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February 2017

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Inspire, Inform & Educate

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67th Edition

Health & Wellness Spotlight

Mario J. Garner, Ed.D, FACHE

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INSIDE

04

February Is Low Vision Awareness Month

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3 Top Recommendations To Live Your Best Life Now

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Happy “Fit” Valentine’s Day

2  | February 2017

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Publisher’s Message

MR. D-MARS

d-mars.com is proud to highlight African-Americans who have made history and great accomplishments in the health and wellness arena. There was a time when people of color didn’t have many opportunities, so it is a great thing to see how far we have come. However, I want to challenge you to go beyond Black History Month celebrating the great accomplishments of AfricanAmericans.

Mario Julien Garner is making waves in the healthcare industry.

Garner currently serves as Vice

Behind the Journal

“The workings of the human heart are the profoundest mystery of the universe. One moment they make us despair of our kind, and the next we see in them the reflection of the divine image.”

- Charles W. Chesnutt

our services

contents 04 Healthy Lifestyles 04 Dr. Michalyn Demaris Porter Uses Her Personal Experience to Help Women Have Healthier Hair 04 February Is Low Vision Awareness Month

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr. VICE PRESIDENT Kim Floyd ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dawn Paul

04

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES C.T. Foster Tiffany Black

President of Operations for both Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. We are proud to shine the Health & Wellness spotlight on Garner for Black History Month.

As always, thank you for your continued support of d-mars. com. When you support us, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

6-7 Cover Story 6-7 Health & Wellness Spotlight on Mario J. Garner, Ed.D, FACHE

PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter Taelor Smith

06-07

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes

08 Healthy Lifestyles (Continued) 08 Happy “Fit” Valentine’s Day 08 Live Your Best Life Now 08 Proud to Be a Healthcare Professional

LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Angel Rosa

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SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Charlette Washington Project Coordinator Taelor Smith DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rhonda Dallas, B.S., C.L.C., N.C. Dr. LaTronica Fisher National Eye Institute d-mars.com News Provider

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4 | February 2017

Healthy Lifestyles

Dr. Michalyn Demaris Porter Uses Her Personal Experience to Help Women Have Healthier Hair By d-mars.com News Provider

O

kay ladies, question. Do you wear hair extensions? Now if you do, you are not alone.

African-American women purchasing hair track extensions make up 70% of that market. We’ve all heard the phrase, “Long Hair Don’t Care.” Well, though there are many women who do care for longer locks and extensions, there has been a lack of care under the extensions when it comes to the scalp and natural hair. Many ladies suffer with molded hair in their hair extensions because of improper hair drying. The health of African-American women who wear hair extensions is at stake, and Dr. Michalyn Demaris Porter, the inventor of the Weave Dryer® knows this all too well.

Dr. Porter understands that folliculitis and alopecia are real issues for women of color, and this invention will allow women not to have to sacrifice healthier hair for extensions.

The Weave Dryer® was birthed from Dr. Porter’s personal experience with a hair infection in 2015. “I lost a section of my hair because I wasn’t drying my hair extensions properly. The health of African-American women who wear hair extensions is at stake. I was one of

Dr. Michalyn Demaris Porter, the inventor of the Weave Dryer®

them, so I understand the affects all too well of what can happen to the scalp if the hair is improperly dried. The Weave Dryer® is here to help keep women from damage that can lead to folliculitis and alopecia,” says Dr. Porter.

Many ladies suffer with molded hair in their hair extensions. Wet hair extensions equals a wet scalp which results in a dark damp place that becomes a utopia for mold spores. Mold spores are naturally found in the air and are invisible to the naked eye. Mold spores grow from moisture that is trapped inside the hair when it doesn’t completely dry. When ladies don’t dry their hair extensions properly after shampooing, they leave a wet nirvana to grow mold spores freely in their confined hair. As mold grows, it

A scalp infection as a result of not properly drying hair underneath hair extensions

enters the hair shaft and causes permanent damage which may lead to folliculitis and alopecia. Using the Weave Dryer® will prevent mold spores from growing because it properly dries hair. The Weave Dryer® is for women who shampoo their hair extensions but do not opt to sit under a hooded dryer. It’s also for women who work out or sweat a lot in the head. The Weave Dryer® provides an easy, convenient, and healthier way to completely dry wet hair extensions.

