Mercy Health event offers free health screenings for men this Friday

Dr. Keith Melvin admits he wasn't always the best patient.  He was 45 and had never had a prostate examination done. But diagnosing one of his patients, a man in his 30s, changed that. Melvin started having annual PSA tests.  "I had a negative digital rectal exam, a negative ultrasound on my prostate. My PSA blood test was actually normal, but I had cancer in two out of six quadrants," Melvin said. That was almost 18 years ago. Now, Melvin is a major advocate for men, telling them to get checked. He's working with Mercy Health to host this year's "Man Up" event Friday afternoon. This will be the second year for the Man Up men's expo. Melvin said it's important that the event takes place in Bond Hill. "African-American men die before everybody else, and the reason why is all kinds of things, but access is one of them," Melvin said. Like last year, the event will feature free screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, prostate and more.  "What we're trying to show is that you can survive cancer," Melvin said. "The key to surviving cancer is having it diagnosed early. And that's all about screening." The Man Up event takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Mercy Health offices off Reading Road, near the Norwood Lateral. Prostate cancer survivor and Big Red Machine member Ken Griffey Sr. will be the keynote speaker. Click here for more information about the event.