Clifford Knights II & Steve Vixamar Discuss 'Healthy MD', Rising STD Rates, Stigma, $25K Grant + More
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
What's up.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the way you'll put Angela yee. I'm Angela yee.
Jasmin Brand is here with me today. Yes, and we're
really excited to have the founders of Healthy MD here.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Yes, Clifford w Nice a second, yes.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The second and Steve Viimar yes, wow, you said that
right the first time.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Things Well, thank you guys for joining us.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
And we were having a conversation before we even started
this discussion just about HIV testing because we were saying,
how I've done HIV testing at my juice bar previously.
We used to do that every year and you were saying,
how a lot of times when you guys have the
mobile testing, it doesn't say HIV testing.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
So for us and this Clifford Knights, sorry, thank you
for having us Angela. But for us, we make sure
that we killed the stigma and any chance we get,
and by doing that, we made sure that when we
put our mobile clinics on the road, we don't put
any HIV testing on FC testing, o STD testing. It
just says free medical screening. And they always are okay
(01:06):
with that until they get in the van and then
they have the conversation with you. Then they say Oh, well,
I had unprotected sex with three girls, and I want
to make sure that I don't have anything, you know,
But that's when the van doors closed, when they feel
comfortable and safe and safe.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Absolutely, and also knowing that you can trust the person
that you're having this conversation with, too. Absolutely, that's a
definition of both of you have been in the healthcare
space though for quite some time before launching Healthy MD.
So let's talk about the path that got you here.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Absolutely, So the path that got us his funny. It's
a funny path. You would appreciate this because Steve and
I we went to high school together and we threw
parties in high school.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
But we threw parties with DJ Khaled.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Okay, wow days before that sounds fun before.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Before Khalid was Calid.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
But Miami, Yeah, any Kalid Okay.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
In the nineties when he moved from Jacksonville. He was
working at Adnesia Club Abnesia.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Back in the days, and he was loud. Yeah, oh
he was. He was ill too. I thought he was
Jamaican because people were shots.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
When they found out.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It was it was ill.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
But we threw parties with Calid and then the guy
that owned the club, he owned the pharmacy as well,
and he said, hey, guys, come work with me at
the pharmacy. And we was like, no, we don't want
to work at a pharmacy. We're throwing parties, and he
was like, just come check me out. We went to
the pharmacy and we seen that he was helping serve
the underserved community, the same community that Steve and I
are from. So we were like, yeah, we fell in
(02:34):
love with it. Steve fell in love with operations. I
fell in love with sales and marketing and how we
started our journey.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
And so let's talk about what healthy MD is because
we're talking about helping underserved communities and that that's what
it's all about.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Absolutely, absolutely, So today I'm Healthy MD.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
What we do we do primarily testing and treating for HIV,
hepatitis C, and STDs, primarily in underserved underserved communities in Florida,
Georgia and soon to be here Injersey City. We'll be
launching in Jersey City the next couple of months. But
that's kind of what we do. Clifford mentioned earlier. We
have ten brick and mortar locations in eighteen mobile clinics.
The reason why we have more mobile clinics than brick
(03:10):
and mortar because our I guess claim the famous. We
actually bring the services to the community. A lot of
times that people in our communities don't have transportation, that
don't have means to get to a clinic. We typically
use the urgent care and the ers as kind of
like a source of healthcare. So for us, we bring
the services into the community.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
How do you know, how does one know where the
mobile So what we've.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Done we partner with a lot of community affiliates what
we call them, So we'll either park our van at
the Halfway House, homeless shelter, or a substance abuse clinic.
So we create partnerships with other places like your juice
bar for instance. Then we'll do some local marketing and
we typically try to make them like an activation.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
We'll have some music, we'll have like an event and
people come.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Our mobile units are our seven days a week in
those communities, so we frequent the same places. Typically we
have a schedule where we're there every Tuesday days, so
people kind of get to know us. One of the
things we do a lot too, is we hire people
of the community, so a.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Lot of the times there are our advocates, they're like, hey.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Come here, and you know, they'll kind of be like
our word of mouth because healthcare is very like localized.
