Morbidity and Mortality Podcast

Jesse Iwuji, a NASCAR Driver and a US veteran was my guest.

"Homeless" Mayor, Mayor of Aurora, CO, Mike Coffman was my guest on this special episode on Homelessness in Colorado.

I sat down with Dr. Paul to talk about the recent snowstorm in the state of Texas, its impact on public health with emphasis on covid-19, disaster management etc.

Olukemi Akinrinola, MD FAAP is a board-certified Pediatrician at the Parker Adventist Hospital and Southlands Primary Care where she attends to patients from ages 0-21 years. Her patients and their families easily call her Doctor A. She is also an Attending Physician at the Banner Medical Group in North Colorado. She has won the Best Physician Award, the Excellence in service Awards consecutively for the past 5 years in these establishments. She is the Vice Chair of Pediatrics and sits on the Medical Board at the NCMC Hospital and is lead and member of various committees including the Ethics Committee, Mother-Baby Unit, Peer Disciplinary Boards among others. She is currently the Lead Physician of the Safety Campaign at Centura and the Clinical lead for Mission Integration in Clinics. Prior to her current positions in Colorado, Doctor A worked at the Department of Human and Health Services with the Federal Government as a Senior Attending with the Indian Health Services. She worked at the Belcourt Hospital in North Dakota for almost 3 years. There, she started her Academic track, training Medical Students and Residents in both Pediatrics and Family Medicine and was appointed Clinical Professor in Pediatrics at the University of North Dakota in 2013.She has since continued training young medical professionals here in Colorado both at the University of Colorado and the Rocky Vista University and within the past year, University of Missouri. She was born in Nigeria. She attended Medical School at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria and later worked with the renowned St Nicholas Hospital in Lagos Island and was a founding member of the Kidney Transplant Committee, pioneering Kidney Transplant along with the superlative surgeons in the whole of Africa. She has gone on many local and international Medical Missions Trip with the NCCMDS and CMDA and recently with the Global Foundation to Peru in 2017. Doctor A is an author of many books,6 that are in publication and available worldwide. Her first published book, I got a Pink Cast was done to teach children about the dangers that could be found in the playgrounds. Her other books include; Call Me Doctor A, Will you play with me? A closer walk, Tales under the Mango Tree and Now that I have a Job. She and her husband are now helping others become authors with The Lighthouse Books, their publishing Company. She is happily married to Olayinka, a Computer Engineer. Ola as he is fondly called is an Entrepreneur in his IT field, as well as in transportation, logistics, health and beauty. He leads the Agape Inc group of Companies. They are blessed with 3 children. Ola and Dr A were both ordained as Pastors in June 2012 and are honored to serve as Associate Pastors at the Kingdom Connection Christian Center, a thriving dynamic church under the Leadership of Bishop Israel and Pastor Adeola Ajala. They work in the College and Career unit, Medical and IT units among other roles. Doctor A loves music and joined her local church choir when she was 7 years old. Her love for music has continued and if she isn’t in the Hospital working, stuck in the Library, she would most likely be found singing in her home studio along with her 3 children.

I have an alumni of the University of Minnesota - School of Public Health, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An experienced qualitative and quantitative researcher with interests in maternal, infant, and early childhood health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention programs, and demanding solutions to global healthcare disparities. He has supervised hundreds of PhD candidates. A peer-reviewer for Social Science & Medicine (SMM), the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), and the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD). He serves as a contributing faculty member with the Walden College of Health Sciences (since January, 2011), and as an adjunct contributing faculty member at 4 other land-grant institutions (U of Hawaii, U of North Dakota, University of MN, University of Guam). It is my privilege to welcome this Fulbright Scholar and US Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, Dr. Patrick Tschida to our podcast

