December 29, 2024 • 52 mins
Dr. Thomas Edwards shares his extensive journey through healthcare, highlighting the importance of personalized and compassionate patient care. The episode discusses challenges in communication, the role of technology, and memorable experiences that shape a physician's approach to healthcare.
• Dr. Edwards' background and early influences in medicine
• The evolution of his career from paramedic to physician
• The significance of family dynamics in patient care
• Emphasis on patient-centered care and open communication
• Challenges posed by HIPAA in healthcare communication
• Insights into advancements in healthcare technology and AI
• Valuable lessons learned from memorable patient interactions
• The need for credible sources of medical information
• Dr. Edwards' commitment to providing dignified care for aging patients
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
All right, it's another episode of the let's Get
Comfort podcast.
We are back, Florida's numberone healthcare entertainment
station, home for love, peaceand joy, but most of all comfort
.
I'm your host, Norman Harris,and sole proprietor of let's Get
Comfort podcast.
We have a special guestdedicated to Pasco County, Tampa
(00:26):
, Florida, Tampa Bay area,actually A historian, a legend,
Dr Thomas Edwards.
Welcome to the show, sir, Thankyou.
Thank you for having me.
Yes, sir, yes sir.
Dr Edwards, I thank you forjoining me on the show man.
It means so much to me forhaving you, but just tell the
audience, audience, let you doyour own introductions because
(00:48):
it's it's, it's the longest.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh, my goodness, I don't know if you want to have
here all of them.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, tell them who dot.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So tell the audience who dr edwards is well, um, I'm
a jack of all trades, I guesssum it up.
In the medical field, startedoff in high school, wanted to be
a paramedic and had to waittill I turned 18 to take the
first EMT test.
Worked my way up in paramedicsfrom Alachua County EMS I was
(01:17):
one of the first rescue chiefsfor Alachua County EMS in
Gainesville.
Did that for six years, cameback to my hometown of Dade City
, became a firefighter paramedicafter I went to medical school,
(01:38):
of course, and so I didfirefighter paramedic for about
14 years and then I've been aphysician for 33 years.
So in EMS or medical field it'sbeen 40, about 50, almost 50
years, 49 years.
In the EMS medical field I'mstill medical director for it in
an EMS for MedFleet Ambulance.
(01:59):
I've been there since theystarted, yeah, medfleet.
And I've been medical directorfor several skilled nursing
facilities Pasco Rehab that hasnow been closed in Dade City
years ago.
Roar Loke Nursing Home, dadeCity Health and Rehab, which you
hired me there when you were anadministrator there.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
How many name changes you've been through there at?
Uh, oh, my goodness, with allof them, all of them um, yeah,
probably about five or six.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I remember when it used to be owned by the city.
The city of dade city used toown, oh, city health rehab.
Wow, um, so it was called.
Uh, what was it called then?
I think it was dade city healthyeah, they went full circle
back to it.
Full circle back to it.
Yeah, and I used to work tohave an office and always did
(02:53):
long-term care in nursing homes,did a little home health where
I went out and saw patients intheir homes, did that for a
while ALFs as well, but beennursing home doc for the whole
time and do that full timepretty much now as well as
hospice.
(03:13):
I'm also medical director forSt Leo University for their
student health clinic, right,and I work as a team physician
for Gulfside Hospice for theeast side of the county, and I'm
also a kind of a not reallymedical director but a area
(03:40):
physician for two companiesLongevity, which is an insurance
company that takes care oflong-term care patients with
nurse practitioners, and thenalso Optum, which does the same
thing.
They are an offshoot of Unitedthat takes care of United Health
patients in long-term carefacilities, so a lot of
(04:02):
extensive work in long-term carefacilities as well.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
So audience out there comfortably listeners.
As you can see, that was a longintroduction.
He's a very accomplishedindividual, for sure, and this
is why I had him on the show sohe could share his insight and
expertise with you all today.
So I'm so happy you joined usand expertise with you all today
.
So I'm so happy you joined us.
Dr Edwards was one of the firstbatch of paramedics in the state
(04:30):
of Florida, one of the firstbatch, so 49 years of emergency
management services.
So you know, at the heart ofwhat he does, it comes from a
good place and it comes from hisfoundation almost 50 years of
(04:50):
this.
So, um, wonderful, glad to haveyou part of the show and you've
worked in every, almost everylevel right, yeah, every level
of health care, from hospice tohome health, from home care to
skilled nursing, emergency toend of life yes, sir, from
emergency to end of life.
So we get a full-scaleperspective.
But we're going to rewind thisthing a little bit down there
and uh, take me back to young,young, uh, thomas Edwards um
(05:15):
just uh tell me about just whereyou're from originally.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Uh, your parents, uh, yes, sir born and raised in
Dade City, um.
My parent, uh, mother andfather, uh, my mother's still
alive.
