Health Equity Starts Here: Philadelphia Salons Host Screening, Wellness Events
NEW YORK (06/27/25) – DKBmed is partnering with Philadelphia salons, hairstylist and entrepreneur, Michelle-Nichole, and Bebashi to host a series of health and wellness events, entitled Crowning Health: Empowering HIV Prevention and Care, designed to address healthcare gaps and inequalities faced by Black women. The series is part of an educational program funded by Gilead Sciences.
All of Philadelphia is invited to attend these Health and Wellness community events at local Philadelphia hair salons. Schedule of events:
- Nikki Dean Salon (1324 N 15th St. Philadelphia, PA) — Saturday, July 19 from 10AM-2PM
- Hair Therapy by the Gifted (157 N. 57 St. Philadelphia, PA) — Saturday, July 26 from 10AM-2PM (salon launch party)
- J. Saleem Salon (421 N 63rd St. Philadelphia, PA) — August 2 from 8am-12pm
- Beauty Lounge (1901 N. 60th St. Philadelphia, PA) — August 10 from 2PM-6PM
- Bouncedolls (215 Arch St. Philadelphia, PA) — Saturday, August 16 from 10AM-2PM (20-year anniversary celebration)
All attendees will receive light refreshments and gift bags, and attendees who choose to undergo screenings for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis C, or pregnancy will receive a $25 gift card for their participation. The screenings are confidential and take place in Bebashi’s mobile testing lab. Results are available within minutes.
Community-focused health events in Philadelphia are needed to reduce the spread of HIV. In 2022, Black women accounted for 15% of new HIV diagnoses in Philadelphia – 75% higher than the national proportion of 9%. Hair salons are powerful allies in this program because Black hair stylists are trusted members of their communities and can effectively link people who are most in need of care.
“As a stylist, salon owner, and wellness advocate, I’ve seen firsthand how much care and healing starts in our chairs. These events aren’t just about HIV awareness—they’re about reclaiming the salon as a sanctuary for Black women’s health, wholeness, and truth.”
— Michelle-Nichole
The Crowning Health program will also provide:
- Education for Philadelphia-area health care providers on HIV prevention and treatment.
- Education for hair stylists on HIV prevalence, testing and prevention.
- A client-clinician referral network that will allow stylists to refer their clients to local clinicians who have received specific education on HIV and other pertinent health issues faced by Black women.
DKBmed and Bebashi previously partnered on Fade Out HIV: Barber and Clinician Outreach in Philadelphia, which provided 8 health screening events at Philadelphia barbershops.
More info can be found at Crown-Philly.DKBmed.com
About Bebashi
Bebashi is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit founded in 1985 as the nation’s first African-American–led HIV/AIDS organization targeting urban communities of color. Today, it offers culturally sensitive prevention education, free HIV/STI/pregnancy/HCV testing, and comprehensive case management and support services to more than 20,000 people annually. Over time, the organization has expanded its mission to address broader social determinants of health, including food insecurity via a community pantry/fridge, breast health referrals, and legal/primary care assistance. Through deep community partnerships, Bebashi continually extends its reach to vulnerable populations and promotes equitable access to health and wellness resources. To learn more about Bebashi, visit their website: https://www.bebashi.org/
About Michelle-Nichole
Michelle-Nichole is a salon owner, hairstylist, and the founder of Bounced House LLC—a beauty brand that centers on luxury, self-care, and storytelling. She’s been doing hair for over two decades, focused on creating spaces where people feel seen, cared for, and elevated.Her work spans from silk products that support hair health from the salon, to home, to full bridal styling experiences and expanding into two new experiences: the Luxe Beauty Reset, an in-salon ritual centered on restoration, and the Bounced Dream Lab, a mobile beauty-wellness concept that brings luxury and softness into everyday spaces.
She can be found on Instagram @Michelle_Nichole
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.