The Black Doctors Speak Podcast

On this week's Black Doctors Speak, we are joined by Michael LeNoir, MD and Noha Abeoleta, MD, founding CEO of Roots Community Health Center, a community-based, community-driven and community-empowering model for improving wellness that Roots calls "Whole Health" in Oakland, CA. Join us as we discuss COVID-19 Updates, COVID Vaccinations in Children, Pap Smears, Uterine Cancer, Climate Change, Unconscious Bias, and Sleep added to Cardiac Health Outcomes.

On this week's Black Doctors Speak, we are joined by Michael LeNoir, MD and Kim Rhoads, MD, MS, MPH, Office of Community Engagement at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, as we discuss Medicine, Advocacy, Cancer and COVID.

Dr. Rhoads' background and scholarly work crosses the full cancer continuum from basic science (endothelial cell regulation and angiogenesis); to clinical care as a colorectal surgeon; through health services research in cancer disparities; and training in health policy (as a California Endowment Scholar in Health Policy at Harvard (2005-2006), and as the inaugural UCSF Philip R. Lee Fellow in Health Policy (2007-2008)). She has formal training in community organizing at the Center for Third World Organizing in Oakland, California; and Community Based Participatory Research as a member of the first cohort of academic-community partnership teams trained by the California Breast Cancer Research Program. Before joining the faculty at UCSF, Rhoads founded the Community Outreach and Engagement program for the Stanford Cancer Institute. Rhoads views community engagement and institutional partnerships as substantive pathways to promote health equity and eliminate disparities.

On this week's Black Doctors Speak, we are joined by Michael LeNoir, MD and Donna Carey, MD, Medical Director of Case Management at Alameda Alliance for Health as we discuss the COVID Pandemic and having candid conversations with patients on the importance of the vaccine.

On this week's Black Doctors Speak, we are joined by Michael LeNoir, MD and Noha Abeoleta, MD, founding CEO of Roots Community Health Center, a community-based, community-driven and community-empowering model for improving wellness that Roots calls "Whole Health" in Oakland, CA. Join us as we discuss the COVID Pandemic, Vaccine Boosters, Mental Health and Legislative Policy.

This week on the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Dr. George Woods who will discuss Mental health in the African American Community.

Dr. Woods is a very prominent psychiatrist who feels that the mental health delivery system is not sensitive, and often prejudiced, against African Americans.  In addition, many African Americans are distrustful of mental health services. An article in the Journal of Racial and Health Disparities identified a small study highlighting differences and what was expected by African-Americans who ended up in the mental health system. Often African Americans preferred group therapy and therapy from professionals of the same gender. Regardless of the rationale for poor outcomes, especially during these difficult times, we have to do a better job both changing the mental health system to appreciate cultural differences and to increase awareness of the value of mental health services in the African American community.

In case you missed it, join the African American Wellness Project each Wednesday on our FB channel for Wellness Watch where discuss various health issues that affect you! During this episode, we were joined by Donna White Carey, MD, Dori Russ, MD and Lakiea Wright, MD as they discuss the flu and safety! Join in the conversation each week starting at 8pm ET.

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Oliver Brooks to discuss COVID-19 vaccinations in children.

Oliver Tate Brooks, M.D. received his undergraduate degree in biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977, graduating in three years. While at Morehouse, he received the Frederick E. Mapp Prize in Biology for excellence in biology. Dr. Brooks received his medical degree in 1981 from Howard University College of Medicine, where he was a summer instructor in biochemistry. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital-Oakland, where he practiced for four years before accepting a position at Watts Healthcare Corporation.

Dr. Brooks is Chief Medical Officer and past Chief of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at Watts Healthcare Corporation in Los Angeles, California (CA) where he also serves as the Medical Director of the Jordan and Locke High School Wellness Centers. He is a Medical Director for L.A. Care Health Plan, one of the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care plans whose mission is “to provide access to quality health care for Los Angeles County's vulnerable and low-income communities and residents”. He holds staff appointments at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, CA and at Martin Luther King Community Hospital in South Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Brooks is Immediate Past-Chairman of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, a consortium of 43 community health centers in the southern California area.

Dr. Brooks is the immediate Past President of the National Medical Association (NMA), and has held several leadership positions within the NMA, including at the state and local level, as Past President of the Golden State (CA) Medical Association and Past President of the Miller-Lawrence Medical and Dental (local) Society.

Dr. Brooks is a present Board member and Past President of the California Immunization Coalition and Chairman of the Immunize LA Families Coalition. He is a member of the national Leadership Panel for the Adolescent Immunization Initiative (AII), which advocated successfully for adding a column on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice’s Center for Disease Prevention and Prevention (CDC) yearly vaccine recommendations in 2017. Dr. Brooks is often requested to speak to the media on issues related to immunizations and is a vocal and passionate advocate for reduced disparities in immunization rates among disadvantaged communities. He also is frequently asked to present to physicians and other medical groups on the science and the implementation perspective of vaccine utilization. In June 2020, Dr. Brooks asked to, and joined the ACIP COVID-19 Work Group discussing and making recommendations to the ACIP regarding (potential) COVID-19 vaccine prioritization. Dr. Brooks is a member of the Best Practices Leadership, of the Right Care University of Best Practices, a group dedicated to reducing heart disease in CA and nationally.