Yvonne Heredia is a Doctor of Public Health and is a Masters prepared registered nurse with 20+ years of expertise in women’s health (specifically) birth outcomes. Dr. Heredia is also a subject matter expert on the topics of social determinants of health, health disparities and population based health. Dr. Heredia is currently a Senior Manager of Care Management at Neighborhood Health Plan of RI.Dr. Heredia is passionate about working with the underserved/unserved populations. She volunteers regularly at homeless shelters, recreation centers and schools to provide education on health topics that are both culturally and linguistically appropriate. Dr. Heredia has been awarded, recognized and honored by many local and national organizations for her leadership and commitment to the community. Dr. Heredia also speaks nationally at healthcare conferences on Population Health topics.Education:· Rhode Island College – Bachelor Science Nursing· University of Rhode Island- Masters in Nursing Administration· Walden University – PhD Public Health· Certified Diabetes Outpatient Educator (CDOE)· University of Phoenix- Public Policy Certificate (started online 1/7/2020)Community Organization(s) involvement:· American Public Health Association (Maternal Child Health Section Councilor) *· RI Public Health Association (Board member; Chair Program committee) *· RI Black Nurses Association (President, Founder)· RI Prematurity Task Force· RI Preconception Care Collaborative *· American Association of Women’s Health and Neonatal Nursing· Rhode Island College Graduate Nursing Advisory Committee *· Commission on Health Advocacy& Equity (Policy Chair) *· American Heart Association (RI Multicultural leadership committee (Chair)· Rhode Island Nursing Middle College· RI Board of Nursing Assistants· Community Health Worker of RI (Board member)

Hey y’all. Welcome to yet another wonderful episode of the Morbidity and Mortality Podcast. I have a distinguished guest with me. A policy researcher, teacher, and student advisor. An editor at multiple academic institutions and research centers. A man who got his doctorate degree in Law Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; an LL.M from Central European University, Budapest, Hungary and LL.B. (Hons) from Abia State University, Nigeria. Dr Basil Ugochukwu currently teaches International Law at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Basil and I are from the same community in Nigeria called Nsu. We both graduated from the prestigious ABỊA State University, Uturu, a school that has produced so many distinguished public servants including the current minister of state, education Hon Dr Chukwuemeka nwajiuba. Dr. Basil you are welcome to my podcast.

Dr. Chris Dimkpa is the Head of Department and Chief Scientist at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station based in New Haven. His department works in the area of food, environmental and product safety for the State of Connecticut, and also conducts basic and applied research on the implications and applications of nanomaterials in the food. agriculture and environmental domains. Prior to this position, he was a Senior Development Scientist at the International Fertilizer Development Center in Muscle Shoals, Alabama where he conducted research and established partnerships with scientists in the US and around the world, including Africa, on fertilizer development and nutrient management, with emphasis on improving crop productivity and addressing environmental and human health concerns related to mineral fertilizers.

