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Virgil H. Simons founded the Prostate Net in 1996 as a result of his encounter with prostate cancer. When he was diagnosed, there was little to no readily accessible information to help prostate cancer patients and their families make informed treatment decisions. Moreover, Mr. Simons learned that black men bear a much greater risk for prostate cancer, both in regard to incidence and mortality, but found that there was no vehicle for educating that population about their situation. In response to these two crucial needs, The Prostate Net came into existence.
Today, men diagnosed with prostate cancer can readily access The Prostate Net's website to find information empowering them to make treatment decisions that ensure a desirable quality of life. Recognizing that people absorb information differently, The Prostate Net also features PodCasts, Web Casts and an opt-in cell cast network as well as a Toll-Free "Hotline" for those seeking one-to-one support. The website also is an educational vehicle for the public to learn about prostate cancer in general. The Prostate Net's newsletter, "In The Know," may be viewed on the website, but is available through free subscription as well as also distributed in conjunction with our other public education initiatives.
Thousands of men have learned about, and been screened for, prostate cancer through The Prostate Net's public education initiatives. Throughout the United States, The Prostate Net has brought prostate cancer education directly to key areas of social interaction in the black community: churches, service agencies and barbershops. Additionally, these programs foster relationships between public health departments, medical center outreach teams, cancer education researchers and the public. Through our "Knowledge Net" subsidiary, computers with streaming information about prostate cancer have been placed in select barbershops participating in our Barbershop Initiative to enhance the educational aspect of our program.
The job of raising public awareness about prostate cancer risks is far from complete. The Prostate Net seeks to expand its current initiatives through effective partnerships in disease education, community intervention and population research studies. This site has been designed to provide you with some of those tools and guidance that can be employed on a local basis to address particular issues for your community or organization.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to design a program in prostate cancer education, men's health awareness or research grant application for your community.
Medical Advisory Board
Lucile Adams-Campbell, Ph.D. – Director
Howard University Cancer Center – Washington, DC
Chung Lee, Ph.D. – Director
Prostate Cancer S.P.O.R.E. Program
Northwestern University – Chicago,
IL
Dr. Ronald Morton, Jr. – Chief Medical Officer
GTx, Inc. – Memphis, TN
Dr. Daniel Petrylak–Director
Genitourinary Oncology Program
Division of Medical Oncology
New York Presbyterian Medical Center
Dr. Ihor Sawczuk – Chairman
Department of Urology
Hackensack University Medical Center – Hackensack, NJ
Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang – Director
Nevada Cancer Institute – Las Vegas, NV
Board of Directors
Edward I. Frankel – President
Edward I. Frankel & Associates
Michael Gottlieb – President
Pendulum Corporation
Linda Johnson – Brava/NJCEED Coordinator
Capital Health System Mercer
Billy James Parrott – President
Parrott & People, Inc.
Janet J. Peters
Long term advocate and fund raiser on behalf of Breast Cancer organizations
Jennifer J. Simons – Marketing Manager
Metrocorp Marketing Inc.
Michael Stoler – President
Foundation for Medical Evaluation and Early Detection
Raj Shah – CEO
Capital Technology Information Services
Charles Kirkpatrick – Executive Director
National Association of Barber Boards of America
Bobby Jefferson – Senior Healthcare MIS Advisor
Constella Group
Operational Advisory Group
Greg Wester – Sr. VP, Voodoo Vox
Communications Technology
David Evans – President
Digital
Voodoo Communications Technology
Marshall Haber – Creative Director
Marshall Haber Creative Group Inc.
Dr. Stanley Weiss
Informatics and Public Health; Research Policy
Clifton Leaf
Print Communications and Media Policy
Lonna Hooks
Government Affairs
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