His community service extends beyond health and wellness and includes serving as Past President of the Long Beach Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Brooks has received numerous honors and awards; he was honored by the National Council of Negro Women, Long Beach CA for Outstanding Service to the Community and in 2017, he was the Wall of Excellence for Medicine awardee for Long Beach 2016 Black History Month. In 2019, Dr. Brooks was honored as one of the Top Blacks in Health Care by BlackDoctor.org.

Dr. Brooks is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi (the Boule) fraternities. He is married to his wife of 32 years, Lisa and has two children, Alana and Joseph.

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Mark Mitchell M.D., MPH, FACPM to discuss Environmental Justice and how this impacts your health.

Mark Mitchell M.D., MPH, FACPM is a senior member of our Program on Climate and Health team. A preventive medicine physician trained in environmental health and health policy, for over two decades Dr. Mitchell has worked in the public health sector -- including as Director of the Hartford, Connecticut Health Department -- and with environmental justice communities to prevent and reduce environmentally related disease and change policies that are detrimental to environmental health.  Dr. Mitchell chairs the National Medical Association’s Council on Medical Legislation and co-chairs the NMA’s Commission on Environmental Health. He has also served on several U.S. EPA and FDA advisory committees and has received a number of awards for his community and environmental health leadership. Dr. Mitchell earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his Masters of Public Health from The Johns Hopkins University, and is the principal of Mitchell Environmental Health Associates, a consulting firm on environmental health and environmental justice issues.

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Asthma Specialist, Dr. Esteban González Burchard to discuss Asthma in the 21st Century and how this impacts your health.

Esteban González Burchard, M.D., M.P.H. is an American physician-scientist, specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine, asthma, genetics, gene-environment interactions, pharmacology, epidemiology, and health disparities. He is the Founder and Director of the Asthma Collaboratory and the Center for Genes, Environment, and Health at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is a distinguished tenured professor in the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine at UCSF and holds dual appointments in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences.

Dr. Burchard is best known for his work in the health disparities of asthma. Specifically, he founded and directs the largest study of minority children with asthma in the United States, called the Asthma Translational Genomics Collaborative (ATGC). This study involves whole genome sequencing of more than 15,580 minority children with and without asthma. All children with asthma have spirometry and bronchodilator drug response measures. Burchard is also affiliated with the UCSF Institute for Human Genetics and the UCSF Lung Biology Center.

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Sleep Disorder Specialist, Dr. Jerrold Kram to discuss Sleep patterns and how this impacts your health.

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Samira L. Brown, Co-Founder of Little Lives PPE and Primary Care Pediatrician and Ms. Lakisha Culpepper, Garland Independent School District Liaison to the African American Community, to discuss Going Back to School and the effects of COVID-19 on children.  Learn how to keep your children safe and healthy during this pandemic on this edition of our podcast. 

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Michael A DiGiacomo, a Podiatry Specialist in Oakland, California who brings more than 46 years of diverse experience in Podiatry.  Learn more about the causes of diabetes and foot related conditions on this edition of our podcast. 

On this edition of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Oliver Brooks and Dr. Dawud Lankford who are discussing ED and the signs of health problems that require treatment to help prevent more serious complications. Black men are more likely to experience ED than any other race.  Learn more about the cause of erectile dysfunction and ways to overcome this sensitive condition. 

Did you know that African Americans are three times more likely to die from asthma than other racial groups in the United States? Asthma is a serious condition that severely impacts the Black community, yet it is commonly forgotten about when discussing health conditions that impact the community. Today’s episode of the Black Doctors Speak Podcast will help answer any questions you might have about this serious condition.

The episode starts off with a conversation between host Dr. Michael LeNoir and Mr. Ellis Dean of Blackdoctor.org about the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations and the persisting severity of the Coronavirus. With the Delta variant spreading aggressively throughout the country, Dr. LeNoir lines up some of the reasons why people should ensure they are receiving their vaccines. Also included in this episode is a quick PSA from actor Delroy Lindo about his personal experience with the Coronavirus and the reasons why he believes people should prioritize their vaccinations.

The guest joining in on this episode is Dr. LeRoy Graham, a world expert in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. He brings his expertise to the podcast to discuss the reasons why African Americans are so heavily impacted by asthma, including environmental and historical factors. He also goes into some of the steps to diagnosing asthma, and pillars of treatment for the lifelong disease. Does marijuana have an impact on asthma severity? How do you know if your asthma is under control or if you need a new treatment plan? Tune in to this informative episode to get answers to all of your questions on asthma in the black community.