Dr. Gregory Ford, Ph.D.Dr. Gregory Ford currently serve as the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at FortValley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. Prior to joining FVSU, he served as anAssistant Professor of Biology at Morehouse College and Dean for the Division ofNatural Science and Physical Education at Georgia Highlands College. Dr. Fordreceived his B.S. degree from Grambling State University, Ph.D. degree from MeharryMedical College and completed a postdoctoral fellowship through the AmericanPsychological Society in the laboratory of his brother and mentor, Dr. Byron Ford, atMorehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Ford’s research activities focus on the identificationof the common cellular, molecular and genetic factors underlying acute brain injuries(ABIs), including nerve agent exposure, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke usingbioinformatics and bioanalytics. We also employ this approach to identify noveltherapeutic targets as well as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers of these conditions. Drs.Gregory and Byron Ford are the owners of Brain-Gen, LLC, a biotechnology startupcompany licensed in the state of Georgia. Brain-Gen, LLC holds the nine full patentsand several patent applications in their current portfolio.Dr. Ford has made service a cornerstone of his mission to improve engagement withthe college community and the communities at large. Some of the outreach programsinitiated under Dr. Ford have included The Wetlands Experience at GHC, The GeorgiaHighlands Summer STEM Camp, The Allatoona Resource Center Summer STEMcamp, PI Day activities, STEM day/STEM night activities (with schools in Floyd County,Bartow County, Paulding County, Cobb County, Georgia), development of a foodproduction program on Cartersville and Floyd campuses of GHC that includedexpansion of pollinator gardens on those campuses. The impact of these undertakingswas realized through the division receiving Department of the Year honors in 2017 atGHC. For his role in accomplishing these goals, he was the recipient of the ChancellorsService Excellence Silver Award for Outstanding Leadership for the University Systemof Georgia.As the Dean for the College of Arts and Science, Dr. Ford is a service leader with afocus on student success. Dr. Ford leads seven departments that offer Bachelor ofScience and Bachelor of Arts Degrees. Under his leadership, the college expanded itsonline presence with three new fully online business degrees, formulated two certificateprograms in Financial Technology (Fintech) and in Film Production and the Social Workprogram received its initial accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education(CSWE).Dr. Ford currently serves as a member of the Bipartisan Congressional HistoricallyBlack College and Universities (HBCU) Caucus. The caucus works to promote andprotect the interests of HBCUs by creating a national dialogue, educating Members ofCongress and their staffs about the issues impacting HBCUs, drafting meaningfulbipartisan legislation to address the needs of HBCUs, and supporting students andgraduates of HBCUs by increasing access and career opportunities. TheCaucus convenes to discuss the challenges impacting HBCUs and create meaningfulpolicies and legislation to address them. Most recently, Dr. Ford recently had one of hisproudest professional moments as he and Dr. Byron Ford were awarded the Universityof California-Historically Black Colleges and Universities (UC-HBCU) Initiative grantwhich will allow him to provide a pipeline of students from FVSU to his brothers programat UC Riverside.Gregory Ford is a widower and he has two children with his former wife, Garrett 15 and Olivia 14.

Dr. Lisa Brown and I discussed how companies can manage workplace trauma in the age of COVID-19.

TODAY, AN ANGEL CAME (Dedicated to Boris Oji, MD and other healthcare professionals working day and night to save lives during this pandemic) Today an angel cameAnd came in form of manWith hands to heal he cameAnd heart so sweet and calm Today an angel cameHe wore some whitish gownHead hands and downSheathed in mitts he came He saw despair in meAnd gave respire to meWhich now is scarce and leanWith heads filled with mean leads This angel had some hunchFrom home work and worldBut cared for me so muchAnd none for his own world Today an angel cameWho cries at close of dayBut dries his tears himselfShortly thousands still come Today an angel cameChecking cords all round meCrossing tees and dumping airTo lungs that has less fate Today an angel cameWith hidden minds of doubtTorturing time to live inWith truth and lies in bed. Uzoma Nduka (Ph.D)04/03/2020(c)

