Healing from prejudice, discrimination and abuse of all kinds

holisticphysician

In a previous post I wrote about my evolving experience with the LGBTQ community. Whilst being a black man from Africa did help me understand what it may feel like to be gay or queer, it was also a great drag. Anyone who has had any type of interaction with black Africans or specifically Ghanaians would know we are a very religious people. Our form of religion usually Christian for me rarely has any room for open discussion on sexuality. I actually have a dear friend back in Ghana whose first quRead More…

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LACK OF MEDICAID EXPANSION, RURAL HOSPITAL CLOSURES AND RURAL HIV EPIDEMIC – ARE THESE RELATED IN ANY WAY?

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An analysis of CMS (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services) data by Navigant suggests that about 20% of US rural hospitals are at risk of closure, this data does not consider all the hospitals that have already closed down. Researchers used a benchmark of an average 1.4% operating margin over the past three years, 78.5 days cash on hand and 49.8% debt-to-capitalization ratio to determine financial viability. Based on this benchmark, 23 – 50% of rural hospitals in states like  West VirgRead More…

Homelessness and Inequality Across the US

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In a recent news article I read about disputes in the city of San Francisco over the location of a shelter for the homeless. As a physician who started his career in the United States working for Healthcare for the Homeless in Baltimore, Maryland this issue is not alien to me. Whilst services for the poor and disadvantaged do abound in the United States and more than $400 billion dollars of donations annually fund these charitable organizations there is always a challenge when one attempts to buRead More…

Escaping Domestic Abuse: The Reality by Rasheeda Adams

holisticphysician

A lot of women in abusive situations are shocked at the answer I give them when they call me to ask what to do about their situation.
I simply tell them “ it’s your decision to make”, but what I can do for you, is be your listening ear and your sounding board, for when you’re ready to start taking care of yourself and possibly your life”
I say that not because I have chosen to be harsh, I say it because nobody can take a victim of abuse away from the situation until they are ready to fRead More…

What can Big Pharma learn from Coca Cola?

holisticphysician

Growing up in Ghana I always knew Coca Cola was a Ghanaian Company and would have continued to believe that until Coca Cola refused to honor economic sanctions on the Apartheid South African government. The big Beverage Company continued business in South African amid protests in Africa and pressure from Black Activist in the US. That was when I learned that Coca Cola Company was a big multinational Company with subsidiaries across the world. Coca Cola is so good at this local integration that mRead More…

How we can ensure that Advances in Medicine Benefits All

holisticphysician

As a student in School of Public Health I learned one basic fact of life; new ideas in most fields including medicine usually benefit the most advantaged in society the most. This lesson will follow me when I started practicing medicine as a physician in Baltimore City. In the clinics and the wards in which I practiced I discovered some of the many reasons why new ideas were more beneficial for the wealthy, better educated and the well connected; These new medical interventions are usually exRead More…

Is your Hypertension medication causing you problems in the bedroom? By Dr. Leonard Sowah

holisticphysician

Doc, is this medication going to make me have problems with erection? I have heard this question so often from men concerned about getting on blood pressure medications that I have learned to respect this very important problem related to medication adherence.  Truthfully though, like all questions that most doctors have to contend with, this one does not have a simple and straight-forward answer. If these answers were that easy I would be looking for a job in another field because I would Read More…

America’s Sports Leagues and Draft System; is it Socialism, Modern day Slavery or both? By Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician

If you have an opinion in America you definitely have a label. I have been accused by both black and white patients of being racist. So I guess I am “biracist”. I also believe in limited government so I am against any government interference in what two consenting adults should do, I am pro-choice and like former Speaker Mr. Boehner an ardent advocate for legalisation of cannabis, so I have been accused of being a liberal! As a physician with a good grasp of what pertains in the trenches andRead More…

The Symbol of Renewed White Identity and Common Purpose ?

holisticphysician

For many reasons I have my doubts that our current president considers the needs of people like me. This situation has been the source of significant degree of angst and discontent with the president’s leadership. I have a long list of actions and pronouncements by him that suggest to me that Mr. Trump either does not believe non-white Americans deserve the same protections and opportunities as whites. I have had concerns that I may not be very objective in my assessments on Mr. Trump but I keepRead More…

Racialized Policing and The Fear That Kills Blacks in America, By Dr. Leonard Sowah

holisticphysician

In 2002 a University of Colorado Psychology Professor Joshua Correll undertook a study using a first person shooter video game to study police officer decision making with regards to the use of deadly force. In this game police officers were exposed to different individuals holding weapons and innocuous items. The object of this game was to determine how often these officers made the correct decisions i.e. shooting when they face a real peril to their lives. In this game which he later reported Read More…