Did you know that black people are 50% more likely to die of cancer than white people? This is not the only shocking statistic surrounding cancer prevalence and treatment. This is why today’s episode of Black Doctors Speak is dedicated to sharing the important information specifically surrounding prostate cancer. There are many misconceptions about prostate cancer, such as the idea that all different types and grades of this cancer are the same. Many people misunderstand the complexities, treatment options and the widespread presence of prostate cancer.

Joining Dr. LeNoir for today’s installment of Black Doctors Speak is a world expert in all types of prostate cancer, Dr. Mack Roach. Dr. Roach is devoted to promoting health equity for all men with prostate cancer, and is currently a professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Dr. LeNoir and Dr. Roach delve into the specifics of prostate cancer in this episode, discussing the different medical screenings that are necessary for diagnosis and early intervention, how race impacts the outcomes of prostate cancer patients, and more. Dr. Roach also goes into some of the specifics of the different types of prostate cancer and ideas about why the age suggestions for prostate screenings exist.

Why is prostate cancer more prevalent in black men? Is it due to racism, chronic stress, comorbidities, or is it due to the black community’s reluctance to get routine tests? Hear Dr. Roach and Dr. LeNoir’s thoughts about the reasons for this health disparity on this Black Doctors Speak episode. Dr. LeNoir also goes into some quick COVID-19 updates that you should be aware of at the end of this episode. Stay tuned for future Black Doctors Speak episodes on important health topics.

This week’s episode of Black Doctors Speak is all about sickle cell disease. Sickle cell is a genetic blood disorder in which red blood cells become hard and appear like the C-shaped sickle tool, which can be very painful and difficult to manage. Sickle cell anemia commonly impacts the Black community, as it occurs in about 1 in every 365 Black or African American births. Even greater is the amount of Black or African American babies born with the sickle cell trait, which is about 1 in every 13. If you are curious to learn more about sickle cell, tune into this informative episode of Black Doctors Speak!

Today, Dr. LeNoir opens up the episode by recognizing the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, and provides updates on the changing landscape of the virus. Following updates on the Coronavirus is an informative discussion on the ins-and-outs of sickle cell disease. To discuss this important topic, Dr. LeNoir is joined by Mr. John Burns from the Black Women’s Health Imperative, an attorney and partner at Burns Brothers, a culture-driven diversity agency. Also joining in on this important episode is Dr. Doris Browne, a past President of the National Medical Association and distinguished hematologist and oncologist, as well as Mr. Ty Montgomery, running back for the New Orleans Saints, who is also a carrier of the sickle cell trait.

This panel of guests dive into some of the details of sickle cell that are unknown to much of the public. They dive into the differences between the sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease, the importance of testing for the trait, as well as some complications that come with diagnosing and treating sickle cell. Mr. Montgomery offers some insight on what it was like to be a professional athlete living with the sickle cell trait, and how he handled this diagnosis throughout his personal and professional life. Mr. Burns also goes in to the specifics of what the Black Women’s Health Imperative is doing to help educate the public and advocate for those living with sickle cell. Tune in to this episode to learn all about this disease that severely impacts the black community.

June is Men’s Health Month, and The Black Doctors Speak Podcast is bringing you an episode all about black men’s health in America. Historically and currently, black men’s health outcomes are poorer than those of other communities when it comes to life expectancy, morbidity, chronic illnesses and more. A common question that is raised regarding the health of black men is; is the black community responsible for their own poor health outcomes? Or is it the fault of systemic and institutional failures that black people lack the resources to adequately care for their health? These questions and many more will be addressed by the panel of experts in this episode of Black Doctors Speak.

Today’s first guest is Dr. Oliver Brooks, Past President of the National Medical Association (NMA), Chief Medical Officer at Watts Healthcare, and Medical Director for LA Care Health Plan. Also featured on this episode is Dr. Rodney Hood, who is another Past President of the NMA, an Internal Medical Specialist and Managing Partner of Care View Medical Group. These two experts join Dr. LeNoir and Mr. Ellis Dean of BlackDoctor.Org for a lively and informative discussion of all things related to black men’s health!

Dr. LeNoir kicks off the episode by discussing the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the Delta strain and it’s growing dominance in the United States. The doctors discuss the two-fold importance of receiving the COVID vaccination. Not only are vaccinated people protecting their own health, but they are also protecting the health of their community, families and loved ones. The guests expand on this and why receiving your vaccine is so crucial, especially for members of the black community.

Following the COVID-19 updates is a lively discussion on the big questions surrounding black men and health. The experts touch on topics such as food deserts, schooling and education, exercise and racism in healthcare, which can all impact black men’s health outcomes. Additionally, they touch on some of the misconceptions that bad lifestyle choices are solely to blame for the poor health seen in the black male community. Tune in to this episode to stay updated on all of the relevant topics surrounding black men’s health!