America has Failed. Yes, the United States of America has failed. Failed in controlling COVID-19 pandemic. Failed in testing and contact tracing. Failed in identifying, isolating, and insulating this virus. America, long before this virus got into every city, county, and all corners of this country, had the opportunity of separating those who have this virus from those who do not. But America failed. Now, she is left with long haulers. Left with over 6 million total cases and counting. Left with almost 190 thousand deaths. Left with over 40, 000 daily counts. Left with an abysmal baseline.America failed not because knowledge was lacking. America failed because they have rejected knowledge. America failed not because ingenuity was not available. America failed not because people were not willing to make the much-needed sacrifice. America failed because the political will to do the right thing for the people was lacking. There was no lead from the top. There was no example shown by those who swore to protect lives and property and defend the country, both foreign and domestic. Sadly, no seriousness was given to this virus right from the get-go. As a matter of fact, this pandemic was described as a hoax.Look at Hong Kong. Look at Taiwan. Look at New Zealand. New Zealand has stopped local transmission and has a plan to eliminate the virus from its territory. South Korea has reported about 11,000 cases. 11, 000 cases only in South Korea. In late February and early March, South Korea was reporting about 750 new cases a day. Now the country is down to an average of just a few dozen per day.Confirmed cases in Vietnam has been only 153, according to Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracking. Vietnam’s has a population of more than 96 million.But America is leading negatively. Leading in hospitalization rate. Leading in number of cases. Leading in number of deaths. Leading with no national strategy. Leading without compass. Leading on the fly.Over 6 million cases. More than 190, 000 deaths. A prediction of over 400, 000 deaths by January 1st, 2021.Why are these numbers important? These numbers are someone's dad, mom, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew. Someone with breath but now struggling to breathe. Someone born of a woman but suffering under the hands of a man who puts politics above human life. Lack of national strategy has put America in this failed position. There has not been a cohesive coordination of logistics between the federal government and the states. PPE has been lacking and healthcare workers have been made to reuse facemasks. Healthcare workers, instead of taking care of patients, have been working to design ventilators that will serve 3 or 4 patients from one source. Hydroxychloroquine was declared to be the magic med when scientists have found that there was no benefit from this medication on COVID-19 patients. All you see are empty shelves of medical stockpiles and little or no zeal to source for these much-needed PPEs.Inconsistent messages coming from the White House, CDC, and even the FDA. No push for mandatory nationwide facemasks wearing. The CDC has put out a watered-down school resumption guideline. FDA has touted convalescent plasma as the magic therapy for this virus with a distorted and exaggerated data. How can all these be happening in 21st century America? So, what should America and Americans do now? Americans should mask up. They should demand the truth from those in authority. Those in authority should clearly communicate the problem. They should empathize with SARS-CoV-2 patients, long-haulers, and those who have lost loved ones. They must stop playing politics with this virus. Above all, they must be transparent, listen to the experts, adopt a national game plan, and test, test, and test. Time is now. Let’s face the reality of Covid-19!Thank you.

On this episode, I’m honored to have a young medical doctor working in rural Nigeria and working her way towards a career in public health. She earned her MBBS at Abia State University and is passionate about quality healthcare delivery for the common man in Nigeria.

Dr Chijioke Nze is a Harvard trained physician and public health professional whose mission is the obliteration of cancer for everyone. Interested in health policy and how it affects cancer care. Dr Nze is currently a Hematology and Oncology Fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Azubuike Erinugha is a movie producer and director. Some of his movies are Funeral of Fire, the Choice, Brothers, the Champion Sportsman and numerous others. This Europe based Nigerian filmmaker whose movies have been well-received around the world and screened at film festivals like Woodpecker Film Festival in India also directed a documentary on Human Trafficking from Nigeria to Europe.

I am a thought leader, prolific and creative writer, author, life coach, ‘innovator,’ and ‘social media expert. I studied Taxation Law (LL.M) at New York Law School. I am the founder of Global Empowerment & Mentoring Initiative Inc (gloemi.com)- an organization that discover, inspire and transform individuals and employees to reach their highest human and corporate potentials. We are primarily focused on human capacity building. Our core areas of expertise includes: Mentoring young progressive minds in High School, college, entrepreneurs and employees working in corporation organization. We do this by offering leadership training, counselling, public speaking, skills acquisition programs, capacity building and career professional development training.I currently work as the Legal Coordinator for New York City Department of Correction. I provide legal assistance to the inmates by assisting them with the drafting of various motions; I teach them how to perform legal research in addition to providing them with resourceful information that is relevant to their case.I am an experienced Case Manager. I assisted individuals, families, and communities by providing them with services and programs that will enable them to gain employment opportunities, housing opportunities, medical opportunities, and public assistance from the City of New York.I'm also a seasoned tax preparer. I file both personal income tax and self-employment taxes for small scale businesses. I provide financial advice to my clients and interested persons.I am a passionate leader who loves to write, speak, counsel and serve. As a seasoned public speaker and writer, I have spoken in several colleges in addition to publishing several articles of interest that on human and capacity development, personal development and leadership. I also write insightful articles that revolve around strategic management, organization growth, strategy, systems thinking, strategic planning, innovation, and outstanding performance.I am a team player who likes to serve humanity through leadership. I like community service! I love to give speeches, inspire, counsel, in addition to advising and counseling folks who need my ideas. I value humanity and derive passion helping out when the need arises. I like learning new things in addition to enriching my leadership and communicative skills. As an experienced human capacity developer, I have spoken at Seminars, Symposiums, and workshops on human and capacity building.I love opportunities that will draw me closer to serve while learning.

