Season 2, Episode 9: Where Are The Visuals? Medical Illustration and Public Health w/ Ni-ka Ford, CMI

Season 2, Episode 9: Where Are The Visuals? Medical Illustration and Public Health w/ Ni-ka Ford, CMI

Episode Summary: Have you ever wondered who illustrates that medical or science textbook? How often have you seen bodies depicted in those text books that are bigger, Blacker, gayer or even have tattoos? In this episode we will be talking diversity with Board Certified Medical Illustrator, Ni-ka Ford to learn how she got into the field and how she has utilized her role as a visual artist to shape how patients of all shapes, sizes, races and identities are perceived by healthcare providers and institutions. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How medical illustrators shape health outcomes. * The exact path Ni’ka took to become a Medical Illustrator. * How you can collaborate with Ni-ka to create medical materials. Timestamps: * 00:00 Intro * 01:52 Meet the Medical Illustrator * 04:58 Representation and Access * 09:00 Designing for Patients * 16:43 Anti Fat Bias and the Future * 24:36 Takeaways + next steps About Ni-ka Ford, MS, CMI: Ni-ka is a Board Certified Medical Illustrator and Founder of Enlight Visuals, a medical and scientific visualization studio specializing in accurate and inclusive visuals for healthcare materials and medical and scientific literature. Combining her artistic abilities with research in science and medicine, she creates compelling visuals for both expert and lay audiences. Ni-ka has works with clinicians, physicians, and researchers to create science graphics, surgical illustrations, 3D models, visual aids for teaching medical students and illustrations for journal publications. Her work has been featured in anatomical textbooks, science journals, online learning platforms, and patient education materials. She is committed to contributing to the need for inclusive and diverse representation within medical and healthcare materials. She is an active professional member and Fellow of the Association of Medical Illustrators [https://www.ami.org/] (AMI) and previously served as the Chair of their Diversity Committee. She is also a Fellowship Award winner of the AMI Diversity Fellowship for Illustrate Change [https://www.illustratechange.com/]. Links & resources: * She Really Gets It Newsletter [https://substack.com/@shereallygetsit?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shereallygetsit] * Website: Enlight Visuals [https://enlightvisuals.com/] * Instagram: Enlight Visuals [https://www.instagram.com/enlight_visuals/] * Black in Anatomy [https://www.blackinanatomy.org/] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone?month=2026-03] with Hiwote. If you enjoy this episode of “She Really Gets It”, please rate and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any comments about the episode or suggestions for upcoming guests please feel free to DM me via Instagram or email me at shereallygetsit@gmail.com [shereallygetsit@gmail.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shereallygetsit.substack.com [https://shereallygetsit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Season 2, Episode 8: Water Access, Mississippi and Public Health

Season 2, Episode 8: Water Access, Mississippi and Public Health w/ Brooke Floyd Episode Summary: What would you do if you lost access to water? If you have grown concerned about the safety of water in your community, are concerned about the impact AI data centers will have on water access or have already lost access to water, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why entire communities are losing access to water. * How water access can and will impact your ability to work. * What you can do to advocate for access to clean water in your community. Timestamps: * 00:00 – Intro and Jackson, Mississippi Water History * 02:25 – Racial History of Jackson’s Water * 04:00 – The 2022 Water Crisis * 08:00 – Federal Intervention & Water Privatization * 12:03 – Water Crisis Across the U.S. * 16:46- The Coordinated Effort to Control Water * 22:27- AI Data Centers & Environmental Health * 34:29- How to Take Action & Prepare * 43:55 Spreading Awareness & Building Coalition About Brooke Floyd:Brooke Floyd is a community leader and advocate in the Jackson, MS who currently advocactes for clean water access through her role at People’s Advocacy Institute, as the Co-Director for JXN People’s Assembly, a role she has held since October 2021. She engages the community through education on issues, providing access to information and resources, facilitating People’s Assemblies, and helping the community bring proposed solutions to elected officials. Links & resources: * She Really Gets It Newsletter [https://substack.com/@shereallygetsit?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shereallygetsit] * Free water filters for Jackson, MS residents: info@paims.org [info@paims.org] * People’s Advocacy Institute [https://www.peoplesadvocacyinstitute.com/] * Mississippi Rapid Response Coalition [https://msrrc.org/] * NSF 53 Water Filter Facts [https://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/articles/standards-water-treatment-systems] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone?month=2026-03] with Hiwote. If you enjoyed this episode of “She Really Gets It”, please rate and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any comments about the episode or suggestions for upcoming guests please feel free to DM me via Instagram or email me at shereallygetsit@gmail.com [shereallygetsit@gmail.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shereallygetsit.substack.com [https://shereallygetsit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Season 2, Episode 7: Harvard, Eugenics, and Public Health