What might work in the Bronx is probably won't work
in Brooklyn, right, so we try to make sure we're
cognizant of that.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
So these services are free, right, Is that correct? I
just want to make sure we're clear.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Yes, our services are free. All of our health care
services are free. Okay, so we charge nothing whether you
have insurance or don't have insurance, we provide.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
The service for free.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And we were talking about this whole stigma too, because
a lot of times people will feel like maybe I
have something or maybe someone else I was exposed. But
then after that maybe it's a little bit of shame
of having to actually go to a place someone might
see you. You don't know if the person is going
to know you at the front. So let's discuss how
we can, you know, make sure that we help and
(04:55):
getting rid of that stigma that's affiliated with having because
clearly a lot of people have had STDs have them.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Right now is at the highest that it's ever been.
So with colleges, it's key because we have that conversation
at colleges. We do a lot of colleges and they
come to get tested at our mobile clinics, but they
won't get tested at the college clinic. Now, the clinic
is an STD clinic on college campuses. Most big colleges
(05:22):
have them, but they're empty. People just walking there, snatch
a condom and leave, right. But our mobile clinics come
on the college campus and we got a line wrapped
around the building because everybody is saying, oh, I'm just
going to get my medical screen. They're not saying they're
getting an STV test, right. So that's that for us.
That is combat and the stigma and making safe sex
cool again by letting them know that it's okay to
(05:45):
get tested.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
I think the other thing I'll just add to that
is just just educating people. I mean, Cliff and I
started in the HIV space, and like I said, the
late nineties I won't see, but it was a long
time ago. Back then, most people you know, associated HIV
with like a dead census. Today is not the case
through so many you know innovations as the current of medicine, so.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
You can have undetectable and have a nice long long health.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Yes, So just educating people on that. And I mean,
like I mentioned earlier too, healthcare. So you know, geographically,
you know, separate. We live in South Florida and there's
a lot of Caribbeans, right, so you got to understand
the Caribbean mindset. Like you know, I grew up patient
in the Haitian household and they think they drinking.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Tea cure everything.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
So you have to kind of educate people on some
of the resources that are available. So I think that's
one of the biggest challenges overcoming this stigma.
Speaker 6 (06:33):
You mentioned that the SCD rate is the highest it's
ever been. This may be a silly question, but why
do you think now it's the highest has ever been.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Well, I'm going to tell you. Remember when we were
growing up, everybody was safe sex, say no, the drugs
ran condoms was everywhere, a LC had con you know,
everybody spoke about that. Right Nowadays it's just half sex,
have sex as much as you want, within many people,
but as you want. But nobody's speaking about the safety
of sex sex.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
And that's why I.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Say we're making safe sex cool again. Healthy MD's making
safe sex cool again.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, those campaigns aren't like what they used to.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Be in school and there's no campaign.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah, there's no Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And it used to be because people thought like it
was a death sentence too, especially if you we were scared. Yeah, definitely,
Like look, I'm not you know, playing around.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
But even in school, right, we used to have sex
education in school.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
Little, I mean they took them out of more schools
you live and getting sex in school anymore. So, like
back to Cliff's point, today's day and age, everybody just
talks about, you know, being free and bring which is great.
You want people to you know, to be liberated and
do what they want. But still, you know, be safe,
safe because.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I keep hearing about like super gonorrhea, what it could
get worse.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Listen, listen, don't get us in here to lion.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
We're not doctors. We just hire them.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
But what happens if I go on this mobile unit
and I test positive for something?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
What do you do that?
Speaker 5 (07:57):
So if you test positive, like like we mentioned earlier,
So what we do is we do the testing and treatment.
Most of the times you'll go to an event and
you get tested and they will refer you somewhere else.
One of the things that we realize is that we
have to be vertically integrated, meaning we have to be
a resource for people as well. So, like Clifford mentioned,
we have you know, nurse practitioners and doctors and effectiancies providers.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
That work for us.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
So if someone does come to us and they test positive,
we immediately get them into treatment. If they're on the
mobile clinic, they'll probably be a provider there on site.
If not, they can actually reschedule telehealth visit right away
with the provider and we're writing a prescription and they'll
get that prescription within twenty four hours. The CDC guideline
says seventy two hours, but for us, we try to
get somebody into care within twenty four hours, even if
(08:38):
they don't have transportation, they don't have insurance, We're gonna
get your medication. We're gonna get you into treatment within.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Twenty four hours.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
It's a transient population, so you want to make sure
you take care of them.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Right right away. They might never come in and then
you never care a chance.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Now listen this, I know we got to talk about
this too, because you guys are doing invest fast, yeah,
eron your leisure, and this is a very lucrative business.
