The Michigan Men’s Health Foundation, founded in 2009 and formerly known as the MIU Men’s Health Foundation, has expanded its focus from Metro Detroit to the entire state of Michigan in its commitment to men’s health advocacy and the awareness, education, research, and treatment of prostate cancer and men’s health-related issues.
“We are committed to making an impact by providing opportunities for men to have health screenings, education and resources they may not have had before to demonstrate our commitment across the state,” said Dr. Michael Lutz, urologist and president and founder of the Michigan Men’s Health Foundation. “We want to continue to engage the community on a much broader scale and bring men together to save lives.”
As a first step in this effort, the Foundation named two additional leaders to serve on its Board of Directors: West Michigan residents Bill Payne and Conrad Tobert, M.D.
Payne is a principal at BP Ventures, former vice chairman of Amway and a former member of the Corewell Health System Board of Directors. Dr. Tobert is a urologist with the Corewell Health Medical Group and lives in Grand Rapids.
Among the many goals the foundation has through its expansion statewide is the establishment of an Office of Men’s Health in the state of Michigan. Dr. Lutz is currently in conversation with the office of the governor on potential action. Additionally, plans are in the works for a kick-off event in West Michigan later in 2025 to spread awareness of the foundation’s initiatives and raise funds to advance its impact beyond Metro Detroit. A vision of mobile health screenings that will travel across the state to reach underrepresented populations is also taking shape.
The Michigan Men’s Health Foundation also manages the Blue Fund, which provides short-term assistance to prostate cancer patients during treatment to help lessen the financial burden of cancer. Plans are underway to expand the impact of that Fund to patients in more of Michigan.
“Our focus is on saving lives – the key to prostate cancer survival is early detection,” Lutz said. “We need to reach as many men as possible – and the partners and families who care about them – to ensure they engage in preventative health screenings, while also raising funds that support survivorship and other programs all year long.”
This year, the American Cancer Society is predicting 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. – a continued rise from year’s past – and 35,770 deaths. Prostate cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. One in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime; 1 in 44 will die from prostate cancer. With early detection, death can be prevented. More than 3.3 million American men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.
“This work is so important,” said Payne, a prostate cancer survivor himself. “There’s no reason any man should die from prostate cancer, and we need to do everything we can to prevent it from happening here in Michigan.”
The annual Run for the Ribbon 5K will be held on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, at the Detroit Zoo. The 15th annual Men’s Health Event, held at Ford Field, which provides free health screenings for men 18 years and older with or without insurance, will return this fall.
On Call for Men’s Health Podcast, launched in 2021, is available on all podcast platforms. Featuring special guest experts on issues related to men’s health and personal stories of survival, the On Call for Men’s Health podcast improves the health, through conversation, of listeners and the men they love. The Foundation plans more episodes featuring more Michigan men and experts.
For more information, visit www.michiganmenshealthfoundation.org.
