Hope & Wellness 's Podcast

Food insecurity and hardship remain at all time highs in Washington, DC and Maryland. In DC alone, one in seven families struggle with food insecurity. DC Hunger Solutions, and Maryland Hunger Solutions, advocate, educate and provide assistance to families struggling with hunger , food insecurity and food hardship. . Beginning in 2016 in Maryland,, over 50,000 people will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program( food assistance) benefits due to a rule enacted with the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. We speak with Dr. Beverly Wheeler, director of DC Hunger Solutions, Ms. Lauren Badger , Anti-Hunger Program Associate DC Hunger Solutions, and Mr. Michael Wilson , director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, about the policies, practices and services needed to feed far too many Americans.

The staff and experts from Heart to Hand, Inc, join us to discuss HIV/ AIDS prevention and care. As the only nonprofit dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness and care in Prince Georges County,Md., Heart to Hand, Inc., helps their clients address all aspects of HIV/ AIDS treatment with a variety of services- from screening to ensuring client compliance with medical care. Dr.Theo Hodges, a infectious disease specialist, and Rev, Dustin Baker-Holley, a nonmedical case manager currently on PrEP medication, share their clinical experiences with the little blue pill, Truvada, that prevents HIV conversion in up to 92% of patients at risk for contracting HIV. Ms. Sharon Coker, community health outreach manager , and Mr. Leslie Demus, community health worker for Heart to Hands, Inc., also discuss the risk factors for HIV, and the increasing number of older patients newly diagnosed with HIV.

Kendra Graves is the founder of Earthseed Yoga, a mobile yoga collective that offers yoga classes in a variety of community spaces. In libraries and community housing rooms across Boston, Ma, Earthseed Yoga introduces the physical, mental and spiritual discipline of yoga to an diverse audience and watches as participants build community, self confidence, self-awareness and address, in some instances, past trauma. Men , women and children from a variety of backgrounds are now embracing yoga while building muscle and burning calories at the same time.

Our guest, Karen Roberts, shares her experiences of navigating the healthcare maze during a recent hospitalization. Should a physician inform a patient of all of their diagnoses? And what is the role of healthcare professionals in developing empowered patients that effectively advocate for themselves? We discuss the concept of "shared responsibility" - patient and healthcare professionals working together for the optimal management, and better health outcomes for such preventable chronic health conditions as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

Maryland Delegate James "Jimmy" Tarlau has been a student activist, community organizer and now , represents District 47A of Prince Georges County in the Maryland House of Delegates. After working for the Communications Workers of America , and on the Mount Rainier, Md. city council , Mr. Tarlau joined the Maryland House of Delegates to address economic and social disparities in Maryland. Today ,we discuss domestic violence, criminal justice reform , student loan debt and the 2016 presidential election cycle.

Our guest today, Mr. Selvon Waldron , executive director of Life Pieces to Masterpieces,is the recipient of the Pioneer Award created by Amtrak and the Washington Wizards, to honor the outstanding contributions of Washington, DC leaders. Housed in the Dr. Charles E Drew elementary school in Ward 7 , LIfe Pieces to Masterpieces' signature and holistic programming incorporates art and creativity to help children and young adults develop socially, emotionally and academically. Recruiting students from Wards 7 and 8 primarily, Life Pieces to Masterpieces transforms students,from 3-25 years of age into global citizens that embrace, and understand the concept of shared humanity. Mr. Waldron shares the history, profound impact ,unique curriculum and vision of this local organization with a global reach that extends to such faraway places as Northern Ireland, and Afghanistan.

Dr. Susan Swedo, Chief Pediatrics & Developmental Neuroscience Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, discusses a pediatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections( think strep throat) that causes abrupt changes in behaviour , sleep patterns ,and even causes bedwetting in older children. The disorder, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus (P.A.N.D.A.S) was first identified in the 1980's ,however awareness of the disorder among some pediatricians, parents , teachers and school administrators continues to lag; some children were seen by more than ten different pediatricians before the correct diagnosis and therapy were provided. Listen in as we discuss the diagnosis, risk factors, and treatment of P.A.N.D.A.S., and other childhood infections with neurological complications

Until now, many of us have taken for granted the chemistry behind supplying potable water to public and private properties.The relentless voices of concerned citizens like Lee Ann Walters of Flint,Michigan, pediatrician Dr Mona Hanna-Attisha, and regulation manager Miguel del Toral of the EPA, placed the Flint water crisis under the national spotlight and microscope. Chemist Dr Julius Green discusses the chemistry, chemicals and complexities of maintaining water safe for human consumption and health.

Chef Phillip Thompson, born and raised in England, is an executive chef in Washington,DC that is fluent in global cuisines. Enjoying the taste of vegetables and herbs fresh from his father's and grandfather's garden, Chef Phillip , like many other English children, lived the "farm to table" and "slow food" life before they became modern cliches.Traveling the globe and now all all regions of the US , Chef Phillip Thompson studied and learned culinary practices and traditions that center on locally sourced and fresh herbs, produce, seafood and more. We discuss marinades and stocks and the challenging business and economic realities of the culinary profession.

Dr.Foyekemi Ikyaator is an experienced and board- certified emergency medicine physician and now the owner of a freestanding emergency room in Houston Texas. Dr. Ikyaator opened LIfesavers Emergency Room in a community in Northwest Houston to provide state of the art emergency care with shorter wait times and less crowding for her patients. We discuss the role and increasing numbers of freestanding emergency rooms in today's healthcare environment .