Dr. Karlene Lawrence with husband LeRoy Graham.
Photograph courtesy of Graham household.
Jamaican-born Dr. Karlene Lawrence, an authorized Grownup Well being Nurse Practitioner, whose expertise in Preventive Drugs spans over twenty years at varied well being facilities in New York Metropolis and Lengthy Island, mentioned her preventative healthcare is her ardour.
“Many persistent well being situations are preventable with correct diet, adherence to periodic screenings and taking medicine as advised- resulting in longer, more healthy lives freed from frequent sicknesses.”
The skilled mentioned common screenings for situations reminiscent of diabetes, hypertension, and excessive ldl cholesterol in addition to breast, prostate and colon cancers can result in early prognosis, simpler therapy choices, decrease healthcare prices and extra profitable outcomes if any of those sicknesses are recognized.”
Dr. Lawrence, who was born in St. Thomas Jamaica, and attended Holy Childhood Preparatory, and Excessive Colleges in Kingston, earlier than immigrating to the USA on the age of 17. Opined {that a} Lack of entry to inexpensive healthcare, medical health insurance firm fee constraints, stigmas in the direction of varied well being situations and biases in opposition to older sufferers and sufferers with psychological well being points are additionally problematic at instances.
“The fact is that a majority of the world’s inhabitants have challenges understanding healthcare discussions or directions they’re given as a consequence of low or no literacy.”
“This hinders achievement of desired preventive healthcare objectives. And sadly, the present United States well being system will be sophisticated and troublesome to navigate. This can be a lengthy standing and complicated problem that requires an instantaneous answer to make sure that ‘finest therapy’ is at all times the objective for ALL sufferers,” she famous.
The sensible Dr. Lawrence earned her bachelor’s diploma in nursing from Molloy School in Rockville Centre with the objective of changing into a Nurse-Midwife, and after acquiring a Midwifery and Girls’s Well being Graduate diploma from New York College, started practising in outpatient settings in Queens and Brooklyn.
“I noticed that the care of my feminine sufferers was incomplete as a result of I used to be unable to care for his or her male companions additionally. That prompted me to pursue an Grownup Nurse Practitioner Submit Graduate Certificates. Over time, it grew to become obvious that my true ardour was educating sufferers about sickness prevention and reaching wellness, relatively than ‘downside targeted’ appointments and treating an sickness after it was already recognized,” she mentioned.
The medical skilled returned to highschool but once more in 2017 to pursue and in the end obtain a Physician of Nursing Follow Diploma from SUNY Stony Brook College in 2019.
Dr. Lawrence is married to educator, musician, and cultural historian LeRoy Graham Jr, who, in her personal phrases, “stepped up in a serious manner” to help with elevating their three kids whereas she pursued her educational {and professional} objectives.
Among the many many honors she has obtained throughout her schooling and profession are The Louis and Rachel Rudin Basis Scholarship, the New York State Superior Nursing Training Traineeship Scholarship, and the New York State Major Care Service Corps Scholarship. She can be a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Worldwide Honor Society of Nursing.
Dr. Lawrence is at present the Physician of Nursing Follow / Nurse Practitioner on a multimillion-dollar Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) grant, from the federal Well being Assets and Providers Administration (HRSA). The objective of this system is to remodel the healthcare workforce and neighborhood in Brooklyn by establishing a brand new wellness clinic for adults aged 65 years and older. The clinic may also function a coaching facility for college kids from all faculties and faculties at SUNY Downstate Well being Sciences College.
“My objective as a well being and wellness educator-presenter is to extend consciousness, comprehension, and adherence to really helpful preventive well being screening pointers, enhance well being literacy, and get rid of occurrences of well being disparities. I’m additionally enthusiastic about empowering people by way of schooling to forestall illnesses, promote well being and keep wellness as they age in their very own residences, she mentioned.
All be it she stays cognizant of the truth that she can’t do it alone.
“On the finish of the day we nonetheless should resolve the challenges in our healthcare system and that won’t be executed in a single day. Nonetheless, it’s vital that we foster the mandatory co-operation between all healthcare stakeholders to reach at simpler healthcare options. The lives of our fellow residents actually rely upon it,” mentioned the gifted woman of the soil.
