Welcome to another episode of Real Physician Reacts with Dr. Berry Pierre. Tonight's episode is a casual, unscripted chat where we engaged with his audience, answered questions, and discussed various health topics.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, discusses;

• The importance of staying politically informed, especially in the context of healthcare decisions.
• The impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the potential consequences if it were repealed.
• The relationship between Covid-19 and healthcare, emphasizing the importance of continued vigilance and vaccinations.
• Insights into finding a good doctor, particularly an internist, and the significance of a strong doctor-patient relationship.
• Updates on Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, along with a reminder of the importance of getting tested and vaccinated.
• Upcoming health topics that will be covered in future episodes, including blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and breast cancer.

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Key Takeaways:

• Stay Politically Informed: Understand how political decisions impact healthcare, and why it's crucial to vote with healthcare in mind.
• Affordable Care Act: Recognize the benefits of the ACA and the dangers of its potential repeal without a suitable replacement.
• Covid-19 Vigilance: Despite lower hospitalizations, Covid-19 remains a serious health threat, and vaccination and testing are essential.
• Finding a Good Doctor: Tips on finding a good internist include word-of-mouth recommendations and understanding your own needs as a patient.
• Future Topics: Look forward to upcoming discussions on critical health issues like blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and breast cancer.

Quotes:

“Empower yourself for better health. If you don’t empower yourselves to be able to make these decisions, you allow yourself to stay in a relationship that will be detrimental to you, and you only.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“The worst thing to do is to leave one doctor because of one set of problems, and then go to another doctor who has the same set of problems.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“A bad doctor-patient relationship always hurts the patient, so you have to know when to fire that doctor, when to recognize that the communication, the respect, the trust level, the inaccessibility, is just too much for you to handle, and more importantly, when you’re not getting the adequate level of care to move forward.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Topics Covered:

00:00 – Introduction: Welcome and episode overview

03:05 – The importance of staying politically informed for healthcare

07:58 – Discussing the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act

09:57 – Covid-19 updates and the importance of testing and vaccination

11:26 – Tips on finding a good internist and building a strong doctor-patient relationship

15:01 – Upcoming health topics and future episode previews

19:28 – Conclusion and closing remarks

So, let's talk about the circumstances under which you should consider firing your doctor…

In this channel, I have always talked about the importance of having a good doctor-patient relationship, and more importantly, how a bad doctor-patient relationship only ever hurts the patient.

If you realize your current doctor is not properly taking care of you, you’ll need to make the difficult decision of firing your doctor and looking for a new one.

However, some might find that transition challenging, not knowing what to do and where to start.

That’s why in this episode, we’ll talk just about that as I educate you about the signs you should look for that will let you know it’s time. I’ll also share with you how you could make that smooth transition to your new doctor and ensure that it’s in the best interest of your health and life.

While this might be somewhat controversial, it’s your health that’s at risk, so this is a discussion that we definitely need to have.

So, join me in another episode of Medicine Mondays as we empower ourselves for better health and create a fulfilling life.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Recognize the signs that you should be looking for if you think it’s time to fire your doctor;
• Find out what you need to do after making the hard decision of changing your doctor and how you can transition smoothly to your new one; and
• Learn why it is crucial to empower yourself for better health.

“Empower yourself for better health. If you don’t empower yourselves to be able to make these decisions, you allow yourself to stay in a relationship that will be detrimental to you, and you only.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

“In this doctor-patient relationship, it’s a life-or-death situation if you got a good one and if you got a bad one.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“The worst thing to do is to leave one doctor because of one set of problems, and then go to another doctor who has the same set of problems.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“A bad doctor-patient relationship always hurts the patient, so you have to know when to fire that doctor, when to recognize that the communication, the respect, the trust level, the inaccessibility, is just too much for you to handle, and more importantly, when you’re not getting the adequate level of care to move forward.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

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So, let's talk about making informed decisions when choosing your healthcare insurance plan…

How do you make sure that you’ve got the right health care insurance?

I think this is an important question to ask yourself, because typically, when people look for insurance coverage, they only focus on the premium, a.k.a. the payment.

But insurance isn’t just about the premium; there are a lot of free or made-affordable things you can do that come along with a plan.

However, as unfortunate as it is, even when 92% of this country’s people are insured, there are still people who fail to maximize their plan’s coverage because they just don’t know the entirety of its details.

That’s why in today’s episode, I’ll provide valuable insights on choosing the right plan, maximizing its coverage, and avoiding common pitfalls.

We’re going to continue the momentum of educating our community on making the right choices, because by staying informed, asking the right questions, and taking advantage of available resources, you can empower yourself for better health.