But it's also wasn't easy for you guys to get
funding easy.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
To get funded. We still don't have it's self funded
for the last ten years. We started this company ten
years ago and we're self funded and.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
We're happy to do it.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
You know, we've been successful in other ventures in the past.
And CDC called us and said, hey, we need you
to help us stop the spread of HIV and HEPATITISY
in the underserved community. There were some communities that had
no HIV testing sites at all and they couldn't penetrate
the community because they didn't know how to communicate with
the community. We did because we started in the underserved community.
(09:34):
We come from the underserved community.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
One.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
We started our business in the underserved community when we
started our first pharmacy, and so ten years ago it
was easy for us to do and Steve said, hey,
let's do mobile clinics. Let's not do bricking more the
first so we could go to them and not wait
for them to come to UD.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Yeah, and I think with Investmes, I mean, one of
the things that we realized is listen, we can't boil lotion.
We can't be the only ones out here doing this.
We can't do it all ourselves. It's part of the
partnership with INVESTM. That's us obviously giving away this grant
to see if we can help another small healthcare business,
you know, do what we do in their community or
even provide some of these healthcare services. So hopefully we
can help somebody overcome some of those barriers that we
(10:11):
face trying to raise money and trying to.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You know, do this on our own.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Right, you guys are giving a twenty five thousand dollars
grant and they have been toil August third, is that correct?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
August?
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Last year we gave away seventeen five hundred to three
different black women businesses. This year we're giving twenty five
thousand to one hopefully black women business. Of our submissions
last year we're black women.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Oh wow. Yeah, see how we do it for sure.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
But it is awesome and I want to talk about
this because again it's free services. This has been self
funded for you guys, but there are now companies and
corporations that are partnering with you, yes, to be able
to bring these resources.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Right, Okay, absolutely, there's companies that's partnering with us to
give us some resources to bribe the service. But Steve
and myself, we've been doing this for so long, so
just to just to clarify, we provide free healthcare services, right.
But the but the renuneration comes from the treatment, okay,
And so we get paid from the insurance company for
the treatment for the patients. That's the money that we
(11:12):
use to continue to push back into the free.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Healthcare Okay, okay, all right, perfect.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Well, how can people if they want to submit and
possibly get this twenty five thousand dollars grant? Yes, and
they have again until August third, right, and they also
get to go to invest Fest.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Absolutely, and they get to be on stage with Lauren
London and Healthy MD because Lauren London is included in
the grant with us as well.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, breaking fun, breaking news, that's amazing. So how can
people actually enter to qualify to win?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Yeah, grants dot HEALTHYMD dot com.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
You put your application in there, and US and Lauren
London is going to go through all the applications on
August third, and we're going to go through it and
pick the winners out.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
And so is there something specific you guys, I know
it's in the healthcare space.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
Yeah, We're just looking for innovative, you know, providers that's
doing kind of something similar to what we do providing
health care services in the underserf community. I mean there's
so much need, Like like I mention, we can't do
it all. So as long as it's something that's fresh
and innovative and that's providing services in the underserved community,
then we're all for it.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
How often should people get tested? At least at least once?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, at least you should know that you live in
a risky your lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Sorry, if you know that you live in a risky
and lifestyle, you should probably get tested every three months
if you're living a risky your lifestyle and you're having
unprotected sex left and right, and you probably should be
on PREP if you're living living your life like that,
which is a prevention HIV drug.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
I found that as a woman, every when I get
my annual, it's just thrown in there.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah it is.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
But some people don't even get Yeah, no, you're right, Yeah,
so you don't even get.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
Yeah, I mean I have kids, I kind of have to.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
She's good, you know, it sounds our girl, Cooya.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
She does these risky dinners, and so she brings these
dinners to different places and it's all about talking about
being safe when when you're meeting somebody, and they had
a whole conversation oh lord, oh lord, So my so
at one of these dinners, because it's supposed to be
like an open forum, it's all women to be able
to discuss things. And they were talking about asking somebody
(13:17):
for their test results before you have, right, and so
a lot of people were saying they did it. But
then one of our homegirls was like, well, I've just
been going raw and I have never asked, you know,
but that is a real thing, right, And so because
I don't.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Know if I've ever asked somebody for their test results.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
And I was having what we were talking about, I
was telling you, I feel irresponsible, I know, and I
was trying to think. So someone that I was with
volunteered and showed me, actually, the last two guys I
was with volunteered and showed me that I never asked.
