PatientKnowlogy Creator, Renise Vasquez opens up about how the pandemic helped shed some light on dark areas of her life that needed healing. She talks about how she had to learn to let go of toxic relationships and habits, that once comforted her, in order to grow. In this episode, Renise explains how the pandemic made her shift her focus back to herself in order to learn how to learn herself. She also shares how letting go of her past made room for her future and allowed her to find the freedom to be herself.

In this episode, Pastor Thom Washington, of 3CLA and 4CI, shares with us his experience at a hospital that nearly costed him his life, after experiencing a medical emergency. He tells of how at that hospital he went undertreated and misdiagnosed. Thom explained that as a patient he had to do what he instinctively knew was right for his health, even if that was against medical advisement. He soon found out that his instinct to advocate was correct when after a second opinion, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon cancer. Tune in to this few informative and empowering testimony as Thom shares how he fought and won the battle of Stage 4 Cancer through prayer, medical treatment, and lifestyle changes.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, mental health advocate Tiffany Wright, MSW stops by to share how we can and must prioritize our mental health during a pandemic. In this episode, she gives advice about how simply changing our language can help us view problems from a different perspective. Renise also shares how she has struggled while being “safer-at-home” with her husband and small children and also discusses what steps she has taken to take care of her mental health.

Jamin Butler, co-founder of The Black Coffee company, stops by to educate us on the health benefits of coffee. Jamin, amongst the many benefits of drinking coffee, he also discusses how drinking coffee has the power to connect the community together. He also shares how The Black Coffee company's business model focuses on creating generational wealth within their community.

Liz Lund, owner of Underground Dance Company, stops by to share how she combats the norms of dance world. She teaches her students that their mental and physical health are more important than perfection on the dance floor. Liz talks about using practices such as age-appropriate dance moves and costumes, antibullying talks, and developing lasting rapport with her students and their parents in order to help them develop into confident dancers and people. Renise also shares her experience as a child dancer, how being bullied caused her to quit, and how the way U.D.C. does dance has changed a negative perspective about the dance world.

Dr. Cortez-Sammons of, Transformation Health and Wellness, returns this week to discuss hot button issues concerning women’s health. She talks about some of the unfair practices that she’s witnessed throughout her years as an OB/GYN and how women must advocate for themselves in order to get the care they need and deserve. Dr. Cortez-Sammons and Renise discuss how women can educate themselves in order to make better informed medical decisions for themselves and their families.

Dr. Jackie Cortez-Sammons of Transformation Health and Wellness shares why she felt led to leave “big medicine” and open a private practice that focuses on treating the body as a whole rather than treating symptoms. She expresses how she felt that the needs of her patients were not often met due to oversized workloads and time constraints and how, through Transformation Health and Wellness, she is able to practice medicine in best interest of her patients rather than the interest of insurance companies. She also discusses several holistic treatments that can transform a person’s health.

Dedra Jorden, the owner of Did It For Love Skincare, shares her story of how her battle with breast cancer led to her creating an all-natural skincare line. She also discusses how important it is to use chemical-free skincare products and what off-the-shelf ingredients should be avoided in order to take care of our largest organ, SKIN! Before Dedra left us she explained what ingredients we should look for and also avoid in our skincare products.

Pharmacist Michelle Nguyn returns to explain Federally mandated opioid regulations. She breaks down why it has become necessary to the health and safety of all patients to regulate a patients opioid intake. She also discusses alternative pain management treatments.

Pharmacist Michelle Nguyen explains the vital role of pharmacist within our healthcare system and how they are often a safety net to a patients care. She talks about how the rapport between a pharmacist and patient is sometimes the difference between healthful help and emergency medical intervention. Renise confesses to often bypassing the advocacy of a pharmacist until, her child’s well-being was at stake.