When Every Second Counts: The Nurse and the Barbershop

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jennifer Rascoe, stroke coordinator at Harrisburg Hospital with UPMC, as she shares her innovative approach to community health outreach. After transitioning from luxury property management to nursing at age 30, Jennifer has dedicated her career to stroke prevention and care.In this episode, Jennifer discusses her groundbreaking barbershop outreach program, born from witnessing too many young men in their 30s and 40s arriving at the hospital with preventable strokes. Rather than waiting for people to come to traditional healthcare settings, Jennifer takes health education directly to the community—starting conversations about blood pressure, stroke prevention, and overcoming the fear of medical knowledge in the familiar, trusted environment of local barbershops.Discover how Jennifer's personal, conversational approach is breaking down barriers to healthcare access, addressing everything from stroke symptoms (using the BE-FAST acronym) to connecting people with primary care physicians and community resources. Learn why she believes "we can't be more afraid of knowledge than we are of death" and how her program is expanding to beauty salons with plans to include stroke survivors sharing their stories.This episode highlights the power of meeting people where they are and the impact one person can make in preventing devastating, yet often preventable, health outcomes in their community.