Bringing Expert Medical Advice to Community Members Where They Work and Live

Pictured above, Rajus Chopra, MD, an internist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, speaks with a community member during an Ask a Healthcare Professional session.

Ask a Healthcare Professional

One Friday afternoon in a meeting room at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), about 15 employees came together to discuss cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol.

One person just turned 50, and wondered whether she should start taking a baby aspirin daily to prevent a heart attack, while another wanted to know which heart-healthy foods she should include in her diet.

While these concerns aren’t a matter of national security, they are important questions that internist Rajus Chopra, MD, was more than happy to answer as part of the Ask a Healthcare Professional program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

“For participants, this is their chance to connect with a doctor in their own environment,” says Nnenna Oluigbo, MD, MedStar Health internal medicine physician and program coordinator. “They have a lot of questions in these sessions because in their own doctor’s appointments there’s just not enough time to ask everything.”

In addition to workplace locations like DHS, Ask a Healthcare Professional sessions are held at senior wellness centers, community recreational centers, and affordable housing communities in underserved areas throughout Washington, D.C.,

Source: https://www.cardiosmart.org/~/media/Images/Infographics/2018/Diabetes-and-Heart-Disease-Risk.ashx

Topics for Ask a Healthcare Professional include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and breast cancer. Presenters include MedStar Health internal medicine physicians, neurologists, cardiologists, nurses, and diabetes educators.

Sessions begin with a 30- to 45-minute presentation, after which attendees are encouraged to ask any health questions they may have, even if their question does not pertain to the topic of discussion. And while the program was created to benefit the community, participating doctors find it highly rewarding as well.

“The physicians absolutely love it,” Nnenna says. “They feel fulfilled because they can see for themselves that they are making a difference.”