She's 93.
I take care of her, uh, shestill is independent in her home
, really, yep, yep, and we, wetake care of her at her home, um
, and uh, judy edwards, and thenmy father, lg edwards, uh, he
(05:42):
deceased, uh, actually, when hewas age 65 and I'm 66 now, so
I've I've won out on that aspectbut he died of esophageal
cancer and took care of him athome as well.
And then uh also took care ofmy uh, my mother-in-law.
We took care of her before atend of life within our home, um,
(06:03):
so I'm very familiar with beinga caregiver, um, but uh went to
pasco high school, um, and uhwas shy.
They called me timid tom timidtom I don't tell many people
that, but timid tom, timid tom,so I was very shy.
They used to call me.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Normal Norman, oh, really so.
Yeah, yeah so, timid Tom,whatever kids just make some fun
of you, huh yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Kind of what broke me out of my show when I became a
paramedic.
You have to kind of learn totake control of the scene or
take control of the situation orbe able to interview patients
and so forth.
Being timid, I was very shy andnot very outspoken and you
could tell.
So one of my partners called measide and said they noticed I
had that problem and said whydon't you do this?
(06:53):
Become an actor?
I said what do you mean?
Become an actor?
He said what's your favoriteparamedic that you look up to?
And at that time there was ashow on TV called Emergency.
It was the only show forparamedics and firefighters that
was on TV at that time.
The first one out of Californiais Johnny Gage, and Roy DeSoto
(07:14):
were the two paramedics there,and Johnny Gage was my hero.
I wanted to be like Johnny Gage.
So he said well, here's whatyou do when you walk out of your
house in the morning, you leaveTom Edwards behind and you
become Johnny Gage.
You act like Johnny Gage, youdo, you look like Johnny Gage,
you do everything Johnny Gagedoes, because he was kind of an
(07:35):
easygoing guy but yet he couldget things done in a nice way,
without insulting people orbeing mean, and it worked.
After, after a year or so, thatjust became natural and I was
tom edwards in my mind, just asgood as johnny cage.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Johnny johnny gage or cage gage gage, johnny gage
okay, so good program.
So you know a lot of people.
Now, if you're out there, youwant to check his instagram.
It's probably on the johnnygage, right?
You know people changingInstagram names and stuff like
that that's a good idea, I'msorry, joking with you about
that too.
Yeah, I thought it was when Icall him and say Jenny, yeah, I
(08:16):
don't know, he's probably stillalive, probably.
So yeah, well, that's a goodthough, and that was great
advice from that.
Yeah, yeah, what's his name?
You remember his name?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
um mitch.
What was mitch's name?
He's.
He's dead and gone now.
Yeah, I can't remember mitch'slast name, but well, mitch's
family out there rest in peace,that was wonderful advice, it
really was uh.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
So current life, now family life, uh, and how does
family impact your business,your organization?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
It.
It does impact my organization.
It's one thing I feel reallybad about as as a as a physician
as those probably a lot ofphysicians is that we kind of
put our family life asidesomewhat.
We kind of put our family lifeaside somewhat, unfortunately,
(09:11):
because we are always on calland you never, you know.
You have to sometimes say, I'msorry, I can't do.
I got to take this call or Igot to go see this patient, or
something like that.
So that's one thing I feel badabout.
My kids have grown up notknowing their father as much as
they should, but I try to stillspend as much time and guidance
(09:34):
as I can with them.
That's good.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
But from that aspect you're doing it with the right
heart.
Right, you want to be aprovider and do what was best
for your family.
But just sometimes a careerfield or the area that we choose
requires that sort of thatcommitment.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And I tell my daughter who's in, she's pre-med
now, she wants to go to medicalschool.
I said, choose, if I had to doit over again, I'd probably be
an anesthesiologist, becausethey make good money and when
they're off they're off, theydon't have to take calls or
anything.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
I used to.
That was actually crazy thatyou say that when I was in high
school I was looking at a careerpath, like I joined the Florida
State Overbound Program and Ididn't know.
It was like 10th or 11th gradeand I still didn't know what I
wanted to do.
You know, as far as when I gotout of school and my mom used to
(10:32):
have these encyclopedias Idon't know how she got every
letter of the alphabet, but shehad every letter of the alphabet
encyclopedias and I looked inthere at the time.
It was called nurseanesthetists, right, uh-huh, yep
.
And I looked it up, nurseanesthetist and my cousin
actually went to school uh drill, uh, for uh to become a nurse.
(10:54):
But I did a little research.
I was like they have to seeblood and stuff like that and I
got scared, yeah, so I didn't doit.
I didn't do it, but yep, butit's crazy to say I don't know.
That just came to my mind atthe time.
But uh, so sports and we'regonna take a break here.
This is a comfy break.
I like to do comedy here on theshow, uh, at the time.
(11:22):
So we're gonna do a.