So, join me in this week’s episode as we all get ready to take advantage of every single thing our insurance plan has in store for the betterment of our lives and our health.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Recognize the importance of understanding the different categories of health insurance and its plans;
• Discover the common pitfalls people go through when choosing their health care insurance, and why you should consider factors like deductibles, co-payments, and network coverage;
• Understand why you should take advantage of the preventative health services covered by insurance, and what you should do if your insurance company rejects a procedure

“You’d want to make sure that you got some power and leverage in this relationship of your health care, because it is—at the end of the day—your health care, your life.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

“If you can understand those five pillars, things become a lot easier, and your health care and the way you interact with the health care system becomes a lot more of a fruitful relationship than an adversarial relationship.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“I want you guys to make sure you’re taking advantage of everything your insurance plan has to offer. If you don’t know what your insurance plan has to offer, give them a call. You should not only be calling your insurance company when you have a problem.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“My job, especially here in the Lunch and Learn Community, is to help you take advantage of the system for your own good. Empower Yourself for Better Health. If you want to think like a doctor, we have to make sure you are taking advantage of the system at hand. And you cannot do that if you’re not reviewing a plan; you cannot do that if you’re not taking advantage of your preventative health care measures…You got to do those things.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Mentions:

• Where Would You Be Without Obamacare
• Take Advantage Of Your Preventative Health

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So, let’s talk about the importance of taking advantage of preventative health measures and services…

After discussing the Affordable Care Act in last week’s episode, today, we’ll talk about taking advantage of the preventative health services made available to us.

Statistics show that if we take advantage of these preventative health services, we live longer, healthier, and more fruitful lives.

But now that the election’s coming around, you can hear people making statements that they want to get rid of Obamacare a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act.

However, if they succeed, it’s important to note that all those preventative services you get and do for free or at extremely low cost will go with it.

And once those services disappear or become extremely expensive again, the ultimate consequence is death.

That’s why in this episode, I will explain to you why you should take advantage of the preventative health services available out there, and why you should take care of things while they’re small and cheaper, rather than deal with them once they’re huge, more expensive, and more importantly, more life-threatening.

Join me in this episode and find out why taking advantage of preventative health services is the backbone of having a longer, healthier, happier, and more fruitful life.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Recognize the importance of taking advantage of preventative health services and not abolishing the Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare
• Learn what preventative services are out there that are available for you, and which among those should be taken advantage of and when; and
• Discover the ultimate consequence of not taking advantage of preventative health services made available for you

“Preventative health measures are the backbone, the foundation to live a happier and healthier life.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

“When we talk about preventative health screenings, we’re not talking about all these fancy, million-dollar tests. These are simple things that we know if we can take advantage of it now, like if I just know what your blood pressure is now, I can do something about it now instead of having to deal with the complications later.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“Dr. Berry Pierre is going to give you what you need to help think like a doctor and empower yourself for better health, because he wants to make sure your foundation is solid, so that when you’re 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, you’re just dancing around, going on vacations, doing all the things you want to do with yourself, with your loved ones, with your family, and not feel like you’re hindered by all of your medications and by all of your medical disorders and diseases.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Mentions:

• Why Your Doctor Needs to be Your Health Coach

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So, let’s talk about the Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare, and where we would be today without it…

This is a question that I have been asking a lot lately. Especially with the upcoming elections, and with all the politicians and Supreme Court justices trying to do everything they can to challenge the Affordable Care Act – or some parts of it – to make it completely unconstitutional.

This is why it’s important for us to remember that before Obamacare, there were 50 million Americans who were not insured. 50 million Americans were constantly at risk of having the trajectory of their whole life changed forever with just one medical accident.

That brings us to the question: why were they not insured? Well, that’s because before Obamacare, insurance was not really affordable for a lot of people. And even if you can afford it, insurance companies will deny you their services if you have a pre-existing condition.

That is why in this episode, we will discuss where we all would be without Obamacare, 14 years after it was passed.

So join me today as I give you an overview of what it was like before Obamacare, the impacts that it had since it was passed, and more importantly, an understanding of what’s really at stake as we get ready to participate in the upcoming elections.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Recall the healthcare situation in America before we had the Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare;
• Discover how the Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare actually benefited both patients and insurance companies; and
• Find out why you need to be aware of everything that’s happening around you – especially in politics – if you really want to take care of your health.

If you really want to take care of your health to the best of its abilities, you have to be aware of all the things that could affect you yesterday, today, and more importantly, tomorrow.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

“If you are in the practice of medicine, you are in the practice of politics; because what the politicians can do, will do, and have done affects your activities of daily living and affects your livelihood every single day.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“As a healthcare provider, you can’t be like ‘I’m not into politics’ or ‘I’ll stay away from politics’… If you’re taking care of patients, you have to be aware of everything going on around us, especially from a political standpoint.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“I just sometimes shake my head when I hear and see these news outlets talk about the “evilness” of the Affordable Care Act. Because it just tells me: 1) They are not in the healthcare system, or more importantly 2) They’re on the side where they can afford to go to a doctor privately or they can afford to pay for the medical bills and they don’t care nor do they have the empathy to take care of those who cannot.” – Dr Berry Pierre

“I am here as a physician letting you know that the Affordable Care Act plan saves lives tenfold.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

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So, let’s talk about the fundamental practice of thinking like a doctor and how you can do that even when you’re not so much of a health-inclined person…

Time’s been running so fast these days; we’re now past the first half of 2024. But before we move on to the second half of the year, I’ve got here a question for you to ponder:

In the past six months, have you been making decisions about your health, or have others been making them for you?

Because as ironic as it is, as humans, we like to be in control of almost everything, but when it comes to our health, we almost always let other people decide for ourselves.

