A ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH

WRITER: JAMES COMBS

Drs. Sijo Parekattil and Jamin Brahmbhatt are driving home the importance of men’s health.

In fact, they’re set to embark on a 6,000-mile journey this month to educate men about the importance of regular screenings and other preventive health measures.

The two Clermont urologists, who are co-directors of the Personalized Urology and Robotics (PUR) Clinic at South Lake Hospital, will drive from Florida to California and make various stops along the way to host health lectures, educational activities, and men’s health rallies.

Their initiative—called Drive for Men’s Health—is in its third year. The idea originated because the doctors were continually treating men who waited too long to seek medical attention and faced dire consequences.

“It’s sad, but the reality is that we diagnose men with testicular cancer and colon cancer that could have been prevented or caught in earlier stages,” Dr. Parekattil says. “So many men do not want to admit they may have an illness and try to tough it out. We want men to know going to the doctor does not have to be a burden on their lives.”

During their cross-country trip, they travel in an electric Tesla Model S, which needs to be recharged every 150 miles. They hold mini-rallies at every charging station, using the car to attract the attention of men and engage them in conversation.

That’s a sound strategy, especially considering that 80 percent of men can remember the make and model of their first car, while only half can remember the last time they visited a doctor for a check-up, according to a national survey commissioned by Orlando Health.

“The message we’re sending is that men constantly take preventive measures on their vehicles, such as having regular oil changes or changing out the transmission fluid,” Dr. Brahmbhatt says. “Similarly, they need to take preventive measures when it comes to their health. They can always buy a new automobile; they cannot buy a new body.”

In addition to mini-rallies, the doctors visit hospitals and medical colleges, where they make presentations or invite expert physicians to talk about various topics relating to men’s health. Some of the stops during the 2015 cross-country campaign included Emory University in Atlanta, Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and the University of Chicago. A large social media campaign—as well as live videos, webcasts, and media coverage—helps them publicize each event and allows fans to follow their journey from beginning to end.

“We estimate that we reached over 430 million people last year,” Dr. Brahmbhatt says.

This year’s Drive for Men’s Health begins June 9 with a special classic car show held in the parking lot of South Lake Hospital at 7:30 a.m. Clermont country music singer Patrick Gibson is accompanying the doctors on the trip and will perform at Hard Rock Café venues in Orlando, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Manhattan, Cleveland, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

“We really love doing this,” says Dr. Parekattil. “We might see 20 patients in a day in our office, but it’s wonderful to look beyond our office and impact 20 million people.”

Follow the doctors’ journey, log onto www.driveformenshealth.com.