There is absolutely no competition for the Weave Dryer® currently in the marketplace. This hair miracle is the only hair blow-dryer nozzle attachment which was designed to dry confined hair. Though there are 4 blow dryer attachments on the market, none of these attachments can reach and dry confined hair like the Weave Dryer®. This is the solution for ladies to completely dry hair extensions, braids, twists, locks, and any

eclectic hair style. The nozzle provides a way to quickly and conveniently dry these types of hair styles after maintenance without causing damage to your real hair or extensions.

With inspiration from her grandmother, a dream, and her personal experience with hair loss and extensions, Dr. Porter was prompted with this passion and invention. “Creating my dream has been an awesome experience. Helping women have a healthier scalp under the extensions is what this is all about.

You should never have to sacrifice having healthy hair and a healthy scalp for hair extensions. The Weave Dryer® is a real product for the hair industry and for women to have extensions without damage to the natural hair and scalp,” she says. For more information, please visit www.weavedryer.com.

If you have extreme hair loss, Dr. Porter suggests that you research a dermatologist who specializes in Black and African-American hair and scalp issues. The doctor will do tests to see if it's caused by an infection or illness, then recommend the best treatment course for you.

Source: Essence.com Fashionista.com

February Is Low Vision Awareness Month

Vision Rehabilitation Maximizes Hope and Independence

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ew studies predict boom in cases of low vision, but help is available.

As the last of the baby-boom generation approaches the age of 65, the number of cases of visual impairment and blindness is projected to experience a boom of its own in the coming years.

According to recent studies funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the number of Americans who are visually impaired—including those with low vision—is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050.

Low vision is when people have difficulty seeing, even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery.

People with low vision may find it challenging to perform everyday activities such as getting around the neighborhood, reading the mail, shopping, cooking, or watching television.

Most people with low vision are age 65 or older. The leading causes of vision loss in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and glaucoma. Among younger people, vision loss is most often caused by inherited eye conditions, infectious and autoimmune eye diseases, or trauma.

Because the consequences of vision loss may leave people feeling anxious,

helpless, and depressed, it is important to remind them that there is help. “People experiencing vision loss should talk to their eye care professional and seek a referral to a low vision specialist,” advises Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of NEI, one of the federal government’s principal agencies for vision research.

A low vision specialist is an ophthalmologist or optometrist trained to help people who have low vision maximize their remaining sight and continue to live safe, productive, and rewarding lives. This specialist can develop a vision rehabilitation plan that identifies the appropriate strategies and assistive devices for a person’s particular needs. “A vision rehabilitation plan helps people reach their true visual potential when nothing more can be done from a medical or surgical standpoint,” explains Mark Wilkinson, O.D., a low vision specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and chair of the low vision subcommittee for the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP).

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine noted that vision rehabilitation is essential to maximizing the independence, functioning, participation, safety, and overall quality of life for people with visual impairment. Vision

rehabilitation services are provided by a team of professionals such as occupational therapists, orientation and mobility instructors, low vision therapists, rehabilitation teachers, and adaptive technology specialists. These specialists work together to teach people with vision loss a variety of skills, including the following: • Using magnifying and adaptive devices • Navigating safely around the home and in public • Performing daily activities such as cooking, shopping, and reading • Finding resources and support NEI offers many resources to help people with low vision, including What You Should Know About Low Vision, a 20-page, large-print booklet and companion video that features inspiring stories of people living with low vision. This booklet, video, and other resources can be download for free at www.nei.nih. gov/lowvision.

Eye diseases and vision loss have become major public health concerns in the United States. NEI is committed to finding new ways to improve the lives of people living with visual impairment.

In addition to providing information and resources, NEI has dedicated more than $24 million to low vision research

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efforts, including learning how the brain adapts to vision loss; finding strategies to improve vision rehabilitation; and developing new technologies that help people with low vision to read, shop, and find their way in unfamiliar places. Research like this will help people with low vision make the most of their remaining sight and maintain their independence and quality of life.

