Hi, I'm Dr. Kim and
welcome to "Live to Be Well"
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I'm so excited about
this program because I get an
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opportunity to talk about
women and their health issues.
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I have a special
friend, but also an OB/GYN,
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and she was my former OB/GYN.
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Welcome Dr. Patricia Ferguson!
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How are you doing Pat?
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I'm doing well, glad to be here.
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It's so good to see you.
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I think about my humble
beginnings and how I met you.
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I was speaking at church
and right then and there,
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the Holy Spirit told
me to STOP and I said...
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"Is there an
OB/GYN in the audience?"
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And I said, "She's here, she's
African American, she's here."
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And I was looking for an OB/GYN
just like that and I said,
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"Could you please stand?"
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And you stood up, just
like that and that's how I found
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my OB/GYN and it's
been a wonderful experience.
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Let's talk about
your humble beginnings...
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Why you became a physician and
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are you
originally from Michigan?
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I am, I was born and
raised in Detroit, Michigan,
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I have three older siblings
and it's just odd because nobody
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in my family had actually gone
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to college or
graduated from college.
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My dad was from the South
and he came up here and got a
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job in the pop
manufacturing industry.
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He was at Vernor's for a
while and then Coca Cola,
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and then my mother was born
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and raised here,
but worked for IRS...
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And you know,
they had my brothers
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and sister, they
went through college.
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My brothers
went to the military,
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my sister started premed,
but decided to get married.
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So I just continued and
there's no like "ah-ha" moment.
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I always grew up watching
medical shows on TV - like
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"Marcus Welby, MD,"
"Rampart," remember "Emergency,"
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and any medical show - it
was just interesting and fun.
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And I think the reality hit
was, my dad had a heart attack
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in the middle of the
night one night and I actually
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performed CPR - and I
was in the 11th grade,
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and you know in high school,
you go through CPR in gym
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and I actually knew what to do.
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So when we got him to
the hospital, one of the docs
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came by and he said, "You know
if it hadn't been for what you
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did, your dad wouldn't
have made it," and I was, "Wow."
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So the actual impact of
seeing what it means to jump
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into action and to maybe help
preserve life and save a life,
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that was the first real
medical encounter being in
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a hospital emergency room.
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And then when I got to
undergrad, my friends were
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premed and we
just kind of traversed
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through the system together.
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Where did you do your undergrad?
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Wayne State, right down here.
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Right here, 5 minutes away.
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Alright, and then med
school? Wayne State med School.
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Oh, so everything was right
here together. Right here, yep.
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You know, why OB/GYN
when you were pursuing
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your clinicals, your
residency, why OB/GYN?
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Again, I didn't go in
expecting to do OB/GYN,
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as-a-matter-of-fact, I can
remember thinking I would want
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to do anything except
pediatrics, psychiatry
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and OB/GYN and OB was the
last rotation of my third year
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where you get to pick
and choose and get exposed,
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and it was the most fun,
it was the most exciting.
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The patients were primarily
younger and healthy women
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so I could relate and it
was easy to communicate with,
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and the issues were short
and usually with good outcome,
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so everybody was happy
to be pregnant and have a
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happy delivery.
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The surgery was
exciting and you could actually
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see a problem and take
care of it surgically. Yes
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And the office visits
were brief, but interactive
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as opposed to some of
the subspecialties that were
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a little bit more labor
intense and more chronic
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with no real end in sight. Yes
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So it was actually
just a natural fit.
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You have a wonderful
bedside manner, when I would
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come in for my regular Pap
and I would get my examination,
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you would just talk me
through it and "How's Arthur,
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how's the girls," and I
have to let everyone know that
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you were the one who
really identified the issues
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with Arthur and got us on
the track that saved his life
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or prolonged his
life a little bit longer,
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so I will always be
grateful for that and I was not
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ashamed to call you
to say, "I need help,"
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and you referred us
to your brother-in-law...
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And you just stayed right
there by our side all the way
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through and why is it difficult
for women, being OB/GYN
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or a man, but let's talk
about women... to go to the
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doctor - is it
mainly don't have insurance
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or fear of the unknown,
what is the block for us
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as women?
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I think primarily several
things, but mostly we are so
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in tune to being a primary
caregiver for everybody else,
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and we have to fix
everything for those around us
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whether siblings or
children or spouse or parents
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that we tend to minimize
the little things that we tell
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everybody to tolerate...
that it will get better
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or you take care of
them, so you kind of manage
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yourself because you have to be
there to manage everybody else.
