IOTA PI LAMBDA CHAPTER: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity members celebrated fathers while featuring specialist José Raúl López de Victoria Martínez, center, at Second Baptist Church as part of their ongoing community health initiative. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA

Miami – The Iota Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. partnered with Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights and the Inside Edge Consulting Group for a Father’s Day Celebration and Men’s Health Awareness Month program on Saturday, June 14.

The community program consisted of a welcome brunch, worship service, health workshop and lunch. Attendees included residents from the Richmond Heights, Perrine, and surrounding communities.

The health workshop, dubbed Clinical Research & Me, served to educate attendees on the value and importance of diverse research participants in medical trials.

“Health education helps people understand their health better, make wiser choices, and feel more confident when dealing with doctors or health issues,” said José Raúl López de Victoria Martínez, Community Clinical Navigator for Inside Edge Consulting Group.

“It also builds trust and encourages people to take part in things like vaccines, disease prevention, and medical research.”

The workshop emphasized myriad challenges to health quality including misleading information, language or cultural barriers, and limited understanding on how to navigate the healthcare system, which often result in detrimental outcomes, especially within underserved and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

Also, many research studies report limited participation, resulting in marketplace treatments that may not be as effective, while more diverse participants in drug and medical device studies can improve outcomes and ensure all people can benefit from advances in medicine.

“Traditionally, men don’t attend regular doctor visits until something drastic happens,” said Dr. Takevess Hatcher, Iota Pi Lambda Chapter president. “This is why we’ve partnered with Second Baptist Church and Inside Edge to promote health education within our community.”

The fraternity has served residents of Richmond Heights and neighboring communities for more than 50 years, providing scholarships to graduating high school seniors, donations to youth sports teams, assistance to schools in need, family holiday meal baskets, Christmas toys to children throughout the area, amid other endeavors to improve the social, economic, and intellectual status of Black Miami.