Source: National Eye Institute

February 2017 | 5

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Memorial 6 | February 2017

Is All About Adv By d-mars.com News Provider

M

ario Julien Garner is making waves in the healthcare industry. Garner currently serves as Vice President of Operations for both Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. We are proud to shine this Health & Wellness spotlight on Garner for Black History Month.

Executives. He is a member of the LSU National Diversity Advisory Board; a guest lecturer for the LSU College of Science and holds an assistant adjunct professor appointment at Tulane University School of Public Health. He is also a Life Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Garner formerly hosted “Meet the Doctor” segments on WDIG TV in Dublin, Georgia, as well as a radio talk show on WBOK radio in New Orleans. Garner has served the community as a Rotarian since 2011.

Garner’s Garner’slist listof ofhonors honorsand and accolades include: accolades include:

About Mario J. Garner, Ed.D, FACHEMario J. Garner, Ed.D, FACHE About Garner graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology. He earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Tulane University and a doctor of education degree in administration and supervision from the University of Houston.

Before joining Memorial Hermann in 2015, Garner served for two years as the inaugural president and chief executive officer of New Orleans East Hospital, overseeing the re-establishment of a fullservice inpatient hospital to serve the communities that were severely damaged during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to that, he was chief operations officer at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, Georgia; chief operating officer and ethics and compliance officer at The Regional Medical Center of Acadiana in Lafayette, Louisiana; and associate administrator at West Houston Medical Center.

Garner is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the National Association of Health Service

• 2016 Young Alumnus of the Year by the LSU National Alumni Association • Inducted into the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction • 2015 Outstanding Alumnus by the University of Houston, College of Education • Listed among 25 Rising Stars in Healthcare under age 40 by Becker’s Hospital Review • American College of Healthcare Executives’ Robert S. Hudgens Award for “2015 Young Healthcare Executive of the Year” • Modern Healthcare Magazine’s “2014 Up & Comer” Award • 2014 City of New Orleans Outstanding Millennial in Healthcare • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity New Orleans Chapter 2014 Citizen of the Year • Ebony Magazine’s Top 30 Leaders under age 30

About AboutMemorial MemorialHermann Hermann Memorial Hermann is a fully integrated health system with more than 250 care delivery sites throughout the greater Houston area. Memorial Hermann is committed to delivering safe, high-quality, patient centered care and offers worldclass clinical expertise, innovation and cutting-edge technology to all patients.

The System, with its exceptional affiliated medical staff and more than 25,000 employees provides compassionate, superior service while advancing health in Southeast Texas. Their efforts continue to result in national awards and recognition.

The largest not-for-profit health system

in Southeast Texas, Memorial Hermann has 16 hospitals and numerous specialty programs and services conveniently located throughout the Greater Houston area.

Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is the primary teaching hospital for McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and home to the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute, the nation’s busiest Level I trauma center. They offer leading-edge diagnostic technologies and treatment techniques as well as Houston’s first health information exchange that shares vital patient data among care providers, helping to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.

The Memorial Hermann Physician Network, MHMD, comprises physicians from Memorial Hermann Medical Group, UTHealth and private physicians and specialists. Memorial Hermann Health Solutions’ subsidiaries offer comprehensive, integrated health solutions that deliver quality benefits while helping to contain costs. They have proudly served this community for more than 105 years, and contribute some $451 million annually through school-based health centers and other programs.

MemorialHermann HermannNational National Memorial Recognition Includes: Recognition Includes: • National Quality Healthcare Award • National Health System Patient Safety Leadership Award • Eisenberg Patient Safety Award • UHC Quality Leadership Award

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• Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award (6 facilities) • Quality Improvement Award (Pain Recovery Program) • Magnet Nursing Recognition

About AboutMemorial MemorialHermann HermannPearland Pearland Hospital Hospital Located in dynamic Pearland, one of the fastest-growing communities in the country, Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital brings the expertise of the Memorial Hermann Health System close to home, making the region’s top medical experts available to families in the Pearland/Brazoria County area. The hospital features advanced medical equipment and state-of-the-art technology used to address diverse healthcare needs, from quick outpatient visits to procedures requiring highly specialized inpatient care.

