Dr. Leroy S. Darkes is a native of Atlantic City, NJ and is a second-generation graduate of Rutgers University. He earned degrees from Rutgers College in 1978 and Rutgers Medical School in 1982. Dr. Darkes practiced internal medicine in Camden, NJ before moving to North Carolina in 1989 to join Kaiser Permenente. During his practice with the Permenente Medical Group, Dr. Darkes served as Chief of Quality Resource Management. In 2004, he was appointed by North Carolina Governor Michael Easley to serve on the North Carolina State Minority Health Advisory Council. In 2005, he was appointed to serve on the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control and has served as a medical consultant to the North Carolina Department of Insurance since 2003.
Dr. Darkes currently is Medical Director of the Rex Senior Health Center, a geriatric medical practice in Raleigh North Carolina and a passionate advocate for prostate cancer prevention and awareness in African-American men. He is a member of the Wake County ( North Carolina) Prostate Cancer Coalition and serves on the Board of Directors of the Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina, and the North Carolina Minority Prostate Cancer Awareness Action Team.
Dr. Darkes has developed and implemented several support programs for African-American prostate cancer patients, survivors, and their families such as the Prostate Cancer Shepherds (PC Shepherds) and Prostate Cancer Angels (PC Angels). The PC Shepherds Program provides training for survivors who volunteer as empathetic listeners, informed confidants, reference sources, and support for men who are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. The PC Angels program provides similar support to spouses and significant others. Dr. Darkes serves as the Supervising Physician of the Annual Free Prostate Cancer Screening sponsored by Rex Healthcare. To date he has provided well over 3,000 free screenings of which over 70% have been for African American men.
He hosts a weekly radio program called “Ask the Doctor” on WCLY 1550 AM and currently serves as Medical Consultant for the Traces of Faces and Places radio program on Shaw University’s WSHA 88.9 FM.
Dr. Darkes is a regular speaker and participant in many other community programs including the Project Direct diabetes education program, High School medical science programs, Medical Preceptor for UNC School of Nursing, and the Governor’s Faith Based Health Initiative. He served as a panelist in the National Institutes of Health’s “Prostate Cancer: the Facts,” and the State of Black North Carolina Conference. He serves on the Board of Directors for the St. Agnes Foundation, responsible for restoration of the historic St. Agnes Hospital on Raleigh’s St Augustine’s College campus. His awards include the 2003 Omega Psi Phi Citizen of the Year Award, the 2003 Phi Beta Sigma fraternity Zeta Phi Beta sorority Health and Wellness Award, the Raleigh-Wake Pan Hellenic Council Excellence in Health Care Award, the 2003 Gus Witherspoon Community Service Award, the Robert Anderson Award, and the 2005 Appreciation Award from Shaw University and WSHA 88.9 FM.
Dr. Darkes is a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and holds a Life Membership with the NAACP. He attends Christian Faith Baptist Church where he serves as an Elder, Adult Choir member, and Musician for the Youth Choir. An accomplished jazz guitarist, Dr. Darkes performs throughout the Raleigh area. He currently resides in Garner, North Carolina and is the proud father of three children: Leah, 20 Lindsey, 18 and Lelynd, 14.