They just showed it.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I would never trust that. Why do you just have this?
And then he didn't ask you for yours? I just
showed it would be like we should both have let's.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Go together let's go together.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Let's go to healthy m D together and get it Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
That could be a good idea. Let's go to healthy
MT together.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
And get it done.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
So let me go first.
Speaker 6 (14:20):
Surprised.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Are you?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Are you living here in New York, New Jersey.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
I'm in DC.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
You and d C Okay York in New York. So
we're opening up in New.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Jersey, Jersey City, baby, live in Jersey.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
We opened up in Jersey City in the fall, so
you can come and we'll bring out mobile clinic's closer
to the border line as possible so you can come
and and.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
So you find out on the spot.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yeah, drink.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
But you know what, no medicas important to know because
I think the worst thing that could happen is you
have something and you don't know about it and you
have a three years and that can cause all kinds
of issues. It can cause infertility, it can cause yeah,
all blindness that like all kinds of things can happen.
Speaker 6 (15:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
And with hepatitis C, if you if you don't, it's
it's cirrhosis of delivery and then you can die.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
So, with hepatitis C, if you're sharing needles because of
the opiod epidemic.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Unfortunately. Look, look who's calling me?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Oh right, let me let me see the ones.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Answer answer for Troy.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Hey, Troy, Hey, it's Angela.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
We're in an interview and we're trying to do some
stuff to promote this invest Fast.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And you keep calling.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I'll do.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I do have what we're talking about this twenty five
thousand dollars grants that they're going to be doing, and
Lauren London coming to invest Fast too.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Yeah, so I.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Would just clarified. So it's it's a woman led health
and wellness business.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Are we all agree on this?
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (15:53):
We are?
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And you know you know this is Angela. Yee on
way up? I know, okay, I just want yeah, I'm
talking with you.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
I'm talking with yo.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You cannot know what you're doing.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
No, but but I just we just now said that
on the interview, is that it's a woman that healthcare business.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
By trying right here, I'm right here, Troy, stop playing
with us.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
That very.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
I can't answer his phone. It's a clip phone sexist
to me? Who is this?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Right? Who is what if this was.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
A woman disguised under Troy's name?
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Crazy?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Your wife answers your phone, right, Troy, no problem.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
That was literally yo, Yo, breaking news. Troy just jumped
on the phone from E Y L for in vest Fest.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
That's giving out twenty five thousand dollars. Y'all. Remember that
you really are.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
A salesperson, right yeah, right, right right back there, marketing, marketing.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Okay, Cliff, it's a very popular hip hop name. That's
t I's real name. That's a method man's real name. Yeah, yeah,
I don't know that was me man. Yeah, I used
to work there.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Yeah, I used to book flights to work.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
So that was a fly job back then.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah, it was a great job, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
All right, Well listen you guys, I think for everybody again,
this is an amazing opportunity. So I cannot wait to
see the submissions you guys are going to get to
get this twenty five thousand dollars. Grant the fact that
you guys are paying it forward, knowing how difficult it
was for you to even you're still self funded.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Absolutely, you know, but you know, in hindsight, maybe that
is a positive thing.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Definitely a positive, definitely a positive for all the services
and all the things that we do for the community.
It's hard to find a partner that's willing to allow
us to continue doing that. So we're going to continue
saying self funded to find a partner that's going to
you know, the same vision absolutely to grant that healthy
ind dot com submit your applications.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And I love the work that you guys are doing.
I feel like we can do maybe a date night
to go get tested together.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
That could be like a fun.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Fun and interesting.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
And then what I what I want to do is
I w when when the Jersey clinic actually opens. I
want to come back up, come back up here so
we can announce the grand opening and then have you
all with the grand opening with us as well.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Okay, when is it.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
All right?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Well again, thank you guys so much for joining us.
We can't wait to see what's going to happen at
Investments and we'll make sure we get all the information
so we can see who the winner is.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Wonderful. Thank you guys.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
Thank you guys for having us way up
What's up.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the way you'll put Angela yee. I'm Angela yee.
