (www.dkbmed.com). They reach more than 150,000 health care professionals in primary care and in a variety of specialties and disease states including: HIV, COVID-19, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, influenza, dermatology, retinal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, asthma, multiple sclerosis, pain management, depression and viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV) and oncology.