Reede Scholars Live

On this episode, we are joined by Candrice Heath, MD a triple board certified dermatologist currently

practicing in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to being a physician, Dr. Heath is a clinical researcher,

nationally recognized author, speaker and entrepreneur, recently starting her own beauty line, My

Sister’s Beauty.

She shares her journey to her dream and perseverance to becoming a dermatologist, working on the

frontlines during the COVID 19 pandemic and how to build an inclusion practice.

In this episode, we are joined by Frinny Polanco Walters, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and attending physician at Boston’s Children’s Hospital in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine. As we enter the second school year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Polanco Walters offers considerations for adolescents, returning to the classroom, vaccinations, and the unintended consequences that have resulted over the past 18 months, including rising sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).

In this episode, we are joined by Channon Hudgins, MD, a physician of Hospice and Palliative Care in Southeast Texas. Dr. Hudgins shares her journey through OB/GYN to her current position and what prompted the change.  We discuss the definitions of Hospice vs Palliative care services and the importance of each.  Lastly, with the challenges of COVID-19, we discuss the importance of vaccinations as our best line of defense with the more contagious delta variant.

In this episode, we are joined by Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MSW, MPH, co-principal director for the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center in Chapel Hill, NC.  She is also Director of the Jordan Institute for Families in the UNC School of Social Work and the Executive Director of the Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health in the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Verbiest shares with us her journey to maternal health and the challenges of public health interventions.  We tackle the nuances of working in an academic institution and discuss the intersectionality between feminism, equity, and identity.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Elna Nagasako, MD, PhD, MPH, current Reede Scholar, and former senior consultant to a large healthcare delivery system in the area of health equity where she was the primary driver in initiating equity reporting within the system. Dr. Nagasako shares with us her journey to the health equity space from quantum optics.  We delve into the evolving definition of health equity, how and why we collect data, and the importance of accurate and complete data acquisition.

In this episode, we are joined by Elana Kieffer, MBA, Acting Director, Center for Healthy Aging at the New York Academy of Medicine. Ms. Kieffer shares with us her inspiration and journey to working with older adults. We discuss the challenges and opportunities specific to our aging population, innovative strategies to connect the population to services, and how to give voice to their evolving needs.

In this episode, we are joined by Chuck Perkins, a New Orleans native, entrepreneur, and author.  Before matriculating to the Xavier University of Louisiana, he spent 3 years in the Marine Corp. Mr. Perkins shares with us his coming of age journey in New Orleans, his decision to join the military, and impetus to start his own business.  We discuss the current infrastructure in New Orleans, its possibilities, and its vulnerability to gentrification.

On this episode, we are joined by Greg Ewing, JD, MPH, Vice President, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs/Chief Compliance Officer at Trillium Health in Rochester, NY. 

Mr. Ewing shares with us his evolution from music to law and his decision to pursue public health.  We explore his personal experiences with racism and why racism is a public health issue, ,delving into the complexities of education, employment, and advancement.

In this episode, we are joined by Esteban Gershanik, MD, MPH, MMSc, who is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Clinical Informatics.  He currently toggles between Boston, MA, and New Orleans, LA in both clinical and non-clinical capacities. 

Dr. Gershanik broadened his medical and public health training to include informatics to better understand how we obtain and use data in the healthcare field to understand our patients and improve outcomes.  He reminds us that if equity is not considered at the onset, it will not be a part of the results.

In this episode we are joined by Eric Peters, PharmD, and owner of Lagniappe Pharmacy in Louisiana.

Dr. Peters is a New Orleans native and started his pharmacy journey at Xavier University of Louisiana.  Grounded in faith and mission, he expanded his career to serve a larger community in Southern Louisiana and now has 9 stores in the area.  His stores have been instrumental in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in underserved communities.