Dr Fatsani Dogani is an award winning clinician who has been working in healthcare for 23 years. Born in Malawi and currently residing in California she has had the opportunity to live in Malawi, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and considers herself a global citizen. She is currently a clinical lead in a medical care ICU at one of the major hospitals in San Diego. She is a published author and she also runs her healthcare consultancy business which focuses on patient safety, customer experience ,communication, and leadership training. She is also an adjunct professor at SDSU.She is a also a speaker and has given podium presentations at national conferences. She has a Doctorate degree in Public Health Epidemiology and her dissertation research focused on influenza vaccination in healthcare workers.

Corinna Kelley is a mother of 3 school aged children, wife, Air Force Veteran and a advocate for advancing quality Public Health practices to address health inequalities and impact change in the community in which she lives. Corinna has over 14 years of knowledge and experience working in various Public Health specialties from Infection Control, Emergency Management, Food Safety & Defense, Entomology, Occupational, Environmental and Community Health. She has served as a Public Health advisor in the United States Air Force, The Public Health Accreditation Board and the New Jersey Department of Health.She has an MPH in Healthcare Administration from The University of Arizona and currently works as a Mobile Clinic Coordinator for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa Florida where she collaborates with various stakeholders and community partners to provide comprehensive healthcare services to underserved populations. Corinna has a relentless commitment to improving the community and serves on the Health Advisory Board for Migrant Health Workers and is a committee member of a local health equityorganization.

Session 3- Health Disparity, COVID-19, and Leadership

(Health Disparity, COVID-19 Testing, and Social Determinants)

Dr. Ndukaku Omelu is an expert in applied public health epidemiology. Dr. Omelu has previously worked in Biotechnology industry for over 7 years and was an assistant professor for about 2 years at Walden University. Currently, Dr. Omelu is an epidemiologist with the state of California public health department. Dr. Omelu is here to provide an expert opinion on the subject matter. Dr. Omelu is not invited in this program to represent any state department. Dr. Omelu is currently writing a book in biostatistics/epidemiology.Dr. La Tosha Headley holds an MBA and works in the Health IT field. Dr. Headley is passionate about health disparities and an advocate for the underserved population. Dr. Omelu and Dr Headley both Ph.Ds from Walden University in Public Health Epidemiology. Both Dr Omelu and Headley will be walking us through COVID-19, health disparities, social determinants of health and leadership in a 3-session discussion.In this 1st Session, we discussed health disparities, COVID-19 cases and social determinants of health.