Jasmin Brand is here with me today. Yes, and we're
really excited to have the founders of Healthy MD here.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Yes, Clifford w Nice a second, yes.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The second and Steve Viimar yes, wow, you said that
right the first time.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Things Well, thank you guys for joining us.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
And we were having a conversation before we even started
this discussion just about HIV testing because we were saying,
how I've done HIV testing at my juice bar previously.
We used to do that every year and you were saying,
how a lot of times when you guys have the
mobile testing, it doesn't say HIV testing.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
So for us and this Clifford Knights, sorry, thank you
for having us Angela. But for us, we make sure
that we killed the stigma and any chance we get,
and by doing that, we made sure that when we
put our mobile clinics on the road, we don't put
any HIV testing on FC testing, o STD testing. It
just says free medical screening. And they always are okay
(01:06):
with that until they get in the van and then
they have the conversation with you. Then they say Oh, well,
I had unprotected sex with three girls, and I want
to make sure that I don't have anything, you know,
But that's when the van doors closed, when they feel
comfortable and safe and safe.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Absolutely, and also knowing that you can trust the person
that you're having this conversation with, too. Absolutely, that's a
definition of both of you have been in the healthcare
space though for quite some time before launching Healthy MD.
So let's talk about the path that got you here.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Absolutely, So the path that got us his funny. It's
a funny path. You would appreciate this because Steve and
I we went to high school together and we threw
parties in high school.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
But we threw parties with DJ Khaled.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Okay, wow days before that sounds fun before.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Before Khalid was Calid.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
But Miami, Yeah, any Kalid Okay.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
In the nineties when he moved from Jacksonville. He was
working at Adnesia Club Abnesia.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Back in the days, and he was loud. Yeah, oh
he was. He was ill too. I thought he was
Jamaican because people were shots.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
When they found out.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
It was it was ill.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
But we threw parties with Calid and then the guy
that owned the club, he owned the pharmacy as well,
and he said, hey, guys, come work with me at
the pharmacy. And we was like, no, we don't want
to work at a pharmacy. We're throwing parties, and he
was like, just come check me out. We went to
the pharmacy and we seen that he was helping serve
the underserved community, the same community that Steve and I
are from. So we were like, yeah, we fell in
(02:34):
love with it. Steve fell in love with operations. I
fell in love with sales and marketing and how we
started our journey.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
And so let's talk about what healthy MD is because
we're talking about helping underserved communities and that that's what
it's all about.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Absolutely, absolutely, So today I'm Healthy MD.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
What we do we do primarily testing and treating for HIV,
hepatitis C, and STDs, primarily in underserved underserved communities in Florida,
Georgia and soon to be here Injersey City. We'll be
launching in Jersey City the next couple of months. But
that's kind of what we do. Clifford mentioned earlier. We
have ten brick and mortar locations in eighteen mobile clinics.
The reason why we have more mobile clinics than brick
(03:10):
and mortar because our I guess claim the famous. We
actually bring the services to the community. A lot of
times that people in our communities don't have transportation, that
don't have means to get to a clinic. We typically
use the urgent care and the ers as kind of
like a source of healthcare. So for us, we bring
the services into the community.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
How do you know, how does one know where the
mobile So what we've.
Speaker 5 (03:33):
Done we partner with a lot of community affiliates what
we call them, So we'll either park our van at
the Halfway House, homeless shelter, or a substance abuse clinic.
So we create partnerships with other places like your juice
bar for instance. Then we'll do some local marketing and
we typically try to make them like an activation.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
We'll have some music, we'll have like an event and
people come.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Our mobile units are our seven days a week in
those communities, so we frequent the same places. Typically we
have a schedule where we're there every Tuesday days, so
people kind of get to know us. One of the
things we do a lot too, is we hire people
of the community, so a.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Lot of the times there are our advocates, they're like, hey.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Come here, and you know, they'll kind of be like
our word of mouth because healthcare is very like localized.
What might work in the Bronx is probably won't work
in Brooklyn, right, so we try to make sure we're
cognizant of that.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
So these services are free, right, Is that correct? I
just want to make sure we're clear.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Yes, our services are free. All of our health care
services are free. Okay, so we charge nothing whether you
have insurance or don't have insurance, we provide.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
The service for free.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And we were talking about this whole stigma too, because
a lot of times people will feel like maybe I
have something or maybe someone else I was exposed. But
then after that maybe it's a little bit of shame
of having to actually go to a place someone might
see you. You don't know if the person is going
to know you at the front. So let's discuss how
we can, you know, make sure that we help and
(04:55):
getting rid of that stigma that's affiliated with having because
clearly a lot of people have had STDs have them.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Right now is at the highest that it's ever been.