Season 2, Episode 7: Harvard, Eugenics, and Public Health Episode Summary: Black and disabled children are pushed out of preschool at alarming rates compared to all other groups of children. Pre-school pushout has long term consequences for their health but the solution to this lies in dissecting the myth of the meritocracy. This episode is for anyone who has ever had questions about standardized testing, affirmative action and what it all has to do with public health. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How eugenics has influenced modern education. * The origin story of the “well-rounded” applicant * How school admissions standards have compromised all of our health. Timestamps: * 00:00 - Preschool Pushout Exposed * 01:56 - Meritocracy Myth Origins * 07:20 - SAT and Eugenics Roots * 12:15 - From Pre K to Prison Links & resources: * She Really Gets It Newsletter [https://substack.com/@shereallygetsit?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shereallygetsit] * https://stefanierhodes.com/ [https://stefanierhodes.com/] * The Tyranny of the Meritocracy by Lani Guinier [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-tyranny-of-the-meritocracy-democratizing-higher-education-in-america-lani-guinier/8c2ccb4e01486c0e] * The Education Law Center Report: Ending Preschool Pushout in Pennsylvania [https://www.elc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ELCPA_PreKPushout_April2026_FINAL.pdf] * The Eugenic Origins of IQ Testing [https://via.library.depaul.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1270&context=law-review#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20eugenic,who%20called%20for%20better%20housing] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone?month=2026-03] with Hiwote. If you enjoy this episode of “She Really Gets It”, please rate and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any comments about the episode or suggestions for upcoming guests please feel free to DM me via Instagram or email me at shereallygetsit@gmail.com [shereallygetsit@gmail.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shereallygetsit.substack.com [https://shereallygetsit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Season 2, Episode 6: Patient Advocacy and Public Health

Patient Advocacy and Public Health w/ guest Kate Hufford, MPH Episode Summary: If there’s something strange in your medical records, Who are you gonna call? Patient advocacy. Our guest, Kate Hufford, public health professional and patient advocate is going to tell us who and how to ask for help. If you’ve ever felt silenced in a healthcare setting this episode is for you. If you or a loved one has ever been harmed in a healthcare setting, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How to request your medical records. * How to request an amendment to your medical records. * How to prepare for a hospital stay. Timestamps: * 00:00 Introduction to Electronic Health Records * 01:14 The Impact of EHR on Patient Care * 05:58 Role and Importance of Patient Advocates * 14:21 Personal Experiences and Advocacy * 20:35 Legal and Social Barriers in Medical Accountability * 27:25 Checklist for Hospital Visits About Kate Hufford:Kate Hufford is a master’s level public health professional and real life patient advocate at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Links & resources: * She Really Gets It Newsletter [https://substack.com/@shereallygetsit?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shereallygetsit] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone?month=2026-03] with Hiwote. If you enjoy this episode of “She Really Gets It”, please rate and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any comments about the episode or suggestions for upcoming guests please feel free to DM me via Instagram or email me at shereallygetsit@gmail.com [shereallygetsit@gmail.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shereallygetsit.substack.com [https://shereallygetsit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Season 2, Episode 5: Hair Extensions, Cancer and Beauty Justice w/ Dr. Elissia Franklin

* How much do you know about the beauty products you use? Have you ever wondered if they are affecting your health? In this episode, we speak with Dr. Elissia Franklin, research scientist and beauty justice advocate about a recently published study she authored titled “Identifying Chemicals of Health Concern in Hair Extensions Using Suspect Screening and Non-Targeted Analysis” and explore why Black women’s beauty products are more likely to contain dangerous chemicals and what we can all do about it. * If you’ve ever wondered how hormone disruptors and cancer causing ingredients end up in your favorite beauty products this episode is for you. * If you want to know how you can advocate for safer beauty products this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What to avoid when shopping for beauty products. * Tools you can use to reduce harmful chemical exposures where you live, work and play. * How to advocate for beauty justice. Timestamps: * 00:00 – Intro and why this topic matters * 02:13 –What Is Beauty Justice? * 07:14 – The Hair Extensions Study * 14:19– Shopping for Safer Products * 18:03– Outro & Resources About Elissia Franklin, PhD: Highlighted by the American Chemical Society as a prominent African American Chemist, Dr. Elissia Franklin is a dedicated scientist and research leader committed to advancing environmental health and beauty justice. With more than 10 years of research experience, she serves as a Research Scientist at Silent Spring Institute, applying her expertise in non-targeted analysis and mass spectrometry to investigate chemical exposures from consumer products, particularly those disproportionately affecting Black women and other marginalized groups. Links & resources: * She Really Gets It Newsletter [https://substack.com/@shereallygetsit?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shereallygetsit] * www.elissiaphd.com [http://www.elissiaphd.com] * Silent Spring Institute [https://silentspring.org/] * Detox Me Mobile App [https://silentspring.org/project/detox-me-mobile-app]; Clearya App [https://www.clearya.com/]; Yuka App [https://yuka.io/en/] * “Identifying Chemicals of Health Concern in Hair Extensions Using Suspect Screening and Nontargeted Analysis” [https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/envhealth.5c00549] Special thanks to Hiwote Getaneh [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjvt5_Mf5S4uOlQfAaK1XqA] and the Emerging Voices Podcast Accelerator. Interested in starting your own podcast? Book a call [https://calendly.com/hiwote/discovery-call-st-clone?month=2026-03] with Hiwote. If you enjoy this episode of “She Really Gets It”, please rate and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you have any comments about the episode or suggestions for upcoming guests please feel free to DM me via Instagram or email me at shereallygetsit@gmail.com [shereallygetsit@gmail.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shereallygetsit.substack.com [https://shereallygetsit.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]