Rx for Success Podcast

As a teenager, Dr. Nche Zama came to the United States on a student visa with just $20 in his pocket. He was homeless for a while until a compassionate person took him in and helped guide him on his journey to the American Dream.

Dr. Zama was the second of six children, raised in grass huts by illiterate but hardworking parents who instilled within him the values of discipline, pragmatism, and community. When he witnessed the preventable and horrific death of his mother during childbirth due to the lack of access to a doctor and proper medical care, his life's purpose shifted forever. His father sold his property, so young Zama could travel to America for a better education.

Today, Nche Zama, MD, PhD, is a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon who completed training at the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard University. He holds a PhD in chemistry, a Harvard master's degree in management, and a medical degree.

He is recognized as one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the country and is often sought out for his expertise. He has held positions across Pennsylvania as Director of the ESSA Heart and Vascular Institute in East Stroudsburg, Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Jefferson Aria Health in Philadelphia, Chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, and has been a Staff Cardiothoracic Surgeon for Susquehanna Health Systems in Williamsport and York Hospital in York. He founded a humanitarian organization to provide medical and surgical care to the poor and disadvantaged. On one of his global humanitarian missions, he performed the first pediatric cardiac surgery in his native country of Cameroon.

Valuing education, he has financially supported over two dozen of his nieces and nephews through college, provides financial support for an entire elementary school for poor children, and as vice chair of an American educational empowerment organization he has contributed to the construction of a new academy in Africa to train innovative thinkers and future leaders. He has also served as a Clinical Associate Professor at Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Besides his extensive humanitarian efforts, Dr. Zama enjoys reading, traveling, music, hiking, running, and learning new languages—adding to the six he already speaks. He enjoys spending time with his children, grandchildren, and family.

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Rochelle Frank MD received her medical degree at University of California San Diego, attended Neurology residency at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and received fellowship training in Neurophysiology at University of California Davis. She has been an Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurology Clerkship Director at California Northstate University College of Medicine since 2016. Before that time she worked for 18 years as a general Neurologist at Kaiser Permanente in Roseville California. She is board certified in Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology and received additional board certifications in Integrative Medicine from the ABoIM (American Board of Integrative Medicine) in 2016 and the ABIHM in 2012. She is the current Vice Chair and Chair Elect of the American Academy of Neurology Neurohealth and Integrative Neurology Section. Her research interests include Integrative Medicine, Functional Neurologic Disorder and medical student wellness. She has also created many programs in physician and medical student wellness, is currently Chair of the CNU COM Student Wellness Committee, member of the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Joy of Medicine Committee and recent member of the AAN Live Well ELA Committee.

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Music by Ryan Jones. Find Ryan on Instagram at _ryjones_, Contact Ryan at [email protected]

We will break from our normal format this week and give ourselves a well-deserved little pat on the back, as Rx For Success is celebrating our 100th episode. After each interview, we do a special Rapid Fire Questions and Answers section which is exclusive for our Patreon members. But, in celebration, we've put just some of the best answers together for you. So, enjoy this montage, and keep tuned in for our next 100 episodes!

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Music by Ryan Jones. Find Ryan on Instagram at _ryjones_, Contact Ryan at [email protected]

Dr. LoAn Nguyen grew up in a very humble background in a small town of Dalat, Vietnam, during the Vietnam war. By good fortune, she was able to come to the United States as a young refugee at the end of April, 1975, three days before the Fall of Saigon.

After 5 months at 2 refugee camps, she started her undergraduate study at Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA). LoAn then spent her junior year abroad in France (Université Catholique de Lille). Following graduation in 1979, she delayed the pursuit of a medical career. Instead, she entered the doctoral program in chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University, where LoAn pursued biochemistry research for the following five years.

In 1984, after completing her PhD, Dr. Nguyen joined the Medical Class of 1988 at the University of Maryland, school of Medicine to finally fulfill her dream of becoming a physician.

After receiving her MD, she started residency training at NY Stony Brook University Hospital to be with her husband, who was working for the Grumman Aerospace Cooperation at the time. She stayed an extra year as Chief Resident and Clinical Instructor.

Dr. Nguyen joined the Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in July 1992 and had her dream career as a primary care physician for the following 27.5 years. Her passion was patient centered approach to care delivery not only for individual patients but also the patient population she served.

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Galen is a Financial Planner living in Belleville Ontario. Before he settled down with his family in the Great White North, he lived in four countries over three continents. He managed to rack up three passports along the way, hence garnering the nickname "The Most interesting Financial Planner You'll Meet."

Galen got his undergraduate degree from St. John's College, his Master's in Education from George Mason University and is a Certified Financial Planner. He gravitated towards financial planning for incorporated physicians after growing up and seeing his dad, a now-retired nephrologist turned professional Santa, struggle to get good holistic advice around his finances.

In Galen's free time he loves exploring this region with his wife and two small children and participates in Olympic distance triathlons across Eastern Ontario when the rivers aren't frozen.

