This episode of Healthy Chats originally aired on December 18 as a virtual Town Hall with a full focus on the Covid-19 vaccine.  The Town Hall was made available to anyone interested in attending via HealthCorps’ social media channels.   

The conversation between HealthCorps CEO Amy Braun and the panel of experts was  determined by questions submitted by those attending the virtual Town Hall.  Based on those questions, experts discussed the FDA's approval process and the distribution process; how states plan on providing the vaccine (such as who receives it after healthcare workers); the vaccine's efficacy and the challenges public health officials face to ensure the vaccine is equitably distributed, specifically historic and cultural mistrust within the Black and Brown communities.  

Joining Amy for the conversation are:

Mr. Victor Vandell, a participant in Pfizer’s Covid 19 vaccine trials.

Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer of WebMD.  Formerly he was the Director of Professional Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein  Vice Dean for Public Health Practice & Community Engagement at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Previously, he served as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and as Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City.

Dr. Mena Mirhom Board Certified Psychiatrist at Columbia University is a Board Certified Psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of Adults and Adolescents. He completed his adult psychiatry training in the Mount Sinai health system in New York City and his fellowship training at Columbia University Medical Center. 

Dr. Marjorie Bessel is the chief clinical officer at Banner Health in Arizona.  Dr. Bessel earned a B.S. in biology, magna cum laude, from Syracuse University and she attended Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, where she was presented with the James B. Herrick award for most outstanding performance in internal medicine.

HealthCorps’ founder and Chairman, Dr. Oz also joined us towards the end of our conversation to share his insights.

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In this very special episode of Healthy Chats, HealthCorps CEO, Amy Braun speaks with medical student, Michelle Walls, the first recipient of the HealthCorps/Dr. Oz Show Diversity in Medicine Scholarship.

A second year medical student at Michigan State, Michelle shares her story of determination and resilience that took her from a foster home to a period of homelessness to medical school and founding her own organization to help vulnerable populations lead a healthy lifestyle - https://www.lifestylempower.com/?fbclid=IwAR24N75S65isYdqJBfMgIvy-NxAUzkov45WYIQWVDpzHf-HF3p5a-t52Lds

Michelle’s vision and desire to give back could not come at a more crucial time for our country’s Black population.  COVID-19 ripped has ripped back the curtain on health inequities.

Black people in the U.S. are more likely than white people to suffer from hypertension and heart disease and more likely to die at younger ages. They have accounted for a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases – both hospitalizations and deaths. Research also tells us that Black people are also more likely to enjoy healthier lives if treated by Black doctors, but there aren’t enough – only 5 percent of our country’s practicing physicians are Black.

Dr. Judith Joseph, a board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and member of HealthCorps Board of Advisors, shares her personal challenges as a Black med student & doctor and her renewed call for more doctors of color.  Certified Master Coach, World Martial Arts Champion and member of HealthCorps Board of Directors, Sifu Karl Romain notes the importance of preparation and resilience to overcome life’s challenges – like those Michelle faced.         

A second Diversity in Medicine Scholarship is now OPEN.  Interested applicants can apply here  -- https://www.healthcorps.org/the-diversity-in-medicine-scholarship-award/ 

Prior entrants from the October 2020 Diversity in Medicine Scholarship Contest are automatically eligible and enrolled in the Extended Contest and need not resubmit a new Entry.  The extended contest is open until 11:59PM ET on December 9, 2020

Learn more about and follow Michelle, Dr. Joseph and Sifu Romain through their social media platforms

Michelle Walls

Instagram @Lifestylefitnessempower_inc 

Facebook @Lifestyle Fitness Empowerment- Life Inc. 

Tik Tok :futuredrmichelle

Facebook  @drjudithjoseph  

http://www.judithjosephmd.com/

Facebook @SifuKarlRomainFanPage
https://sifukarlromain.com/

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In this episode of Healthy Chats, HealthCorps CEO, Amy Braun welcomes Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer for WebMD (https://www.webmd.com/john-whyte ); Victor Cho, CEO of Evite and Kristy Gharabally, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for Evite (www.evite.com ) for a lively conversation about safe and healthy holidays.