Alleged Fake Racist Attacks and Other Matters ? By Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician

Right after the elections of Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States, I heard lots of people including some TV analysts declare that America has entered a “post-racial” era where one’s skin colour did not determine his destiny!
With my usual shithole sceptism; I could not help but wonder how such declarations could be made so quickly! Well, when it comes to real social black credentials, Barack is as black as they come. Surely, no husband of Michelle Robinson could be acRead More…

It’s not all about sex and drug use, it’s just life !!

holisticphysician

It is not the drug addicts fault that he or she needs to get a fix to just feel normal. Nor is it the fault of a young man that he has gonorrhea. And then what about that guy who gets shot in the belly over a drug deal gone bad. In an ideal world we are all responsible for our choices; but is this always true? This question is what brings out  the obvious complexities in life and the choices that we all have to make sometimes. I have learned by experience to replace judgement with sympathy Read More…

Progress; Four Centuries from the era of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade – By Dr. Teddy Totimeh

holisticphysician

Its been 400 years since the first slaves landed in Virginia. Something terrible was born with that first shipload. The consequences of the most inhumane economic policy ever practiced on this earth still persist today.  Whole societies were disrupted and families were torn apart without any regard for the feelings and hopes of those involved. This system challenged the concept of humanity in ways that has eluded any attempts to explain rationally except in economic terms.
Our societies gave peRead More…

WHEN PERSPECTIVE MATTERS! BY DR. YAW BERKO

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I look at my life currently and proclaim that truly, America is the greatest country on Earth! I firmly believe my story is only possible in the United States of America! I also give due recognition that I work hard for what I am now. I live in an upper middle class neighbourhood. I am one of two black families that live there. I am an early riser, usually up by 5 AM and so I have 2 hours to spare before I get to work. Some mornings as I lay in bed reminiscing about life, I only wonder what it Read More…

The 9/11 Terrorist made me American, What about you?

holisticphysician

In today’s America where white nationalist match in the streets with tiki torches and scream “Jews will not replace us”, immigrant Americans like myself who happen to be non-white can sometimes wonder if we made the right choice. More and more it appears America is still struggling with its identity as the multi-cultural global melting pot that has been marketed worldwide. I may not be completely right on my previous statement. What I need to really say is, some white Americans are struggling wiRead More…

Female Hygiene and Microbial Symbiosis, By Dr. Leonard Sowah

holisticphysician

Over the years human history and science had taught us the gospel of the pre-eminence of man and our dominance over all earthly lifeforms. Current learning based on the complexity of human DNA however revealed some surprises. One such surprise was the relative simplicity of the human genome when compared to the complexity of the human biological system. Geneticist and biologists have hitherto been unable to explain this obvious discrepancy until they considered the human biological system in itsRead More…

Of Fairy tales and the Big Steel Wall on the Southern Border – By Dr. Yaw Berko

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In turbulent times like this, I am reminded of Shithole folklore in which the frog laments why it has to suffer whenever the lizard eats pepper! This is how the lizard’s song goes; “I don’t want any troubles, and so I mind my own business, so why should my ass burn and my eyes weep when the lizard eats pepper? It’s eerily similar to what happened to some government workers over the past four weeks; Being punished even as they worked Denied their wages for something that MexiRead More…

Ancestry DNA and Racial Identity; Black or White?

holisticphysician

Over the past decade the availability of commercial gene sequencing technics that provide information on the approximate geographic sources of our genes have increased significantly. These products are offered by companies like ancestry.com, National Geographic and 23andMe to name a few of the many businesses in that market. The field is rapidly evolving and is dependent on the  availability of software Systems that provide efficient analysis of big data as well as the availability of data on pRead More…

Vaccine Safety and Individual Exemptions from Public Health Required Immunizations; where must we draw the line?

holisticphysician

Over the years widespread application of vaccines globally has led to significant reductions in the incidence of many vaccine preventable communicable diseases. One disease smallpox has been completely eradicated from human populations due to strong collaborative efforts across the world. Polio is another disease which could have been eradicated but unfortunately we missed the boat on that one. I feel a little disappointed  on that count because I personally was involved as a medical studenRead More…

Eye witness accounts of events at the border in Tijuana, Mexico, by Amelia Frank-Vitale

holisticphysician

These are the words of an anthropologist friend of mine – who has been traveling from Honduras with the caravan – regarding events at the Souther border over the weekend. No media news spin here: “Today was heartbreaking. My own country, the one with the most powerful military in the world, used that power to overwhelm a group of people in search of safety and a better future for themselves and their children. I know, the US is in no way the promised land. But, people deeply believe that their lRead More…