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And by the time
something is bothering us enough
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to go in, it's usually
a little bit more advanced
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or a little bit more severe or
significant than if we had just
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stopped and made
ourselves a priority.
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You know, that's
really something...
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A few weeks ago, I was
just flying here and there
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well for months and I had this
prolonged cough and I said...
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"Well, it's just a cough,
it will go away and I'm taking
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Halls and I'm taking this
and that and then my daughter
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heard me and she said,
"Mommy, it doesn't sound right."
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And the next
morning, I could not breathe!
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And couldn't walk, it
was hard to really able...
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... and I said, "Erin, (my
youngest daughter), drive me
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to the hospital right now."
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And when they
came back and said...
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"You have walking pneumonia."
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I'm not surprised
because being you're on the go
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and you have an agenda and
you have a schedule and you have
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places to be and commitments
to keep and until you
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stop, you don't even
realize how tired or how sick
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you actually feel. Um hm
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And that's true and
being on the planes,
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there's just so
many germs in and out.
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A constant risk and then
if you stop long enough to
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get well and to allow your
body to rest and even take a
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mental break, you realize
how exhausted you have become
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when you actually start to
feel healthy and normal again.
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And then it becomes like
a pattern, you just do it,
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you just keep on keeping on,
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and it's not
healthy, it's not good.
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Let's talk about the
HPV virus and what is it?
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HPV virus is "human
papilloma virus," it's actually
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currently the most common
sexually transmitted disease
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in America and a virus
is a small organism that you
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can't see with the
naked eye, you can only see it
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through a microscope and what
it does different than germs
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or bacteria that we
commonly confuse is...
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It actually takes over the
cells of your body or the cells
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of a particular area of
your body and what it does is...
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The cell center, the nucleus
or the brains of the cell,
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the virus controls the brains
in the cell, so instead of
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your cells making your
DNA, your own genetic material,
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it makes you make its
own, so the virus takes over
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and grows out of control.
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And there are some aggressive
strains - there are a lot of
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different types and
it's really complicated,
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but there are two that are
really associated with cervical
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cancer and we
really try to target those.
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And then there are a
bunch of strains that are more
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benign or less
significant, but they cause
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issues with warts -
genital warts and sometimes
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discomfort, itching or
bleeding, so it's not just one
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thing, it's a wide conglomerate
of things, but the key is
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it's preventable, it's
treatable, but once you have it,
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you can't necessarily cure it.
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You can manage it and you
can eradicate it through surgery
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and some medications, but
once you've been exposed to it,
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and it takes over the
control of your cells,
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it's there for life.
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It's there for life.
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Having an annual mammogram,
how important is that?
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There is a lot of controversy
on that exact question...
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"How important is it to get
an annual mammogram" because
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medicine is based on
risks versus benefit, cost,
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and cost-effectiveness, so
a lot of studies and research
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go into figuring out how
many tests do we have to do
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to actually find and
prevent one case of cancer?
00:09:20.42\00:09:24.43
So having said all that,
if it's you or your family
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or that one person, it's
100% absolutely necessary
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that you get annual mammograms.
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Statistically, there is
some discussion about changing
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the requirement, so
instead of every woman at age 35
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getting a baseline and
then every year thereafter,
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they're trying to extend
to maybe having your first
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mammogram after age 40 to
45 and maybe every few years
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after based on your risk
factors, your family history
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because they're saying
we're doing way too many
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mammograms, finding too many
lumps that aren't cancerous,
00:09:55.72\00:09:59.19
and doing too many procedures
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just to find out
it wasn't necessary.
00:10:01.43\00:10:03.80
I had a young lady who
recently passed when she was 42,
00:10:04.13\00:10:07.74
and you know, Micah had
breast cancer, stage II. Right.
00:10:07.77\00:10:10.77
No one else in our family
has had it, but we've had other
00:10:10.81\00:10:13.91
aspects of cancer.
00:10:13.94\00:10:16.28
But she was 42 and she
had the aggressive strain
00:10:16.71\00:10:19.48
of breast cancer. Um hm
00:10:19.51\00:10:21.32
Can you talk a
little bit about that?
00:10:21.35\00:10:23.05
Again, like viruses or bacteria,
there's lots of different types,
00:10:23.08\00:10:27.06
nobody exactly knows what
is the trigger that causes it.
