CLEVELAND — This year marked the 19th Minority Men’s Health Fair. Over the years, it’s estimated about 30,000 men have attended the event. 


What You Need To Know

  • The MetroHealth Minority Men’s Health Fair is happening from 5-8:30 p.m. on April 27, 2023

  • The free event offers more than 30 health screenings and haircuts at three MetroHealth locations

  • The goal is to encourage men to take charge of their health with preventative measures

Around 650 MetroHealth volunteers helped this year, and a number of community organizations were on-site to offer health education and resources as well.

Many men said this health fair has saved their life after catching an unknown illness.

Waverly Willis is a well-known barber that loves to give back to the Cleveland community.

He’s also a kidney cancer survivor.

“What I was told is it’s a very aggressive form of cancer and if I wouldn’t have gotten my kidney removed. I’m sorry I get very emotional," Willis said through tears. "If I wouldn’t have gotten my kidney removed, I would be dead. So, that’s why I do this work that I do with Dr. Modlin and the work that I do through my barber shops and stuff, because I wouldn’t be here right now."

Willis said he routinely goes to the doctor but went to the Minority Men’s Health Fair a few years ago anyway on behalf of his nonprofit, The Urban Barber Association.

One screening uncovered microscopic traces of blood in his urine, which led to his cancer diagnosis.

Willis said he had no symptoms, and the event saved his life.

“Men, for whatever reason, we don’t go to the doctor unless something is falling off," he said. "And there’s a lot of dads that’s in the grave right now, a lot of uncles, a lot of brothers that’s in the grave right now, and I would be one of those people if it wasn’t for Dr. Modlin."

The Minority Men’s Health Fair is Charles Modlin's passion project.

He founded it in 2003 at the Cleveland Clinic, and this marks year two of it continuing at MetroHealth.

Modlin currently serves as the first ever Medical Director of the Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at MetroHealth.

“This is a calling for me," Modlin said. "This is a passion."

The urologist said an event like this that provides more than 30 free health screenings for vision, dental, mental and physical health, all in one place is unheard of.

“There’s no other location or situation where you can get all of these screenings in a one stop shopping type of environment," he said. "If you were to try to obtain a lot of these screenings by going back and forth to doctors visits, it would take you several visits, several months, if not years.”“There’s no other location or situation where you can get all of these screenings in a one stop shopping type of environment," he said. "If you were to try to obtain a lot of these screenings by going back and forth to doctors visits, it would take you several visits, several months, if not years.”

Modlin said social determinants of health, a lack of insurance, and a lack of trust in health care are some reasons for the health disparities in black men. The purpose of the event is to break down barriers.

“We don’t have to accept these higher mortality rates, these lower life expectancies because if we can catch these conditions in early stages in most situations we can actually address those situations and cure those situations," Modlin said.

Free haircuts from barbers like Willis are also part of the health fair.

Today, Willis feels healthy and strong and sees his second chance at life as an opportunity to encourage other men to put their well-being first.

“This is my mission: to get men to come get tested," Willis said. "I know that my life was spared and I take the challenge on willingly and gratefully because again, I would not be here if it was not for these tests."

“We’re conducting this health fair because our message to the men out there is that you matter," Modlin said.

MetroHealth will also debut the Minority Women’s Health Expo this September.