But why do we let that happen? Why, when we can learn how to think like a doctor and empower ourselves for better health?

You do not have to go to medical school. You do not have to be an actual doctor. You simply need to learn to think like one.

And in this episode, whether you’re new to my platform or not, I’ll give you a refresher on how to actually do that. Today, I’ll give you the blueprint of what it means to think like a doctor so you can make the informed decisions that are important in shaping a healthier and happier life.

So, if you want to take control, join me and learn how to think like a doctor today. Because by doing so, you not only create a happier, healthier life for yourself, but you also do the same for your loved ones.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Find out what key concepts and challenges are there when it comes to thinking like a doctor;
• Understand why you have to make the decisions on your behalf as you empower yourself for better health; and
• Recognize the importance of knowing how to think like a doctor and actually practicing it

““We are thinking like a doctor, we are doing the steps that are needed to proceed us in the best life, because we do not want others to make the decision and taking care of our health for us; that is not something we’d want to bring into 2025. In 2025, we want to be as deliberate when it comes to our health, as deliberate when it comes to recognizing where we can get the best information, as deliberate as solidifying those relationship that are around us that are going to just make us the best person that we can be…Our goal should always be just like Dr. Pierre’s model—empower yourself for better health; and to do so, we have to ask ourselves: ‘Am I ready to make the decision that I don’t want others to have to make for me?” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

“In medicine, there are so many different topics to touch on that you can’t possibly touch on all of them all at once and appease every single population whenever you’re doing something like this. But you can do a great job being consistent at the things that are extremely important, and not necessarily the most popular.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“If we’re going to think like a doctor, it’s because we want to make the decision. We want to make the decisions on our behalf to live a happier, healthier life. And we cannot do that if we don’t recognize we have an issue, if we don’t recognize where to get accurate information on that issue, and if we don’t recognize when we’re going to get some help.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Mentions:

• Menopause Myth Buster with Dr. LaKeischa McMillan
• Unlock the secrets to thinking like a doctor! Get your copy of the infographic here

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So, let's talk about the struggles of being neurodivergent and Black, and how advocacy can help make a world that’s truly accepting, loving, and just…

Have you ever wondered how couples navigate the unique journey of raising a child on the spectrum?

In previous episodes, we had Nick who talked about the experience from the Black fathers’ perspective, and Cheryl who talked about advocating when there are forces that make it harder to raise an autistic kid.

But what is it like as a couple? What are the dynamics in a relationship when raising an autistic child?

This is a conversation that’s not often had, especially as parents, we often forget that we also have a life and relationship outside just being moms and dads.

But in today’s episode, we’ll learn the importance of keeping the love burning as husband and wife, the importance of communication, understanding, and care, and the power of partnership in raising a thriving autistic child.

After all, as parents, we all just want what’s best for our children. Join us as we work towards the end goal and not let the fear of uncertainty stop us.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Learn the importance of being present in your relationship as husband and wife and making time to nurture your connection outside of your responsibilities as parents;
• Discover actionable tips you can try doing with your partner if you’re struggling and are at different points and speeds in your journey; and
• Recognize the importance of communication and self-care, especially if you’re raising a child on the spectrum.

“Something else that we also had to learn is that we had to keep our love burning outside of children as well, making sure that we are not just thinking of ourselves as mom and dad. For us to be able to communicate effectively with one another, for us to be able to be around each other and do all these things, we have to have our own relationship outside of parenting; not being in mom-and-dad role, but being in husband-and-wife role as well for our relationship.” – Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC

Notable Quotes:

“One of the lessons that you definitely taught me was that if I’m saying it in my head, you’re not a mind-reader and I have to verbalize it to you. I cannot have the expectation that you should know.” – Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC

“Communicate with your partner; where you’re at, your fears, your concerns. Oftentimes, people are either afraid or have shame in what they’re feeling, so they don’t voice those concerns, but your co-parent, your partner, should be someone that you trust and can share those emotions with.” – Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC

“Make sure you have a therapist that you can go to for couples, for family, [and] for individuals…You don’t have to have problems to be going to a therapist.” – Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC

Connect with Maria Davis-Pierre and the Autism in Black Inc.:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

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In today's episode, we dive deep into a pressing issue highlighted by the Surgeon General—the proposal to place warning labels on social media platforms, particularly to shield our youth from potential harms. This discussion comes at a crucial time as we witness an unprecedented surge in social media usage among teens, raising significant mental health concerns.

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Key Discussion Points:

• Surgeon General's Proposal: Unpacking the recent advocacy for warning labels on social media to alert users, especially young ones, about the potential psychological impacts.
• Mental Health Implications: We explore how excessive engagement with social media platforms can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among the youth.
• Parental Responsibility and Control: Discussing the role of parents and guardians in managing their children's social media use, including practical tips on setting effective parental controls.
• Broader Impact on Society: Reflecting on how these concerns are not just limited to the youth but affect adults and the wider community.

Join us as we unravel the complexities of social media's influence on our well-being and what it means for future regulations and personal responsibility.

Links:

Surgeon general wants tobacco-style warning applied to social media platforms