So with colleges, it's key because we have that conversation
at colleges. We do a lot of colleges and they
come to get tested at our mobile clinics, but they
won't get tested at the college clinic. Now, the clinic
is an STD clinic on college campuses. Most big colleges
(05:22):
have them, but they're empty. People just walking there, snatch
a condom and leave, right. But our mobile clinics come
on the college campus and we got a line wrapped
around the building because everybody is saying, oh, I'm just
going to get my medical screen. They're not saying they're
getting an STV test, right. So that's that for us.
That is combat and the stigma and making safe sex
cool again by letting them know that it's okay to
(05:45):
get tested.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
I think the other thing I'll just add to that
is just just educating people. I mean, Cliff and I
started in the HIV space, and like I said, the
late nineties I won't see, but it was a long
time ago. Back then, most people you know, associated HIV
with like a dead census. Today is not the case
through so many you know innovations as the current of medicine, so.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
You can have undetectable and have a nice long long health.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
Yes, So just educating people on that. And I mean,
like I mentioned earlier too, healthcare. So you know, geographically,
you know, separate. We live in South Florida and there's
a lot of Caribbeans, right, so you got to understand
the Caribbean mindset. Like you know, I grew up patient
in the Haitian household and they think they drinking.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Tea cure everything.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
So you have to kind of educate people on some
of the resources that are available. So I think that's
one of the biggest challenges overcoming this stigma.
Speaker 6 (06:33):
You mentioned that the SCD rate is the highest it's
ever been. This may be a silly question, but why
do you think now it's the highest has ever been.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Well, I'm going to tell you. Remember when we were
growing up, everybody was safe sex, say no, the drugs
ran condoms was everywhere, a LC had con you know,
everybody spoke about that. Right Nowadays it's just half sex,
have sex as much as you want, within many people,
but as you want. But nobody's speaking about the safety
of sex sex.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
And that's why I.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Say we're making safe sex cool again. Healthy MD's making
safe sex cool again.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, those campaigns aren't like what they used to.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Be in school and there's no campaign.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Yeah, there's no Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And it used to be because people thought like it
was a death sentence too, especially if you we were scared. Yeah, definitely,
Like look, I'm not you know, playing around.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
But even in school, right, we used to have sex
education in school.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
Little, I mean they took them out of more schools
you live and getting sex in school anymore. So, like
back to Cliff's point, today's day and age, everybody just
talks about, you know, being free and bring which is great.
You want people to you know, to be liberated and
do what they want. But still, you know, be safe,
safe because.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
I keep hearing about like super gonorrhea, what it could
get worse.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
Listen, listen, don't get us in here to lion.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
We're not doctors. We just hire them.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
But what happens if I go on this mobile unit
and I test positive for something?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
What do you do that?
Speaker 5 (07:57):
So if you test positive, like like we mentioned earlier,
So what we do is we do the testing and treatment.
Most of the times you'll go to an event and
you get tested and they will refer you somewhere else.
One of the things that we realize is that we
have to be vertically integrated, meaning we have to be
a resource for people as well. So, like Clifford mentioned,
we have you know, nurse practitioners and doctors and effectiancies providers.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
That work for us.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
So if someone does come to us and they test positive,
we immediately get them into treatment. If they're on the
mobile clinic, they'll probably be a provider there on site.
If not, they can actually reschedule telehealth visit right away
with the provider and we're writing a prescription and they'll
get that prescription within twenty four hours. The CDC guideline
says seventy two hours, but for us, we try to
get somebody into care within twenty four hours, even if
(08:38):
they don't have transportation, they don't have insurance, We're gonna
get your medication. We're gonna get you into treatment within.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Twenty four hours.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
It's a transient population, so you want to make sure
you take care of them.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Right right away. They might never come in and then
you never care a chance.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Now listen this, I know we got to talk about
this too, because you guys are doing invest fast, yeah,
eron your leisure, and this is a very lucrative business.