Ms. Hyepin Im is a former U.S. Presidential Appointee on the Board of the Corporation for National and Community Service and serves as President and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (formerly KCCD), a national nonprofit involved in empowering churches and nonprofits to leverage their resources by building capacity, leadership, and partnerships in economic development and serving as a bridge between the Asian American community and the greater community at large. Since its inception in 2001, FACE has had over 700 partners, ranging from the White House to Fortune 500 companies. Successful initiatives include educating over 10,000 homebuyers and helping them receive over $1.6 million in down payment assistance, saving over $91 million in mortgages from foreclosure, partnering with both FDIC and Freddie Mac in developing a Korean curriculum in financial literacy and homeownership, implementing a historic $5 million U.S. Department of Labor workforce development program, and hosting joint conferences with the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to mobilize 5000 Korean American churches for economic development. Ms. Im is a frequent speaker who has been on CNN and NPR and who has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. She has presented at numerous conferences including at the White House, U.S. Department of Labor, Christian Community Development Association, and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. She serves on the Mayor’s Interfaith Collective, Community Advisory Board of MUFG Union Bank and Torrey Pines Bank,U.S. Army Advisory Board, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the Western Partner for the Council on Foreign Relations, and L.A. County Supervisor’s Empowerment Congress and Board of FTE (Forum for Theological Exploration) and Advisory Board for Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Urban Institute. In 2012, she was honored as Woman of Action by California Speaker of the Assembly John Perez.She was selected twice as Pioneer Woman of the Year by Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Tom Labonge. She was also recognized by LAUSD School Boardmember as a Trailblazer for her work and advocacy for students. Los Angeles Magazine featured Ms. Im as “Ten Inspirational Women of Los Angeles in their September 2013 issue. Her previous positions include venture capitalist for Renaissance Capital Partners, Sponsorship Manager for California Science Center, and Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young. She has a B.S. from U.C. Berkeley, M.B.A. from University of Southern California, and M.Div., summa cum laude, from Wesley Theological Seminary.

Today, we will dissect COVID-19 from a sociological perspective.Our guest is Professor Ikechukwu (Ike) Umejesi. Professor Umejesi is a multidisciplinaryscholar with qualifications in different disciplines. He holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Sciences majoring in environmental sociology. Other qualifications include, M.Sc. in Industrial Sociology and Personnel Management; B.A (Hons) degree (ABSU, Nigeria); PGDHET (UFH, South Africa); Certificate in Systems Analysis (IIASA, Laxenburg Austria); Certificate in Postgraduate Supervision (Rhodes University, South Africa); Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Prof Umejesi is an NRF grant-holder and principal investigator in the Austria–South Africa Scientific & Technological Cooperation Project; Project leader: Transdisciplinary research collaboration with the Faculty of Management,Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland; Joint-leader: Research on ‘multi-metric’ mineral resource governance: a north-south analysis (a collaboration with department of political science, University of Technology, Lulea, Sweden). He is a faculty member in both the NRF-IIASA capacity building programs: Southern Africa Young Scientists Summer Program (SA-YSSP), and Southern Africa Systems Analysis Centre (SASAC). He belongs to different scholarly and professional bodies, such as: IIASA Society (Laxenburg, Austria); South African Sociological Association (SASA, South Africa); Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (Lagos, Nigeria).

Our guest today is Nurse Charmaine Bond. Ms. Bond is a board certified ICU nurse and massage therapist. She is the founder of Gold Standard Massage Clinic and also the founder of Nurse Charms. Ms. Charmaine studied at Eastern Michigan University. She has featured in so many radio shows. Ms. Charmaine will be making a guest appearance on the Robert Ficano Radio show at 910AM Superstation-WFDF next Sunday, August 9th at 8:15am and she will be discussing COVID-19 from a nurses perspective.

Dr. Uchenna Emelonye currently serves as the Country Representative of the United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Liberia.He is a Visiting Fellow, University of Derby, United Kingdom (UK).Dr. Emelonye is a COVID-19 survivor. Let's hear his story.Thank you.

I wrote this article titled, "We Cannot Win This Virus With Vaccine Alone," in mid to late April, 2020.It is a worth listening to.Thanks.

"After the Stay-at-home Order, What Next."This episode is a commentary on an article I wrote on March 26, 2020.Thanks.

Still on COVID-19. My guest is Dr. Kawa Amin, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician in Doha, Qatar.

Today with me is Dr. Patrick Dunn. We continue to discuss COVID-9.Join us.

This is the first episode of Morbidity and Mortality Podcast. Our guests are Dr Michael Emeka Eziri and Dr. Boris Emeka Oji. COVID-19 was our focus.Please listen and provide us your feedback.Thanks.