00:10:27.09\00:10:30.03
There are some genes that
are inherited and if you happen
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to be in a family that has those
genes, your risks are higher,
00:10:32.69\00:10:35.73
so you would be
evaluated differently...
00:10:36.83\00:10:39.50
But in a general sense,
African American women tend
00:10:39.53\00:10:42.20
to get more aggressive
strains at earlier ages that
00:10:42.24\00:10:45.91
advance and spread
quicker, so we tend to die
00:10:45.94\00:10:50.05
sooner if we don't
detect them and find out...
00:10:50.08\00:10:53.72
And a lot of times,
like we mentioned earlier,
00:10:53.75\00:10:55.52
we don't go get the
lump checked out right away,
00:10:55.55\00:10:57.99
so by the time it's
determined or discovered,
00:10:58.02\00:11:01.79
it's later on and more advanced.
00:11:01.82\00:11:04.93
But the things that
we can do are watch diet.
00:11:04.96\00:11:09.83
watch your
lifestyle and do exams monthly
00:11:09.86\00:11:14.94
to check your own breasts.
00:11:14.97\00:11:16.34
Again, the tendency is
to try to get away from that
00:11:16.37\00:11:19.77
because people find
lumps that aren't cancer,
00:11:19.81\00:11:21.98
then they go in and get a lot
of tests and a lot of biopsies
00:11:22.01\00:11:24.75
and procedures that
aren't necessary or they find
00:11:24.78\00:11:27.48
benign lumps, but I'm
still like... be diligent,
00:11:27.52\00:11:31.05
be diligent with checking,
be diligent with going to
00:11:31.09\00:11:33.62
report something that you
find because you're the first
00:11:33.66\00:11:36.32
line of defense for yourself
and if you don't get it checked
00:11:36.36\00:11:39.63
and it is a cancer in your
case, it's 100% for you. Yes
00:11:39.66\00:11:44.40
Your husband is
also a medical doctor.
00:11:44.43\00:11:47.24
Let's talk about how you
met and how you married...
00:11:47.27\00:11:51.67
He grew up in
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,
00:11:51.71\00:11:55.34
and I grew up in Detroit.
00:11:55.38\00:11:56.75
I never knew him until
we went to Wayne State,
00:11:56.78\00:11:59.38
we both were accepted in
the freshman class of 1984,
00:11:59.41\00:12:02.85
and at that time they had
an incoming freshman program
00:12:02.88\00:12:06.69
where you could go in the summer
and get exposure to what the
00:12:06.72\00:12:09.99
first six weeks of
the curriculum are like.
00:12:10.03\00:12:12.46
So we met there in a
summer program and he was dating
00:12:12.49\00:12:15.16
someone and I was
dating someone, so we, just by
00:12:15.20\00:12:18.63
being in that cohort and
spending all day together,
00:12:18.67\00:12:21.10
we would talk with
the other students too,
00:12:21.14\00:12:23.47
but we would wind up
maybe having lunch here or there
00:12:23.51\00:12:26.27
or going out and then we
went into our first year,
00:12:26.31\00:12:28.34
we studied together and
we continued to have friends
00:12:28.38\00:12:32.21
here, there - we studied
well together and we challenged
00:12:32.25\00:12:36.52
each other and competed; he
was more competitive than me.
00:12:36.55\00:12:39.29
And so we would battle and
we'd argue and it would be like
00:12:39.32\00:12:43.06
have a good life, we could study
together, but then that was it.
00:12:43.09\00:12:46.33
And then after our
first Christmas break,
00:12:46.36\00:12:49.36
that was kind of
our conversation...
00:12:49.43\00:12:50.87
"You go have a good
life and I'll come back,"
00:12:50.90\00:12:53.44
and after the break, we
started studying together again,
00:12:53.47\00:12:55.60
and I think in the spring of
the end of the freshman year,
00:12:55.64\00:12:59.01
we went to a concert at
Chene Park and here we are.
00:12:59.04\00:13:02.54
Here you are... how soon after?
00:13:02.58\00:13:04.18
Did you marry
after medical school?
00:13:04.21\00:13:05.91
We got engaged in our
senior year, as-a-matter-of-fact
00:13:05.95\00:13:11.52
at our senior graduation
dinner and then he actually
00:13:11.55\00:13:15.96
went to St. Louis for a
year or two to do a fellowship
00:13:15.99\00:13:18.49
to try to get in an
ophthalmology program.