Celebrations and holidays are certainly different in 2020.  The upcoming holiday season is coming at a time when most Americans are simply worn out with pandemic fatigue.  What is traditionally a time to gather with family and friends, will now have familiar pandemic elements of social distancing, masks and fist bumps rather than hugs.

Dr. Whyte, Victor and Kristy will share their thoughts on the risks (and rewards) of holiday travel.  They will also help us create holiday celebrations that are not only safe –  you might even start a new tradition or two!

HealthCorps has free health and wellness resources for teens, parents and teachers find them all at http://www.healthcorps.org

Check out our Holiday Activity Guide and our Gratitude Wellness Challenge — both mentioned in this episode!

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In this episode of Healthy Chats, Amy speaks with Pam Kehaly, President and CEO of Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Amy and Pam discuss the disturbing spike in depression and anxiety adults and teens are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic — and how HealthCorps and BCBSAZ are addressing it. Both agree that part of being mentally healthy is to be physically healthy. Amy and Pam share personal insights and organizational resources to combat the pandemic’s toll on mental health, including HealthCorps’ #Walktober and #Stride4Students step challenges for students and adults.

Through Pam’s leadership, the 2,500 BCBSAZ employees work to inspire health across their state, by providing support and resources to help residents across their state achieve optimal health. Part of that commitment is sponsorship of HealthCorps in multiple Phoenix schools.

Pam’s engagement in youth health and wellness extends beyond her role as CEO of BCBSAZ; she also volunteers as a member of HealthCorps’ Board of Directors.  

HealthCorps has been part of the Phoenix community for several years and currently works in the following schools —  Academy of Math & Science South Mountain, North High School, Phoenix Elementary School District #1, and Pinnacle Peak Preparatory. Learn more about HealthCorps, its programs and online resources here (www.healthcorps.org).

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As students and faculty return to school – physically and virtually, their health is at the forefront of the national conversation. In the inaugural episode of Healthy Chats, Amy and her guests discuss the role technology can play in keeping kids healthy and schools open —  as well as the need to keep teens from feeling isolated as we move into the fall.

Guests include Dr. Pedram Salimpour, a pediatrician, member of HealthCorps Board of Directors, and the CEO and founder of Pierce Health Solutions, focused on the creation of novel health delivery systems for Native American Tribes; Sharpstown (Texas) High School Athletic Director Carlos Quintero; Jaclyn Miller, HealthCorps Coordinator at Purcell High School in Oklahoma, and Jared Flamm, Kinsa Health VP of Growth. All are dedicated to keeping students healthy.  And all are engaged in HealthCorps and also discuss the  #SaveTheStudents campaign — https://www.healthcorps.org/savethestudents

You can send a Safe Student Kit to a student at one of our participating HealthCorps Schools and a second kit will be sent for a classmate matched by a generous donor. That package includes:

• A connected thermometer
• Four (4) reusable masks
• HealthCorps Program Resources
• A school-wide program to monitor symptoms and protect from outbreak

HealthCorps has partnered with Kinsa to monitor for outbreaks and prevent the spread of illness with their connected thermometers and digital screening program that prompts daily fever and symptom screenings to ensure only healthy students go to school. If a fever or symptom is present, families are reminded to stay home and guided to seek appropriate care and treatment to get better faster. The addition of a face covering is known to significantly reduce transmission, especially critical for asymptomatic cases which scientists suggest could be increasingly relevant in young carriers of the virus. By equipping families with these simple tools, schools can feel more confident in their ability to reopen, and parents can feel safe sending their kids to school.

With your support, we will do our part to ensure students are healthy and able to learn this fall.  https://www.healthcorps.org/savethestudents

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