Shop Docs

We at The Shop Docs believe in a world where race and zip code should not determine access to, or quality of healthcare to individuals and communities. Due to the racist history of the United States, many of the institutions and systems that were established to uphold our most basic pillars of society significantly minoritized, or completely excluded non-white folks. Because of this, healthcare issues are at the heart of many obstacles minority communities face. Numerous preventable illnesses disproportionately affect Black Americans including heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. We are here to change the relationship between health care and the most at-risk individuals in our country. To do this, we focus on three main areas of impact:

1. Our first area of focus is to prevent illnesses before they cause morbidity and mortality. We do this through Barber Partnerships where we bring medical professionals to shops to offer free blood pressure screening, blood glucose testing, and more. We also ensure these sessions offer access to physician counseling, health education, insurance enrollment, and referrals to other health-professional services.
2. Our secondary area of focus is on building sustainable community practices that impact the long-term health outcomes of minority populations. This includes building community engagement through customized shop talks, back to school events, and community partnerships that focus on holistic health.
3. Our third area of focus is expanding the number of minority individuals represented in the health care profession through our Youth Internship and Scholarship program. This includes matching youth to mentors in the health care profession, encouraging youth to implement their own health-related projects in their communities, and expanding research opportunities when possible with partnering universities.

We are proud to be working towards a more equitable and healthy future. Join us in eliminating health-disparities across America.