The Health Ministry at Avenue United Methodist Church has planned a Milford Community Men’s Breakfast for October 18 from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM at the church. The event is designed to provide men with important heath information in an informal setting.
“As a former family physician, I know that men are much less likely to obtain routine preventative care than women and are much less likely to have seen a doctor prior ot a major medical event,” Dr. Mitch Edmondson said. “This breakfast is an attempt to break down barriers that prevent men from seeking the care they need.”
Edmondson will talk on men’s health from a physician’s perspective. A native Delawarean, Edmonson graduated from St. Andrew’s School and Duke University, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He earned his MD from Jefferson Medical College, now Sydney Kimmel College of Medicine, in Philadelphia and completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Cincinnati where he also served as Chief Resident.
For five years, Edmondson served in the United States Air Force where he completed fellowship training in Family Medicine Faculty Development from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Edmondson practiced briefly in Virginia and then moved to Milford with his wife, Loretta, who is also a family physician. The couple practiced in Milford for 28 years. Edmonson retired from clinical practice in 2021, but continued teaching family medicine across the country, concentrating on value-based care. Now that he is fully retired, he enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking and volunteering in the community.
Edmondson plans to provide details on cardiovascular risk factors, cancer screening and immunizations.
Dr. Patrick Zingaro of People’s Place will speak on men’s mental health. Zingaro graduated from Argosy University and has been in practice since 2018. His areas of specialty include treatments of depression, anxiety, trauma and relationship issues.
Alec Crichton, PT, DPT, MS, will speak at the breakfast on physical therapy. He is a therapist at Aquacare in Milford, earning his bachelor’s from Virginia Tech and his doctorate in Physical Therapy and master’s in anatomy and clinical health science from the University of Delaware.
Crichton began his career with Aquacare in Lewes at their Route 24 location where he gained expertise in orthopedics, neurology and pediatric populations. He is passionate about combining evidence-based practice with a personalized approach to provide the best possible care for patients. In his free time, Crichton is very excited to explore his new hometown of Milford with his puppy, Shenandoah.
Lon Kieffer, Executive Director of Milford Wellness Center, will also speak at the breakfast.
A self-professed Navy brat, Kieffer moved 13 times before he was 13 years old which he attributes with helping him fit into a variety of situations but never gave him a sense of belonging. Living in Baltimore as a young adult, he attended college and became a nurse when very few men were entering the profession. Today, he focuses on helping caregivers who have found themselves in the position of caring for elderly parents or relatives.
The breakfast is free although the church will accept donations to offset the cost of food. For more information, contact Cindy Horsman who leads the Health Ministry team at the church. Contact her by calling 302-422-8111 or sending an email.