Memorial Hermann Pearland currently offers 64 inpatient beds (medical/surgical, intensive and cardiac care, and labor and delivery). The hospital also features operating rooms, cardiac catheterization, nuclear medicine and endoscopy suites.

If a higher level of care is needed, Memorial Hermann Pearland patients can be transported within minutes to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center or Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital by Memorial Hermann Life Flight®.

Hermann

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vancing Health Centers Centers&&Specialties Specialtiesat atPearland Hospital Pearland Hospital • Emergency Room • Imaging Center • Heart & Vascular Services • Orthopedics & Sports Medicine • Physical, Speech, & Occupational Therapy • Surgery Services • Women’s Health

For more information on Memorial Hermann, please visit www.memorialhermann.org.

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8 | February 2017

Happy “Fit” Valentine’s Day

By Reggie Collier Contributing Writer

E

very year on February 14th, more than 141 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged between lovers and friends. Candy, red wine, gifts, and flowers are purchased to make our Valentine feel extremely special. Wine, a romantic dinner, and chocolates are always a favorite treat for Valentine’s Day. Though this may be a day of indulgence, there are some things to keep in mind to help you have a Happy “Fit” Valentine’s Day. Recent studies have shown that there are health benefits of chocolate, but it’s very important to distinguish between chocolate, cacao (the original plant), and cocoa (the powder obtained from roasting cacao seeds). But please keep in mind that it is only certain kinds of chocolate, especially those rich in cacao and cocoa that are really healthy for you, as long as you don’t over indulge.

For example; dark chocolate is one of the most powerful superfoods known to mankind. Then we have the cocoa powder, which is rich in antioxidants, and contains a decent amount of fiber.

When digested, the components in dark chocolate are broken down and transformed into anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the inflammation of cardio-vascular tissue, and therefore protect you against heart disease (as long as you don’t over indulge).

This special day always seems to be the most challenging for many people who are trying to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. I tell my clients not to let a cheat meal turn into a cheat day! There is no need to pile on extra pounds because you let your guard down for one meal. Stay true to your fitness goals on Valentine’s Day by staying consistent with your diet and training.

I personally recommend staying home for Valentine’s Day, because it’s the best way to be consistent with your fitness goals. You can still have a nice and romantic dinner by cooking a fabulous clean meal at home. But if you’re looking for something a bit more active, a bit more adventurous, and a bit less caloric than usual, plan a new activity for the two of you to experience together. Take a walk around some of the amazing areas in Houston and enjoy the sites versus sitting for hours in a restaurant (goal is to burn those calories). My other suggestion is to request that your partner give you the gift of a massage instead of a box of chocolates if you think that you will over indulge.

If fitness has become a part of your lifestyle, then you will have an easy time finding fun and fit activities.

Happy “Fit” Valentine’s Day! Source: womenshealthmag.com

Healthy Lifestyles

3 Top Recommendations To Live Your Best Life Now

ficient amounts. AVOID all synthetic forms of vitamins and minerals.

Dr. LaTronica Fisher

AtAtThe TheRoot RootOfOfAll AllGood GoodHealth HealthIs Good Digestion Is Good Digestion

Contributing Writer

t

ake Essential Fatty Acids To Feed The Brain, Support Your Joints, And Promote Cardiovascular Health.

Additionalbenefits benefitsof fatty Additional of fatty acids: acids: • Formation of healthy cell membranes • Proper development and functioning of the brain and nervous system • Proper thyroid and adrenal activity • Hormone production • Regulation of blood pressure, liver function, immune and inflammatory responses • Regulation of blood clotting: Omega-6 FAs encourage blood clot formation, whereas Omega-3 oil reduces clotting. The ideal is to achieve a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 FAs • Crucial for the transport and breakdown of cholesterol • Support healthy skin and hair Sources of Omega 3’s include flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, soybean, and its products such as tofu and tempeh.