But it's also wasn't easy for you guys to get
funding easy.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
To get funded. We still don't have it's self funded
for the last ten years. We started this company ten
years ago and we're self funded and.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
We're happy to do it.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
You know, we've been successful in other ventures in the past.
And CDC called us and said, hey, we need you
to help us stop the spread of HIV and HEPATITISY
in the underserved community. There were some communities that had
no HIV testing sites at all and they couldn't penetrate
the community because they didn't know how to communicate with
the community. We did because we started in the underserved community.
(09:34):
We come from the underserved community.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
One.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
We started our business in the underserved community when we
started our first pharmacy, and so ten years ago it
was easy for us to do and Steve said, hey,
let's do mobile clinics. Let's not do bricking more the
first so we could go to them and not wait
for them to come to UD.
Speaker 6 (09:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
Yeah, and I think with Investmes, I mean, one of
the things that we realized is listen, we can't boil lotion.
We can't be the only ones out here doing this.
We can't do it all ourselves. It's part of the
partnership with INVESTM. That's us obviously giving away this grant
to see if we can help another small healthcare business,
you know, do what we do in their community or
even provide some of these healthcare services. So hopefully we
can help somebody overcome some of those barriers that we
(10:11):
face trying to raise money and trying to.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You know, do this on our own.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Right, you guys are giving a twenty five thousand dollars
grant and they have been toil August third, is that correct?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
August?
Speaker 4 (10:18):
Last year we gave away seventeen five hundred to three
different black women businesses. This year we're giving twenty five
thousand to one hopefully black women business. Of our submissions
last year we're black women.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Oh wow. Yeah, see how we do it for sure.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
But it is awesome and I want to talk about
this because again it's free services. This has been self
funded for you guys, but there are now companies and
corporations that are partnering with you, yes, to be able
to bring these resources.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Right, Okay, absolutely, there's companies that's partnering with us to
give us some resources to bribe the service. But Steve
and myself, we've been doing this for so long, so
just to just to clarify, we provide free healthcare services, right.
But the but the renuneration comes from the treatment, okay,
And so we get paid from the insurance company for
the treatment for the patients. That's the money that we
(11:12):
use to continue to push back into the free.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Healthcare Okay, okay, all right, perfect.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Well, how can people if they want to submit and
possibly get this twenty five thousand dollars grant? Yes, and
they have again until August third, right, and they also
get to go to invest Fest.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Absolutely, and they get to be on stage with Lauren
London and Healthy MD because Lauren London is included in
the grant with us as well.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, breaking fun, breaking news, that's amazing. So how can
people actually enter to qualify to win?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Yeah, grants dot HEALTHYMD dot com.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
You put your application in there, and US and Lauren
London is going to go through all the applications on
August third, and we're going to go through it and
pick the winners out.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
And so is there something specific you guys, I know
it's in the healthcare space.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
Yeah, We're just looking for innovative, you know, providers that's
doing kind of something similar to what we do providing
health care services in the underserf community. I mean there's
so much need, Like like I mention, we can't do
it all. So as long as it's something that's fresh
and innovative and that's providing services in the underserved community,
then we're all for it.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
How often should people get tested? At least at least once?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, at least you should know that you live in
a risky your lifestyle.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Sorry, if you know that you live in a risky
and lifestyle, you should probably get tested every three months
if you're living a risky your lifestyle and you're having
unprotected sex left and right, and you probably should be
on PREP if you're living living your life like that,
which is a prevention HIV drug.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
I found that as a woman, every when I get
my annual, it's just thrown in there.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah it is.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
But some people don't even get Yeah, no, you're right, Yeah,
so you don't even get.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
Yeah, I mean I have kids, I kind of have to.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
She's good, you know, it sounds our girl, Cooya.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
She does these risky dinners, and so she brings these
dinners to different places and it's all about talking about
being safe when when you're meeting somebody, and they had
a whole conversation oh lord, oh lord, So my so
at one of these dinners, because it's supposed to be
like an open forum, it's all women to be able
to discuss things. And they were talking about asking somebody
(13:17):
for their test results before you have, right, and so
a lot of people were saying they did it. But
then one of our homegirls was like, well, I've just
been going raw and I have never asked, you know,
but that is a real thing, right, And so because
I don't.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Know if I've ever asked somebody for their test results.