Dr Edwards, unfortunately, is aUniversity of Florida Gator fan.
You say you know Florida Gator.
I'm a Seminole and a rattler.
Oh my goodness yeah, so you knowpart in Seminole and rattler,
but just tell us what.
Tell us, you play sports inhigh school, right, right, right
, right.
What sports did you play?
(11:43):
My biggest sport was tennis.
I was.
But just tell us, you playedsports in high school, right,
right, right.
What sports did you play?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
My biggest sport was tennis.
I was number one on the tennisteam all three years in high
school Wow.
And we actually went to state,won our conference and
everything, and I was ranked asvery low in the rankings At that
time.
It was called the United StatesLawn Tennis Association Wow,
(12:09):
although we didn't play on grass, we played on ball services.
But when I was younger I usedto go to tournaments in Lakeland
and Tampa and so forth.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Really how many people used to be in the crowd.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
What do you mean in the crowd?
Oh, in the crowd.
Yeah, you know I try not to payattention to that.
I never played in stadiums,they were just kind of out and
about, so I wasn't that high inthe rankings.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
So I never won anything.
I was joking with you.
I was joking, yeah, but, yeah.
But you also played footballand basketball.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Played football and basketball Tied in.
It was my favorite Tight end.
They tried to make mequarterback, but I didn't like
being quarterback.
What I really like to do isdefensive things.
I like to tackle people.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You like to tackle people?
All right, basketball, yes, forour comedy section.
I want to ask you what's yourfavorite University of Florida
quarterback of all time?
Oh, steve Spurrier, steveSpurrier, steve Spurrier, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Why Steve Spurrier?
I met Steve Spurrier with mydad, was a Bull Gator, okay, and
so he loved the Gators and wewent to all the football games
and he introduced me to SteveSpurrier back when he was
actually a player.
Oh, wow.
And then later again when hewas a coach.
So I've always liked SteveSprague.
(13:26):
I've got an autographed pictureof him.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Okay, yeah, I can't be a hater about that one.
Yeah, I can't hate you.
All right, so, and top runningback of all time for the Florida
Gators and wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Oh, running back, I didn.
Emmett Emmett, yeah, emmettSmith, emmett Smith, yep.
And as far as wide receivers, Ihad a number of them, a lot of
good ones.
I can't think of one.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Taylor Jacobs.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, you've had what was it?
Redell Anthony playing for youall?
Yeah, andre Caldwell, I likehim, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
There's just a lot of good ones.
They all caught on so it's hardto pick one, it's okay.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Defense.
Last one this is defense player.
Oh, defensive player.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Again, we had a lot of good ones.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
I can't pick one out individually Not one individual
Not really Not really Gotchaindividual not really not really
gotcha.
Let me try to think of mine.
Not for the bucks, the booksyou could okay I'm a bucks fan
there, so we are together there,yeah, but defense probably for
the florida, I would say, andI'm not a fan, by the way
(14:37):
probably was uh he won ratliff.
Yeah, he won rat lift was apretty good play.
I like him, uh, and probablykey one rat lift, uh.
Brandon Spikes too.
Oh yeah, I like Spikes goodlinebacker, but probably keep on
rat lift though he will he willget my number one, yeah, but
(14:58):
all right, so that's our comfycomedy section.
Okay, yeah, thank you forsharing that, dr, dr Everson,
but let's go back into it andwe're going to talk about your
passion and what do you docurrently your current
employment status.
What do you do right now?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Right, now I am long-term care, which means
nursing home, nursing home doc.
I've been doing that the whole33 years and that's a passion of
mine, as well as end of lifecare is a passion of mine, with
hospice.
Okay, that's kind of one of mynewest passions.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
And then EMS has always been a passion in life
and, as I said, I'm medicaldirector the thing I admire
about you is the same thing,sort of how you started you
still you didn't just lose trackof it or stop doing it right,
you continue on at least havingan impact in that in those areas
(15:57):
still and I use mad fleet.
Probably everyone here in pascodefinitely is um, I know about
mad fleek, so that's a plug foryou med fleek.
But uh, what influenced yourtreatment style, your treatment
method?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
um, and it started as out in ems too.
Um, probably from the way myfather brought me up, he was in
business and insurance and realestate, so he was big in
treating people right and he waswhat he would say.
(16:35):
If he didn't like somebodywhich he always liked everybody
he said he'd kill them withkindness.
Basically he wouldn't actuallykill them, but he'd be extra
nice to that person.
This, basically, he mightactually kill him, but he'd be
extra nice to that person.
Um, but basically it.
It's not that I was trained inmarketing.
It just kind of came naturallyfrom what my father taught me
and um, do treat people likeyou'd want to be treated.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
That's the least thing, yeah, stars at home.
