Dr. KaNisha L. Hall is a board-certified anesthesiologist, sexologist, addiction medicine counselor, published author and media personality. She is a proud Howard University alumna and HBCU advocate. Hall pushes to end health care disparities and advocates for women’s health rights.
Take us through your journey. What has changed for you with the advent of COVID?
One of my favorite places to be is labor and delivery, where I do epidurals for women as they’re about to allow life to enter into this world. That place has been a safe haven for me to remind me that no matter what, these babies are going to come. There’s a new, even greater level of caution because unfortunately, we’re seeing moms now coming in COVID positive and waiting for their brand-new babies to see if they’re going to test positive or not. It’s a whole new world out there. I’m so appreciative of my opportunities, and my ability to touch lives and be a part of this health care system. But it has changed the way that I practice. Every single day, I literally see life and death. I see people being born. And I see people taking their exit. And it’s hard, but I try my best to do self-checks.
What should the Black community be doing in terms of addressing manageable diseases or weight loss?
I love that people want to know what they should be doing, not just about COVID, but how to be better, and how to be healthier. We had an entire panel talking about food, desserts, and how can we get Black-owned food markets and grocery stores and fresh produce into these food desserts to help people live healthier lives, and I feel like that there’s a drive there, and there’s a desire there to be better.
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