First World Problems, Third World Mentality, by Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician1 Comment on First World Problems, Third World Mentality, by Dr. Yaw Berko

I usually buy gas at Costco, and have established some rapport with most of the attendants at the gas pumps. There is this elderly gentleman I always chat with! He is retired and does this not for the money, but to while away the time! Last week as I was filling my gas tank, he came by very moody more like down! He told me about his cat which had died and wasn’t over it’s passing yet! The cat had suddenly been taken ill and at the vet, the cat was admitted to the ICU! In my shithole mind,Read More…

HEPATITIS C ELIMINATION; WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS?

holisticphysician

In a prior post earlier in the year I wrote on this topic. A closer look at the current global situation suggests that whilst the cost of Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment may appear to be a major barrier there are many nations in the world that have managed to overcome that. In this piece I would look at the some of hurdles on the road to global elimination of HCV and how some countries are doing despite these challenges. Below is a World Health Organization graph representing global access to HCV diRead More…

An open letter to Elon Musk’s Ambien doctor, By Jemima Kankam, MD, FAPA

holisticphysician

“Dr. Kankam, make sure to tell them not to prescribe Ambien to anyone who complains of not sleeping.”
That was the advice an internal medicine physician gave me when he learnt I was giving a talk to a group of medical residents and medical students.
He was referring to the alarming increase in doctors who automatically prescribe sleep medications to any patient who complains of sleep problems, rather than adequately exploring the root cause of their insomnia. (Ambien was the first approved Read More…

English? Sil vous plait!!, by Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician

These days when I hear people say; “I love your accent, where is it from?” I wonder if I should say “thank you” or run for my passport just in case ICE will be in pursuit soon.
My English is as good as my genetics will allow (you see both of my parents come from deep inside the shithole) and with my crooked front teeth, I have no chance of perfecting my American accent! My English is average. My mother speaks very good English! It is odd however for me to speak English with my mother, thRead More…

The Battle of the Sexes: Which sex Achieves Emotional Maturity Earlier?

holisticphysician

The battle of the sexes continues to rage on across societies and has taken many casualties over time. In Election 2016 many believe the preference for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton was driven by male preference mixed in with a significant dose of misogyny, as to whether this is true is a matter for debate.
The other day Jennifer Lopez made a comment about the fitness of men below 33 years for relationships and of course had all the youngsters screaming bloody murder. As a 40 something year Read More…

Shithole Folklore: The Tortoise the rope plant and the beautiful bird, by Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician

In Election year 2016, forty-two percent of Americans did not vote, a significant proportion of them like myself were recent immigrants from “shithole” countries! I guess most of them believed their votes won’t matter or sway anything here in the United States of America!
Before they make any such fatal decisions not to vote on Tuesday, I shall humbly seek their permission to share with them one of my favourite “shithole”folklores!
Once upon a time in a forest in the Great Village of Kwahu PepRead More…

When Ignorance dares!! By Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician

What if I told you I am afraid to attend church services in America today! With the Sutherland Springs and Charleston church massacres, I am now afraid of being shot in church, you would definitely say Yaw is that not an overgeneralisation? And I would agree with you because the vast majority of Christian Evangelicals go to church all week with no adverse incidences!
That’s exactly how I feel when people watch one or two episodes of National Geographic or a documentary on Africa and assume thaRead More…

Breast play and breast cancer risk

holisticphysician

In the past few weeks there has been a lot of interest on the breast as different organizations advance various initiatives to help reduce risk of Breast Cancer in Ghana. These activities attracted a lot of attention and have been very successful in raising awareness about this disease.
With all that good publicity there is always the risk that some of the good messages run off the rails as they get transferred from one person to the other. As a physician and a man who is also very much in love Read More…

What can the Saudi Crown Prince learn from Russell Bell?

holisticphysician

As any self respecting Baltimore resident I sometimes see business deals in terms of street culture. I must admit though that I am no expert in street culture however a conversation that I had with a Baltimore Street homeboy who claims to have personally known the real Nathan “Bodie” Barksdale the inspiration for the street gangster in the Wire, suggests that depictions of Street Culture in that TV series were very close to reality. I know you are wondering where I am going with this?
I love theRead More…

How my Views on Abortion Evolved! By Dr. Yaw Berko

holisticphysician

I believe some issues are definitely first world problems. Women’s reproductive rights, unfortunately falls into that category. I have been amused at how abortion rights has so paralysed this nation to the extent the division it is creating can potentially lead to disastrous consequences on this great nation that needs to be “made great again.”
I was born to a single mother and often wondered what if my mother was so overwhelmed that she felt the need to abort me? What would have happened! NRead More…