00:13:18.53\00:13:21.13
He's an ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologist,
00:13:21.16\00:13:22.73
and we got engaged the
year of graduation and then
00:13:22.76\00:13:29.20
2 years later we got married.
00:13:29.24\00:13:31.57
How many children?
00:13:31.61\00:13:32.94
We have 4 children; 3
young ladies and my son
00:13:32.97\00:13:36.48
he'll be 19 at the
end of September. Alright
00:13:36.51\00:13:40.55
So 4 children, all graduates
of Bloomfield Hills High School,
00:13:40.58\00:13:43.79
and now all attended Howard
University in Washington, DC.
00:13:43.82\00:13:48.92
I have one graduated in
2014 and she's a fourth year
00:13:48.96\00:13:53.36
medical student at the
University of Michigan.
00:13:53.40\00:13:55.43
I have another
daughter that graduated in 2016,
00:13:55.46\00:13:59.80
and she is a
broadcast journalism major,
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.70
political science minor.
00:14:02.74\00:14:04.07
My third daughter is
broadcast journalism.
00:14:04.11\00:14:05.84
She's interested in
film production editing.
00:14:05.87\00:14:08.84
And my son is a
rising sophomore,
00:14:08.88\00:14:10.78
he's a sports
medicine, chemistry minor.
00:14:10.85\00:14:13.75
Isn't that
something! So I'm proud of them.
00:14:13.78\00:14:16.65
So how did you
balance everything,
00:14:16.69\00:14:19.29
because I remember when I went
into labor; you had delivered
00:14:19.32\00:14:23.79
twins, you had been up
48 hours and you came by to
00:14:23.83\00:14:28.30
see me and I was dilating and
I said, "Go home, you go home."
00:14:28.33\00:14:33.20
And you sent your partner in
to take care of me and you came
00:14:33.23\00:14:37.67
back to see me the next day
and I had a healthy delivery,
00:14:37.71\00:14:40.88
but I remember when you got
the test results back and I was
00:14:40.91\00:14:45.05
pregnant because I
was sick and I didn't know
00:14:45.08\00:14:47.45
what was going on and you
looked at me and you said,
00:14:47.48\00:14:50.12
"Honey, you're
pregnant," and Arthur just said,
00:14:50.15\00:14:52.45
"No, no, no." He
wasn't expecting that.
00:14:52.49\00:14:54.92
We were not expecting that.
00:14:54.96\00:14:56.76
But being healthy, having
checkups, being able to be
00:14:56.79\00:15:01.46
in tune, but you
left your practice,
00:15:01.50\00:15:04.40
and you transitioned, why?
00:15:04.43\00:15:06.87
Well I had been in a private
practice setting for 25 years,
00:15:06.90\00:15:12.01
and in a pretty intense
level, we had a busy practice,
00:15:12.04\00:15:17.65
and just the changing
nature of medicine and practice
00:15:17.68\00:15:22.92
partners and
practice situations, I had an
00:15:22.95\00:15:25.45
opportunity to be a consultant
with Blue Cross/Blue Shield
00:15:25.49\00:15:28.39
in case management which
was new and it was different,
00:15:28.42\00:15:31.99
but it was an opportunity,
so I had been consulting
00:15:32.03\00:15:35.60
for about 2 years and
my medical director said,
00:15:35.63\00:15:39.47
"Hey Pat," (I was home actually
taking a nap) and you know,
00:15:39.50\00:15:42.74
kinda played around with
the idea of maybe finding
00:15:42.77\00:15:45.07
something else to do as I
transitioned beyond under 50,
00:15:45.11\00:15:50.55
I'll put it that way,
and she said, "Full time
00:15:50.58\00:15:54.45
positions never open
up, but one is available,
00:15:54.48\00:15:56.55
are you interested," and I
told her I'd pray about it,
00:15:56.58\00:15:58.59
and in my mind, I was like,
"Shoot yeah, I'll take it."
00:15:58.62\00:16:00.72
And so about a week
later, I let her know I was
00:16:00.76\00:16:04.33
interested and an opportunity
was there and so I transitioned.
