Public Service Announcement with Dr. James E.K. Hildreth

For many patients in rural and underserved communities, seeing a kidney specialist has long meant hours of travel, months of waiting, and overwhelming anxiety. Meharry Medical College alumna Dr. Sharica Brookins (Class of 2012) saw the impact of those gaps firsthand — and instead of accepting them, she brought care closer to the patient's home. Through Remote Renal Care, the state's first fully virtual nephrology practice, she's bringing hope, access, and continuity of care to patients who need it most. Her work embodies the mission-driven spirit she developed at Meharry Medical College and showcases what's possible when medicine meets innovation.

In our Season One finale, Dr. Hildreth welcomes back entrepreneur and health equity advocate Marcus Whitney to reflect on the importance of building and maintaining trust in healthcare. Together they'll explore Meharry Medical College's critical role in addressing historical health disparities, particularly for marginalized communities, and the groundbreaking Together for Change initiative that will sequence the genomes of 500,000 individuals of African descent, enabling breakthroughs in personalized medicine that can benefit underrepresented populations for generations to come.

LifePoint Health's CEO, David Dill, shares his personal story and the inspiration behind his work in addressing the challenges of delivering health care to rural areas and communities. Dill joins Dr. Hildreth to emphasize the importance of partnerships and collaborations in addressing these challenges and to highlight the role of trust in health care delivery. They also cover the significance of residency programs in building the health care workforce in these areas and encourage individuals to take care of themselves, stay engaged with their health and remain active.

Senator Bill Frist believes climate change impacts more than just our environment; it also has a significant effect on our mental and physical health. Sen. Frist joins Dr. Hildreth to discuss the reasons for rising incidences of diseases previously under control, and highlights the correlation between weather and increases in violent crime, suicide and natural disasters. They also explore the health impact those things have on marginalized communities who are disproportionately affected due to lack of access, transportation and resources for prevention and adaptation.

Jeannette South-Paul, M.D., DHL(Hon), FAAFP, executive vice president and Provost of Meharry Medical College, joins James E.K. Hildreth, PhD, MD, to discuss the longstanding relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical schools across the country. Together they delve into the impact this collaboration has on medical students, veterans and the broader health care landscape. South-Paul also shares insights from her 20 years of active duty service in the United States Army and highlights the importance of diversity in the clinical workforce for veterans.

CEO of the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, Bobby Watts, joins Dr. Hildreth to discuss the vitality of health equity in the face of economic disparity, and how understanding the homelessness crisis as a substantial human rights issue promotes empathy and strengthens the country as a whole. They'll also provide insights into effective strategies for ensuring equal access to healthcare despite one's financial position, and emphasize the necessity of prioritizing disadvantaged citizens to care for the community at large.

Dr. Cherae Farmer-Dixon serves as Dean of Meharry's superior School of Dentistry which produces 40 percent of the nation's currently practicing Black dentists. Dean Farmer-Dixon joins Dr. Hildreth for an insightful conversation on the importance of oral health to one's overall wellbeing and how a single visit to a dentist could potentially save your life by helping detect other related medical issues. We also discuss the challenges associated with the lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce, and why it's so crucial to address them head-on, now more than ever.

Join host Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, PhD, MD, as we step inside the minds of healthcare leaders across the country with a new series aimed at spreading factual, informative and inspiring knowledge through conversations with a list of influential and educated health and policy experts in various fields. Dr. Hildreth is an infectious disease expert and researcher and CEO and president of one of the country's four HBCU medical institutions, Meharry Medical College. This first season we'll tackle important issues like the need for diversity and health equity in healthcare and why access to care for those in underserved communities matters more now than ever.