Cutting hair and hypertension at Nashville barbershops

In Nashville, Tennessee, there’s a low-slung brick building nestled among fast food shops and a gas station on Clarksville Pike. It’s proudly painted red, white, and blue – a comfortable, well-worn spot that’s become a cultural hub for generations of African-American customers. And now, patrons of the barbershop can get more than a shave and a haircut. High rates of hypertension in this community are compounded by the fact that African-American men often aren’t receiving regular medical care. A group of partners, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Nashville Health, and CVS Health, are setting out to address this by placing pharmacists inside barbershops to screen for high blood pressure and recommend necessary treatments.