00:16:04.36\00:16:07.50
So full-time case
management is where you oversee
00:16:07.53\00:16:11.50
from the educational
side, I oversee nurses who call
00:16:11.53\00:16:17.91
patients maybe 50 to 100
years of age that have multiple
00:16:17.94\00:16:21.64
medical problems outside
of OB/GYN, like high blood
00:16:21.68\00:16:24.08
pressure, diabetes,
obesity, renal failure,
00:16:24.11\00:16:26.28
any medical problem.
00:16:26.31\00:16:28.05
When patients go to their
doctor, there seemed to be a
00:16:28.08\00:16:32.25
tendency for some
people to go in and out of the
00:16:32.29\00:16:34.12
emergency room over and
over or hospitalization...
00:16:34.16\00:16:36.73
So we try to figure out
what it is about that population
00:16:36.76\00:16:39.73
that they have recurrent
ER visits, and increase their
00:16:39.76\00:16:43.06
education, resources,
transportation and understanding
00:16:43.10\00:16:46.84
and why they need to
be compliant with their
00:16:46.87\00:16:49.50
treatment plan and
self- management plan
00:16:49.54\00:16:51.47
to minimize ER utilization...
00:16:51.51\00:16:53.61
And so that's in a
nutshell what I transitioned to.
00:16:53.64\00:16:57.91
So what I realized
is how important it is
00:16:57.95\00:17:01.38
to communicate the
urgency of self-management,
00:17:01.42\00:17:06.25
you have to watch your
diet, you have to exercise,
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.46
you have to adopt a
healthy lifestyle, mindset,
00:17:08.49\00:17:11.76
and be proactive in
learning what it is that you
00:17:11.79\00:17:15.56
need to do for yourself
to maintain your health.
00:17:15.60\00:17:18.43
What do you see with
young girls and young women
00:17:18.47\00:17:22.57
and their health issues today?
00:17:22.60\00:17:25.74
I'm little bit removed
from the direct issues,
00:17:25.77\00:17:29.71
and I would say, in general,
my perception and what I
00:17:29.74\00:17:32.78
used to see as an overall
rule is teens tend to seek
00:17:32.81\00:17:40.79
validation and
actually is women in general.
00:17:40.82\00:17:43.99
People tend to seek
approval and validation
00:17:44.03\00:17:46.59
through relationships and a
lot of times that allows them
00:17:46.63\00:17:50.47
to compromise maybe
their values to establish some
00:17:50.50\00:17:54.17
sense of self
worth or self-esteem...
00:17:54.20\00:17:56.81
And so, going back
to the bedside manner,
00:17:56.84\00:17:59.37
it was easy to embrace a side
of people behind closed doors
00:17:59.41\00:18:05.25
one-on-one and address
really what is it that you're
00:18:05.28\00:18:07.75
looking for... because
to compromise your health
00:18:07.78\00:18:12.12
in terms of sexually transmitted
diseases, unintended pregnancy,
00:18:12.15\00:18:15.89
unanticipated pregnancy or
a whole list of problems that
00:18:15.92\00:18:20.50
can be avoided and it really
came down to really becoming
00:18:20.53\00:18:25.67
comfortable with decisions
and choices that necessarily
00:18:25.70\00:18:29.84
aren't popular and I
think now more than ever because
00:18:29.87\00:18:33.27
of social media and exposure,
people want what they see
00:18:33.31\00:18:36.64
immediately and
they don't understand...
00:18:36.68\00:18:38.98
they don't understand
everything has a price.
00:18:39.01\00:18:40.98
Everything has a price, every
action causes a reaction. Yep.
00:18:41.02\00:18:45.59
Medication - prescription
drugs, over-the-counter drugs,
00:18:46.62\00:18:52.03
easy access - you can
find it in your communities,
00:18:52.06\00:18:56.33
on the streets, you
know, what is happening in our
00:18:56.36\00:19:00.14
communities now where
people are so addicted to
00:19:00.17\00:19:03.61
prescription drugs
and they just don't feel
00:19:03.64\00:19:06.98
they have another way out
to cope or manage their pain.
00:19:07.01\00:19:11.58
Yeah, there's a lot
going on with opioid addiction,
00:19:11.61\00:19:13.98
and the potency of these drugs.
00:19:14.02\00:19:16.92
Because you can get
access to a lot of drugs
00:19:18.69\00:19:22.52
over-the-counter,
people tend to think
00:19:22.56\00:19:24.69
they're more
acceptable or less harmful.