Walnuts, and dark green veggies, such as kale, collards, chard, parsley, and cereal grasses (wheat & barley grasses), are also good sources. This is because all green (chlorophyll-rich) foods contain Omega-3 FA in their chloroplasts.

TakeYour Your Vitamins Vitamins And Take AndMinerals Minerals Vitamins Are Essential To Life every day, as vitamins benefit your skin, muscles, and bones. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts, and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of miles of brain and body pathways.

But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in suf-

It Is Recommend That You Never Eat Cooked Food Without Taking A Quality Digestive Aid. Without Digestive Support After Eating Cooked Food, The Body May Steal Other Body Enzymes To Use Them For Digestion If It Has No Other Source. You Want To Make Sure You Take A Source That Breaks Down Carbohydrates, Fats, Protein, And Dairy For Optimal Digestion. Say Goodbye To Heartburn, Indigestion, And Bloating.

Dr. Fisher has a proven system that has already helped thousands to remove the restrictions to healing. Dr. Fisher assists in helping prepare the body to heal.

In addition, she helps re-educate the body to heal, produce its own hormones, and restore optimal wellness. For more information on how to get tested, please contact Dr. Fisher at (713) 520-8188 or drfisherroad2wellness@gmail.com.

Resource: BALCH. AMERICA’S #1 GUIDE TO Natural Health, 2016

Healthy Lifestyles

Proud to Be a Healthcare Professional

By Rhonda Dallas Contributing Writer

s a healthcare administrator, certified health coach, and a nutritional counselor, it is obvious that I have a passion for health.

This passion came when I was growing up in Chicago, Ill. My grandmother was a healthcare professional, and I spent a great deal of time with her on a daily basis before and after school. This allowed us to have time to chat, and our conversations would always be centered on health. We would talk about the skeletal system and even diseases. Since the age of 8, I have had memorized the entire skeletal system. My grandmother was a major influence in my decision to enter the healthcare profession.

I was always aware that I was going to become an integral force in healthcare, and especially health when it comes to African-Americans. You see, we are

A

wired differently in several aspects of the human body. There are diseases that only affect us, and it can be a mystery why they only affect us. God gave me a passion and work to do in our community in the area of health. I tried for many years to do other things that were not in the health arena, and God just would not let me be at peace until I was where He wanted me to be. Whether it be informing someone of test results, crying with my clients after a loved one is diagnosed with a terminally ill disease, or just out in the community hosting health fairs and other events, I’m proud to be in the healthcare industry.

Currently, I am working with d-mars.com, the YMCA, Cy-Fair School District, and Cy-Fair hospitals to make sure we as a community are bringing health-related matters to the forefront and educating our community. I am also working with my nonprofit Reaching to Empower Women Daily (R2EWD) on grants that will help me bring even more awareness to combat obesity in families and children in our area.

According to The Obesity Society, In the past 30 years, the occurrence of overweight in children has tripled, and it is now estimated that one in five children in the US is overweight (17%).

This saddens me, and it should sadden

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you as well. We must begin in our home by making healthy food choices for ourselves first and then for our children and family. “More is caught than taught,” as the saying goes. We must invest in our health by making sure that we as well as our children and family are eating properly and taking vitamins. I can remember lining up by the refrigerator every morning to take cod liver oil before heading out to school. I tell you one thing; I rarely got sick in a city where the winter temperatures were freezing. We have more knowledge at our fingertips with search engines, but are we really doing better since we know better?

I am here for you, your family, and the community. As a certified health coach, I am available to offer guidance and support on the road to a healthier you. I am proud to be a health professional.

Rhonda Dallas is a certified life coach and nutritional counselor.

Rhonda offers Healthy Lifestyle Living Classes for adults and children, as well as vitamins and natural holistic weight loss packages that include coaching sessions to ensure you are held accountable. Contact Rhonda at rhondadallascoaching@ gmail.com for your coaching session. Get started today!

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TH E

E X P E R T

N E TW O R K

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