If you have any specific questions you'd like answered as part of this series, let Galen know at [email protected]

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Mark Lopatin is a rheumatologist who recently retired after 28 years in independent practice. He is active in organized medicine, having served as president and chairman of the Montgomery County Medical Society. He also has served as chair of both the Montgomery County Medical Legal Committee and the Montgomery County Task Force on Mediation. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for both the Pennsylvania Medical Society and their Political Action Committee. He is also an active member of multiple grassroots advocacy groups. He has lectured and written numerous op-eds and articles on a multitude of health care issues to educate patients and physicians how health care polices affect the care that patients receive. His book, Rheum for Improvement – The Evolution of a Health-Care Advocate emphasizes that health care should be a human interaction between a patient and their physician rather than a business transaction between a consumer and a provider. He lives with his wife, Suzan and his two poodles, Harry Potter and Gryffindor.

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Music by Ryan Jones. Find Ryan on Instagram at _ryjones_, Contact Ryan at [email protected]

This week we break from our normal format to have a discussion with doctors Marion Mass and Kimberly Jackson regarding the genesis of National Physicians' Week.

Dr. Marion Mass is a practicing pediatrician who is also a physician advocate and healthcare activist. She is driven to take back medicine for patients and the medical profession. The COVID-19 pandemic threw a spotlight on dangerous deficiencies within the US healthcare industry. At the center of these deficiencies are Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which are healthcare intermediaries that increase costs and create drug and supply shortages. Although GPOs and PBMs don't produce or distribute a single product or provide direct care to a single patient, they control nearly 90% of the pharmaceutical supply chain. These middlemen amass huge profits because they enjoy government-mandated safe harbor protections at the expense of physician practice needs, sound medical decision-making, and patient choice.

Dr. Kimberly Funches Jackson is the founder of Physicians Working Together and pioneer of National Physicians Week. Throughout her career as a board-certified physician, "Dr. J." has dedicated her life to the care of others. She's the medical director and co-owner of her Family Medicine & Pediatrics clinic and has provided medical care to adults and children for over a decade. Her commitment to the well-being of the community extends beyond her practice. Dr. J is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority maintains the social responsibility of Dr. J is an active member in her church and she's also an active board member for several community-based organizations.

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Ellyn W. Ogden, MPH has been the Worldwide Polio Eradication Coordinator and Technical Director for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and a Senior Technical Advisor for Health and Child Survival since 1997. She is responsible for the USAID's $65 million annual polio eradication directive that supports disease surveillance, communications, and civil society engagement in over 25 countries in Africa, South Asia, and the Near East. Recognizing the need for equity and access to health services for all children, Ms. Ogden has directed special attention to children in conflict countries and among marginalized or under-served communities. A graduate of Tulane University (B.A. International Relations) and the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (MPH International Health with a focus in Epidemiology and Infectious Disease Control), Ellyn has over 30 years of international public health experience in the areas of child survival, disease prevention and control, health communication, and health and human rights. During her career, Ms Ogden has served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Papua New Guinea and as a John's Hopkins University Health and Child Survival Fellow with USAID's Latin America Bureau. She has authored numerous peer reviewed papers and is a frequent guest lecturer. Ms. Ogden is a Member of the Polio Eradication Regional Certification Committee for Europe. Ms. Ogden is featured as a key actor in global health in the premier undergraduate textbook Global Health 101. In 2009, Ms. Ogden received USAID's Award for Heroism for her successful efforts to negotiate "Ceasefires and Days of Tranquility" in several conflict countries in Africa and Asia. She is also the recipient of Rotary International's prestigious "Paul Harris Fellows Award" for Humanitarian Service.

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Dr. Tony Macasaet is a board certified and residency trained practicing Emergency Physician. He is the ED medical Director at Vernon Memorial Healthcare and Viroqua, Wisconsin. After Receiving his MD from the University of Wisconsin, graduating with AOA Distinction, he trained at the University of Chicago, serving as air medical chief resident in his final year. He served as assistant professor and vice chairman at Mount Sinai Chicago for before returning to his hometown of Viroqua in 2006, where he has been ever since. He co-founded the Viroqua Public Market, a thriving indoor marketplace. He also co-founded Regenven, a small company building tiny timber homes from regenerative forests, partnering with regenerative farms. He recently co-developed the National Transfer Registry mobile app to help with critical transfer situations during the pandemic. Dr. Macasaet it is a published photographer and author. He lives in a forest cabin setting complete with a small herd of goats and loves helping raise his 11-year-old son.

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Breaking a little bit from our normal format, we talked with our own Dael Waxman about what coaching it is, what it is not, how to know when you need a coach, and how to find one. Dael Waxman, MD is a executive coach with MD Coaches, having joined the practice in 2021. Previously, Dr. Waxman was a Professor of Family Medicine at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. Previously Interim Chair and Vice-Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, he continues on the faculty there as well as serves as the Medical Director of Physician Well-being for Medical Education for Atrium Health and Medical Director of Patient-Centered Programming at Atrium CMC-Mercy. In addition to his medical background, he has received training in and has been integrating family therapy, clinical hypnosis, mind/body medicine, mindfulness, and leadership coaching into teaching, practice, and faculty development for over 25 years. He has taught regionally, nationally, and internationally on: physician burnout and well-being, mindfulness in medicine, developing a patient and family-centered culture, family influences on health, physician-patient communication, and collaboration between mental health and primary care.

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Music by Ryan Jones. Find Ryan on Instagram at _ryjones_, Contact Ryan at [email protected]