00:19:24.73\00:19:29.73
Something as simple as
antihistamines for allergies,
00:19:30.50\00:19:33.40
now Rite Aid, CVS,
Walgreens, they take those
00:19:33.44\00:19:35.90
and put them behind the
counter so you have to ask,
00:19:35.94\00:19:38.27
and they check ID -
because if there's a way to
00:19:38.31\00:19:41.21
abuse any medication,
people have found it.
00:19:41.24\00:19:45.91
I was listening to a
comedy routine about use of
00:19:45.95\00:19:48.75
marijuana and this was, oh with
Katt Williams, he was joking,
00:19:48.78\00:19:52.45
but there's
truth in the jokes...
00:19:52.49\00:19:54.22
"Old fashioned marijuana
used to be just plain," he said,
00:19:54.26\00:19:57.36
"But now they lace it
with everything, you don't even
00:19:57.39\00:20:00.03
recognize what's in
it," so there is no benign
00:20:00.06\00:20:04.43
okay drug - there just really
isn't especially in high school,
00:20:04.47\00:20:09.74
kids can get prescriptions
for attention deficit disorder,
00:20:09.77\00:20:13.41
and those are stimulants
and they are mood alterers,
00:20:13.44\00:20:16.64
and for whatever,
however, kids have discovered,
00:20:16.68\00:20:20.48
teenagers, college students,
so they can stay up longer,
00:20:20.52\00:20:23.22
study harder - all those
medicines have a side effect.
00:20:23.25\00:20:26.82
All those issues that
seems to make you more alert
00:20:26.86\00:20:30.29
or more aware or make you
remember, there is no easy out.
00:20:30.33\00:20:36.56
You might get away
with it for a little while,
00:20:37.07\00:20:40.04
but the consequences catch
up and if you are somebody that
00:20:40.07\00:20:43.07
has any tendency toward
mental health, mental illness,
00:20:43.10\00:20:46.71
and you obtain opiates
or narcotics or marijuana
00:20:46.74\00:20:51.85
that's laced with something,
you could have a permanent
00:20:51.88\00:20:54.78
psychotic or paranoid reaction.
00:20:54.82\00:20:58.29
I heard of a nurse that
was saying about a young man,
00:20:58.32\00:21:01.72
he smoked one joint
and somebody had put
00:21:01.76\00:21:06.13
something in it and he
was permanently paranoid.
00:21:06.16\00:21:09.63
He was crawling under
furniture to get away...
00:21:09.66\00:21:12.57
they could not stop
him in the hospital.
00:21:12.60\00:21:14.64
So you just never know,
you never know what's going on,
00:21:14.67\00:21:18.91
it's an economic
benefit to some people,
00:21:18.94\00:21:22.48
they think, "Oh here
is a drug, we'll sell it."
00:21:22.51\00:21:25.88
It's kind of amazing that
people are that susceptible
00:21:25.91\00:21:30.99
to buy that poison to
put into their system,
00:21:31.02\00:21:35.19
but it's a medication,
it's a remedy for some problem
00:21:35.22\00:21:38.89
or some pain
they're trying to escape.
00:21:38.93\00:21:40.26
Even alcohol...
00:21:40.30\00:21:43.03
You can take alcohol to
the limit, to the extreme,
00:21:43.06\00:21:46.03
and have alcohol intoxication
and that will kill you.
00:21:46.07\00:21:48.90
And that WILL kill you.
00:21:48.94\00:21:50.64
Now let's talk about, you know,
even though being in OB/GYN
00:21:50.67\00:21:54.81
and now dealing
with all case management,
00:21:54.84\00:21:57.95
men tend not to
want to go to a doctor,
00:21:57.98\00:22:01.32
especially African American
men, is it men, women or is it
00:22:01.35\00:22:06.52
ALL people?
00:22:06.55\00:22:08.36
I think people in general and
I think the more people become
00:22:08.39\00:22:13.03
comfortable with
"you're your own best advocate,"
00:22:13.06\00:22:15.96
your health is your
priority, without your health,
00:22:16.00\00:22:18.43
you really have nothing.
00:22:18.47\00:22:20.77
You don't have the
ability to obtain all the wealth
00:22:20.80\00:22:22.57
in the world if you don't
have your health and most of the
00:22:22.60\00:22:25.67
concerns, I think, are fear
of what they don't understand
00:22:25.71\00:22:28.64
or fear of something
they've been told by somebody
00:22:28.68\00:22:30.95
that has less
accurate information.