Speaker 6 (13:38):
And I was having what we were talking about, I
was telling you, I feel irresponsible, I know, and I
was trying to think. So someone that I was with
volunteered and showed me, actually, the last two guys I
was with volunteered and showed me that I never asked.
They just showed it.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I would never trust that. Why do you just have this?
And then he didn't ask you for yours? I just
showed it would be like we should both have let's.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Go together let's go together.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Let's go to healthy m D together and get it Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
That could be a good idea. Let's go to healthy
MT together.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
And get it done.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
So let me go first.
Speaker 6 (14:20):
Surprised.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Are you?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Are you living here in New York, New Jersey.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
I'm in DC.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
You and d C Okay York in New York. So
we're opening up in New.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Jersey, Jersey City, baby, live in Jersey.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
We opened up in Jersey City in the fall, so
you can come and we'll bring out mobile clinic's closer
to the border line as possible so you can come
and and.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
So you find out on the spot.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Yeah, drink.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
But you know what, no medicas important to know because
I think the worst thing that could happen is you
have something and you don't know about it and you
have a three years and that can cause all kinds
of issues. It can cause infertility, it can cause yeah,
all blindness that like all kinds of things can happen.
Speaker 6 (15:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
And with hepatitis C, if you if you don't, it's
it's cirrhosis of delivery and then you can die.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
So, with hepatitis C, if you're sharing needles because of
the opiod epidemic.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
Unfortunately. Look, look who's calling me?
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Oh right, let me let me see the ones.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Answer answer for Troy.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Hey, Troy, Hey, it's Angela.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
We're in an interview and we're trying to do some
stuff to promote this invest Fast.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And you keep calling.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
I'll do.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
I do have what we're talking about this twenty five
thousand dollars grants that they're going to be doing, and
Lauren London coming to invest Fast too.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Yeah, so I.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Would just clarified. So it's it's a woman led health
and wellness business.
Speaker 5 (15:52):
Are we all agree on this?
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Yes?
Speaker 6 (15:53):
We are?
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And you know you know this is Angela. Yee on
way up? I know, okay, I just want yeah, I'm
talking with you.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
I'm talking with yo.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You cannot know what you're doing.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
No, but but I just we just now said that
on the interview, is that it's a woman that healthcare business.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
By trying right here, I'm right here, Troy, stop playing
with us.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
That very.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
I can't answer his phone. It's a clip phone sexist
to me? Who is this?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Right? Who is what if this was.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
A woman disguised under Troy's name?
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Crazy?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Your wife answers your phone, right, Troy, no problem.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
That was literally yo, Yo, breaking news. Troy just jumped
on the phone from E Y L for in vest Fest.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
That's giving out twenty five thousand dollars. Y'all. Remember that
you really are.
Speaker 6 (17:04):
A salesperson, right yeah, right, right right back there, marketing, marketing.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Okay, Cliff, it's a very popular hip hop name. That's
t I's real name. That's a method man's real name. Yeah, yeah,
I don't know that was me man. Yeah, I used
to work there.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Yeah, I used to book flights to work.
Speaker 3 (17:22):
So that was a fly job back then.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah, it was a great job, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
All right, Well listen you guys, I think for everybody again,
this is an amazing opportunity. So I cannot wait to
see the submissions you guys are going to get to
get this twenty five thousand dollars. Grant the fact that
you guys are paying it forward, knowing how difficult it
was for you to even you're still self funded.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
Absolutely, you know, but you know, in hindsight, maybe that
is a positive thing.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Definitely a positive, definitely a positive for all the services
and all the things that we do for the community.
It's hard to find a partner that's willing to allow
us to continue doing that. So we're going to continue
saying self funded to find a partner that's going to
you know, the same vision absolutely to grant that healthy
ind dot com submit your applications.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And I love the work that you guys are doing.
I feel like we can do maybe a date night
to go get tested together.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
That could be like a fun.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Fun and interesting.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
And then what I what I want to do is
I w when when the Jersey clinic actually opens. I
want to come back up, come back up here so
we can announce the grand opening and then have you
all with the grand opening with us as well.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Okay, when is it.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
All right?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Well again, thank you guys so much for joining us.
We can't wait to see what's going to happen at
Investments and we'll make sure we get all the information
so we can see who the winner is.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Wonderful. Thank you guys.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
Thank you guys for having us way up
Way Up With Angela Yee News
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Angela Yee
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