A Nation in Pain, By Dr. Leonard Sowah

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Over the past two decades the United States has experienced an uncontrollable epidemic of drug related deaths. In 2016 sixty-three thousand Americans died of drug overdoses, two out of three of these deaths were due to opioids. In times like this whilst law enforcement and public health services grapple for solutions most may ask the question; “who is to blame for our current situation?” The simple answer to this question is, there is no single person or group that can be held culpable for this Read More…

Should convicted felons be allowed to vote in elections ?

holisticphysician

The whole of last week most of us have been debating or considering one way or the other if an individual accused but never convicted of attempted rape should be allowed to sit on the highest judicial bench in the land. That decision is a really big decision and would eventually be decided by our elected representatives in the senate. I have been thinking in my own way about all these goings ons but would like to look at things from a totally different point of view. Whilst all these discussionsRead More…

Why the US ranks so low in WHO (World Health Organization) Health System Rankings?

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A recent World Health Organization ranking of the world’s health systems puts the United States at number 37 between Costa Rica at 36 and Slovenia, first lady Melania Trump’s birth country at number 38. This situation is all the more surprising since the United States spends more than twice as much per capita for health care as the number one country France. The question that most people ask is why we rank so low if we spend so much on healthcare? The answer to this question is not that simple, Read More…

The ludicrousness of “Make America Great Again”

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Here in the United States, a group of people has appropriated upon themselves the sole responsibility of determining when America was great, that America had always been great but America needs to be made great again! I call them the “much touted self-righteous holier than thou sole custodians of America’s greatness and patriotism.” For them and only they have the rights to make such determinations! Even more unnerving for me is their inability to reconcile the oxymoronic stance of their dRead More…

Black Brother, are you safe? By Dr. Leonard Sowah

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For me my most favorite place in this world is my home, this does not hold true for my son though; he loves hotels. A few days ago I got the shock of my life. My whole world was turned upside down. As a black man in the US your safety is always a big question mark. One comedian D. L Hughley said the most dangerous place for a black man is in the imagination of white people. So my friend if you are white, please I need some help here, please make your imagination much safer for me. In September, Read More…

Secularism and Separation of Church from State; where do we draw the line? by Dr. Leonard Sowah

holisticphysician

My country of birth has been described as one of the most religious countries in the world. This is a crown that most Ghanaians wear proudly, whilst others would gladly avoid any mention of that.  On that account one can understand why an elected President of Ghana would consider building a national cathedral to be a priority for his country. This is a national edifice that is supposed to be non-denominational however I wonder what other religious groups think about this venture. On this I do Read More…

How can we keep our friends and families safer whilst protecting the Second Amendment?

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In a prior post I had dreamed of claiming my gun which I rightfully acquired as a citizen of this great nation. Unfortunately life always just appears to get in the way of the greatest ideas and like all great ideas that fateful journey to Arkansas for my gun has still not materialized. However, for some reason I just cannot get this out of my mind and I keep tossing the different scenarios in my head.
Whilst the whole idea of having my own AR-15 does excite me greatly and gets my heart pumping;Read More…

My Updated Obituary, by Dr. Yaw Berko

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With the passing of my school mate by several decades Mr. Kofi Annan I had to do some thinking on my own obituary. Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die, not me! You see for me “it’s the depth of life that matters not the length.” Like the saying goes ”let the moments in life count, don’t just count the moments.”
Sometimes I ask myself what I want people to remember me for. Having lived in all strata of socio-economic spheres, I firmly believe that the destiny of a chRead More…

Generic Truvada; why is it still not available on the US market?

holisticphysician

In the US most patients who require PrEP (HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) get coverage for Truvada by their insurance companies. Patients with medicaid coverage have copays ranging from $3 – 25, however individuals with commercial insurance may have to pay up to $800 a month towards medication cost. This has proven to be a barrier for many patients seeking PrEP. Gilead Sciences who owns the patent for Truvada has generous co-pay cards that covers for these costs. This appears to work out for most Read More…

The Joys and Perils of Free Speech, is it really worth it?

holisticphysician

More than 20 years ago I entered University of Ghana as a preme student in the Faculty of Science. One important thing about having the opportunity to spend time on the University Campus rather than starting right out in the medical school in Accra was the opportunity afforded us to interact with students pursuing other courses of study.  I was fortunate and ended in the hall of my choice Commonwealth Hall. This dorm had earned itself the reputation of inculcating independent thought and leaderRead More…