00:22:30.98\00:22:34.58
Most exams are quick and not
painful; sometimes things are
00:22:34.62\00:22:39.85
a little embarrassing or
a little awkward, but again,
00:22:39.89\00:22:41.76
it just depends on the physician
you go to - who can kind of
00:22:41.79\00:22:45.69
break down those
barriers and just make it an
00:22:45.73\00:22:48.00
interaction that's
necessary and doesn't have to be
00:22:48.03\00:22:51.07
awkward or uncomfortable,
but I think it's our own
00:22:51.10\00:22:54.44
fears that keep us
from doing anything...
00:22:54.47\00:22:56.60
And the most important
thing is pursuing and advocating
00:22:56.64\00:23:00.11
for your own health.
00:23:00.14\00:23:01.48
Let's talk about
your educational program.
00:23:01.51\00:23:03.51
God put a burden on
your heart and Arthur and I
00:23:03.55\00:23:06.92
was involved in the beginning,
I'm still involved with it.
00:23:06.95\00:23:10.45
I was with you last year,
it was right after his passing,
00:23:10.49\00:23:14.86
and I didn't have the courage
or the energy and you called
00:23:14.89\00:23:19.63
and said, "Kim, I need you,"
and I'm so happy I did come.
00:23:19.66\00:23:24.27
Let's talk about your
program that you're doing now.
00:23:24.30\00:23:27.37
I started a
nonprofit organization 501c3
00:23:27.40\00:23:31.04
called, "Each One Teach
One," and again, I think,
00:23:31.07\00:23:33.84
going back to 1990s,
you actually offered to
00:23:33.88\00:23:37.45
be our fiduciary when I
didn't even know what that was.
00:23:37.48\00:23:39.85
We had the name, we
had the designation,
00:23:39.88\00:23:42.08
but actually we were trying
to get the designation and
00:23:42.12\00:23:44.55
our vision back then was
to try to create a supportive
00:23:44.59\00:23:49.86
environment to empower
and equipped and encourage
00:23:49.89\00:23:55.43
and inspire young people to
prepare themselves for success,
00:23:55.46\00:23:59.40
and we chose academics
and education as that vehicle,
00:23:59.43\00:24:02.54
and some 10-15 years later
we started to have workshops
00:24:02.57\00:24:09.68
like in the local school
district where we would have a
00:24:09.71\00:24:12.08
one day or 3 hour events.
00:24:12.11\00:24:14.28
We did an event called
"Meet the People Behind
00:24:14.32\00:24:16.42
the Professions" where
students actually got to meet
00:24:16.45\00:24:18.62
judges, lawyers, teachers,
doctors, VPs of corporations
00:24:18.65\00:24:22.66
who told who they
were, not what they do,
00:24:22.69\00:24:26.23
and how who they
were enhanced and brought
00:24:26.26\00:24:30.03
what they did to a new
job or new opportunity...
00:24:30.07\00:24:32.83
Like there was an undergrad
chemistry major who didn't
00:24:32.87\00:24:35.74
know what he could do
with a chemistry degree...
00:24:35.77\00:24:37.57
He wound up working in an
automotive plant for a summer,
00:24:37.61\00:24:42.38
and because of his chemistry
background and aptitude,
00:24:42.41\00:24:44.88
somebody took an interest
in him and helped him discover
00:24:44.91\00:24:48.45
a patent for the soundproofing
in luxury vehicles. WHAAT?
00:24:48.48\00:24:51.89
He holds the patent for the
soundproofing in Jaguar. WHAAT?
00:24:51.92\00:24:56.89
He went on to
become vice-president of
00:24:56.93\00:24:59.13
"Lear
Corporation, North America."
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.13
So he came, told his story
and just to find out who he is,
00:25:01.16\00:25:04.83
these kids were just like
on the edge of their chair,
00:25:04.87\00:25:06.90
like WOW!
00:25:06.94\00:25:08.27
So it's not so much what
you do, it's who you allow
00:25:08.30\00:25:12.37
yourself to become
and in that process
00:25:12.41\00:25:15.78
you bring it to whatever job.
00:25:15.81\00:25:17.15
And so, by last year we
had, like yourself, we had some
00:25:17.18\00:25:22.35
people from other
communication, radio broadcast,
00:25:22.38\00:25:25.55
we had Pam Perry
from Branding. Yes
00:25:25.59\00:25:28.36
She spoke to students
about how important it is
00:25:28.39\00:25:30.46
to have a
strong, personal brand;
00:25:30.49\00:25:32.93
how important social
media is - good and bad.
