Dr. Thaddeus John Bell founder of the award winning “Closing the Gap in Health Care” and Mr. Darrel Ravenel Jazz Artist and well renown musician on the local scene have combined their talents to present “Jazzing with Sugar” a health awareness program designed to improve the health literacy of African American men and at the same time have a good time listening to some world class jazz. The program will feature conversations held in the barbershop about Diabetes and the attitude that some Black men have about the disease. 

Diabetes is more prevalent in South Carolina than any state in the country and particularly in African American men.  This could possibly be due to the lack of health literacy about the disease which can lead to major health complications of “Sugar in the Blood” or diabetes.

The conference is the first of its kind in this area and is designed to improve the health literacy of African American men around issues of “Sugar in the Blood”. Dr. Bell will give brief health tips about diabetes that will be culturally sensitive, humorous and honest.

The program will be hosted by Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in North Charleston, South Carolina at 6pm on August 29, 2010. Trident Health System will sponsor the program. Jazzing with Sugar is free to the public but is for men only. Come out and have a great time listening to world class jazz and receive health information about “Sugar in the Blood.” I am Dr. Thaddeus John Bell closing the gap in health disparities for African Americans and the underserved.

Thursday, Aug. 7, 2009 From MUSC The Catalyst

 For the third year in a row, Closing The Gap in Health Care Inc., a successful health promotion and radio broadcast education campaign established by Thaddeus Bell, M.D., of the College of Medicine, was honored and recognized for two silver and a merit award in the 17th Annual National Health Information Awards. This program recognizes the country’s best consumer health information programs and materials. 

Friday, Oct. 1, 2010

THURSDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- News reports about a possible link between pop star Michael Jackson's death and his alleged abuse of prescription drugs may have increased the public's concern about prescription medication overdose risks, suggests a survey of U.S. pharmacists.

Of the more than 200 respondents who work in home, ambulatory and chronic care practices, 28 percent of the pharmacists said patients have been asking more questions about the risks of prescription painkillers since Jackson's death on June 25.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) survey was conducted on July 1.

"While circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson's cause of death are still speculative, the media attention has opened dialogue about the dangers of prescription drug abuse," ASHP president Lynnae M. Mahaney, said in a news release.

"Medications can make a tremendous difference for people suffering with chronic pain and these patients should seek treatment," she said. "However, these medications are extremely powerful and when used improperly they can cause serious harm, even death."

Pharmacists, especially those trained in pain management, can assist patients by guiding them towards pain therapy that can minimize their risks for abuse and addiction, according to the ASHP.

The group offers the following safety tips for patients:

• Compile a list of your medications so that you can keep track of which medicines you're taking, including the doses and frequency, and make the list available to your pharmacist and other health care providers.
• Fill all of your prescriptions at one pharmacy, or use those with interconnected computer systems so that they can access your records and check for adverse drug interactions between different medications you're taking.
• If you have questions about your medications, ask your pharmacist.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers a guide to the safe use of pain medications.