Angel Medical Center CEO Column for June 2025

Let’s Talk About How Men Can Support Their Physical and  Mental Health — and Each Other

June is National Men’s Health Month, so I would like to emphasize the importance of taking care of our mental health, as well as men’s health. 

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is a trusted source for information about mental health and available treatment options. According to the NIMH, men are only half as likely as women to seek help for mental health issues, even though mental health conditions occur at similar rates in both genders. This disparity is reflected in the suicide rate, which is twice as high for men as for women. While socioeconomic status and race do affect access to care and the quality of treatment people receive, these factors do not explain the full extent of why men are less likely to seek mental health care.

I am going to take the non-scientific route and speak from a more personal experience for a moment. Men have not always been socialized to reveal our pain, emotions, or mental health challenges: Avoiding talking about these issues is sometimes related to a mixture of pride, ego, and peer pressure, as well as a lack of self-reflection and peer support. Ladies often rally around each other with talking, food, and time together. Men say, “I wish you the best and I’ll see you in a few weeks at hunting season.” See the difference? It’s critical that men lose the stigma about asking for mental health help, because failing to do so hurts them and those they love.

I must say that I see every day the major influence that a caring person has on a man’s health. It is either the push to go to the doctor by a loved one or a catastrophic event that changes the course of a man’s health. I hear all the time from men that they work out daily and keep their weight under control yet have not had a yearly physical exam — not to mention the other health workups that are recommended, depending on a man’s individual life stage. 

Just like women, men should have yearly, routine self and physical exams, including prostate checks, colonoscopies, breast (yes men can get breast cancer) and testicular exams, and blood work, just to name a few. The main point is whether you are a man or woman, your life quality and length largely rely on knowledge, self-awareness, yearly physicals, and doing all you can to support your wellbeing. My mom always said, “Too much pride and ego, and you’ll end up in one of three places — in the hospital, in jail, or dead.” So, the next time your buddy hints at a health or emotional challenge…consider that it might be best to ask him what is really going on and how you can help.

I would like to end this month’s article with a tribute to the men and women that have been serving our community at Angel Medical Center for more than 20 years. We are blessed in our community to have so many dedicated caregivers with tenures of 20 or more years of service and I’m proud to work alongside of them. They are: Shauna Maxson, Dana Ledford, 20 years; Bob Milton (volunteer), Ilean Milton (volunteer), Michelle Strain, Paulito Bucoy, Penny Malin, Tracy Vinson, Alison Higdon, Eddie Grigg, 21 years; Rebecca Dahl, Shannon Stacy, 22 years; Teresa Hopkins, Diane Savaiko, 23 years; Brenda McConnell, Teresa Register, 24 years; Debra Holland, Patti Harrell, Donna Tabor, 26 years; Paula Moore, 27 years; Janie Key, Jacki Jacquot, Susan Johnson, Jim Moran, 28 years; Amy Baumgarner, 29 years; Lisa Alfredson, Jeff Stanley, Leslie Vanhook, 30 years; Missie Taylor, 34 years; Sonya Shook, Lori Smith, 35 years; Judy Constable, 20 (45 with HCA Healthcare), Marty Mason, 39 years.

“We Are Angel” means to us that we are committed to caring for our patients first and foremost, caring for our community, caring for each other and our families. 

Clint Kendall, FACHE, MBA, MSN, BSN, RN, is Chief Executive Officer/Chief Nursing Officer of Angel Medical Center. He started his career as a nurse, and that perspective still informs his work and passion for the patient experience. Clint holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Nursing, and Health Care Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Carolina University. Clint has also earned the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) certification, and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), and the American Nurses Association (ANA).