00:25:32.96\00:25:36.33
We had Dr. Jay Marks,
he is a consultant to the
00:25:36.36\00:25:39.23
Oakland schools, raised
the significance of education.
00:25:39.27\00:25:43.74
This year, we're going
to have Gail Perry-Mason
00:25:43.77\00:25:47.78
talking about
financial literacy,
00:25:47.81\00:25:49.51
and Heil Perkins was our MC. Yes
00:25:49.54\00:25:51.65
So the goal is to,
again, expose students and their
00:25:51.68\00:25:54.82
family - we want parents
to become involved so we can
00:25:54.85\00:25:57.82
show them how to
advocate for themselves,
00:25:57.85\00:25:59.75
how to, you know, strategize
and position themselves
00:25:59.79\00:26:03.16
to succeed. Yes
00:26:03.19\00:26:04.73
So it's coming up
and it's going to be in
00:26:04.76\00:26:06.46
Birmingham City home,
but it touches the tri-county
00:26:06.49\00:26:08.90
area - Macomb,
Oakland and Detroit.
00:26:08.93\00:26:11.97
We've been in touch
with the superintendent for
00:26:12.00\00:26:14.27
Southfield schools, DPS
and I have a contact in Macomb,
00:26:14.30\00:26:17.94
but it's just in the
development stage for this year.
00:26:17.97\00:26:21.08
So, yeah, I'm
looking forward to it.
00:26:21.11\00:26:22.44
I just think what it all
came down to is trying to help
00:26:23.61\00:26:26.08
somebody else. Yes
00:26:26.11\00:26:28.35
Well anything you know
that you need me to do,
00:26:28.38\00:26:30.52
I'm there for you, Pat. Thanks.
00:26:30.55\00:26:32.22
I think that it's important,
and one thing I've learned
00:26:32.25\00:26:35.22
is to pace myself, to
hold myself accountable
00:26:35.26\00:26:40.43
so that I can
extend myself more...
00:26:40.46\00:26:43.77
I may have to stop a few days
during the week or take a week
00:26:43.80\00:26:47.30
and reassess my
body, eat well, exercise,
00:26:47.34\00:26:52.01
get plenty of fluids and
make sure that I'm resting.
00:26:52.04\00:26:56.38
And, it's so good
to have my own personal
00:26:56.41\00:26:59.11
OB/GYN anytime. Well
thanks for thinking of me.
00:26:59.15\00:27:03.18
Oh definitely, I think
it's important for us to be able
00:27:03.22\00:27:06.86
to have resources available,
to have people that we can
00:27:06.89\00:27:10.53
turn to,
networking is crucial. Um hm
00:27:10.56\00:27:12.99
And you're such a help...
00:27:13.03\00:27:14.36
My last question,
we have 42 seconds...
00:27:14.40\00:27:17.07
God, what is His
role in your life?
00:27:17.10\00:27:19.47
God is central and
I think when you say,
00:27:19.50\00:27:23.81
"How do you find a
balance," if He is the center,
00:27:23.84\00:27:26.61
and you listen for
Him and truly seek Him,
00:27:26.64\00:27:29.48
and that's what I'm
learning to do and I think I've
00:27:29.51\00:27:31.81
learned more in
the last few years.
00:27:31.85\00:27:34.48
When you seek His purpose
and you are at peace with Him,
00:27:34.52\00:27:37.72
He answers a prayer,
then He'll direct you
00:27:37.75\00:27:39.89
in what you need
to do, then it becomes
00:27:39.92\00:27:41.42
doable - not easy, but you know
00:27:41.46\00:27:44.06
you're working in
the right direction.
00:27:44.09\00:27:45.73
It's important, pray and
keep seeking Him and He will
00:27:45.76\00:27:49.16
let you know what
He has for you to do.
00:27:49.23\00:27:51.37
I'm so excited about
all the wonderful things
00:27:51.40\00:27:54.04
I've learned here
today on "Live to be Well"
00:27:54.07\00:27:56.20
Remember good
health is in your hands,
00:27:56.24\00:27:59.87
and you are responsible for it.
00:27:59.91\00:28:02.51
I want YOU to "Live to Be Well"
00:28:02.54\00:28:04.75
I'm Dr. Kim, God bless.
00:28:04.78\00:28:07.42