So if I was, if a patient outin the audience right now, what
experience they can expect whenthey come and visit Dr Edwards?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Well, I'm going to sit down with you and I'm going
to talk with you.
I'm going to find out what Ican do.
One of my favorite questions iswhat do I need to know about
you so I can give you the bestcare possible?
And that really opens up a loton a personal level.
(17:32):
It makes them feel like youcare about them and what you
want to know about them as aperson, not just treat them as
another patient or anothernumber.
So and I try to respect them asa person, I try to.
You know a lot of physicians tryto push their will on the
(17:52):
patient.
Well, if you don't do exactlywhat I say, because I'm the
doctor, then I'm not going totreat you anymore.
You can go to another doctor.
So I get a lot of patients thatway.
A lot of doctors give theirpatients up because they're not
doing what they want them to do.
And I'm flexible.
You know, if the patient wantsto be comfortable, wants to not
(18:13):
go through certain things, thatis their right.
That's their right, you'reright.
That's what I let them do and Itry to help them be as
comfortable as possible in thatand not give up on them.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Right, you dare to lead and sort of guide, but you
also let them have this sort ofthe control of their health care
and their bodies as well,because technically they know
themselves or should know whatthey feel.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Right, right, so having that open line of
communication.
As long as they're informed,and I inform them and I say but
it's your decision, yourdecision, and I try to make it a
cooperative thing Got you, socan you sort of explain your
private practice and yourorganizational structure?
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Well, it's a very easy one.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I used to have a hospital-owned practice with a
couple different hospitals inthe area and as a family
physician and seeing patients inthe office, and still did the
hospital and the nursing home onthe side.
So when my twins were born 21years ago boy-girl twins my wife
(19:15):
said I need help and so I gaveup the office and just did
nursing home full time, whichprovided a lot more flexibility
in my schedule.
But Listen, that's good.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
So if and I'm sorry I forgot your question- so the
question was what's your, yourprivate practice, what's your
organization?
Speaker 2 (19:36):
so my organization is basically my wife is my office
manager, so to speak, my biller,and everything like that.
We do everything to keep theoverhead low because when I was
in a hospital practice theyreally inflated the overhead.
I mean, a typical physician'soffice has at that time had at
least 50% overhead and with ahospital practice it's even more
(20:00):
than that because in thehospital takes more of their cut
out of it for theiradministrators and so forth.
So I kind of got tired of thatas well as my twins were born.
So we developed a model whereit's a mom and pop model.
My wife takes care of all thebilling and the credentialing
and stuff like that.
I basically do just Medicareand Medicaid.
(20:22):
I don't do any HMOs or PPOsvery few anyway.
So the billing is prettystraightforward and she takes
care of that beautifully.
And I see the patients when Iwork out of my home and just
travel to the different nursinghomes or hospice facilities that
I need to go to.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Well shout out to Mrs Edwards yes, ma'am, yes sir,
all right, team effort, uh, butalso just having that open line
of communication in yourmarriage one, and for you to
make the adjustment when youknow the time was right.
You know for you, when she saidshe needed help, you did
something about it and that'simportant, probably actually why
y'all probably still togethernow too, yeah, yeah.
(21:04):
So, man, I congratulate you, uhfor that, because that it takes
a lot to still be in tune athome, uh, when you're you have
such a high demanding job, so Icommend you for that.
Yeah, seriously, man, uh.
So if your career was a movie,right, um, what would the title
be of your, your career rightnow?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
oh, oh, my gosh, what would it be?
You come up with the craziestquestions, but you're fun, you.
I have no idea, you got to giveme one.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Come on down there A title of a movie, a title of
your movie, your story, yourchapter.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I'll just say, doc, dr E Smiley E.
I got a patient called Smiley Gand he calls me Smiley E.
Smiley E okay, Because I'malways smiling.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
That is true.
I have yet to see, just withgoing back from our history as
well, and I want to share thiswhy you say Smiley E.
So I'm going to share our story, dr Edward's story.
So I became a nursing homeadministrator at it was at the
time, of course, those five mainchains so far that you
experienced.
I was orchid cove, uh at dadecity, working cove at dade city,
(22:19):
and I became an administratorthere and at the time we had a
different uh medical director,but my uh director of admissions
and business development, uh,joni, she said you didn't get
that.
That was in here.
I said that it was who's that?
I don't even know him like that.
And uh, she said well, he, good.
So I talked to uh, my nurseclinical leader, my director of
(22:43):
nurse at the time, uh, and Iasked my unit manager, just
asking the team, because I saidwhat physician y'all like you
know here?
Because I'm new, new to thefacility.
I was like so what physicianare y'all like here?
Because I'm new to the facilityand they was already on me.
We need a new medical director,we need a new medical director
and every time it came up, drEdwards, dr Edwards.
So I reached out to you I saidman, hey, dr Edwards, I'd like
(23:03):
for you to become our medicaldirector here.
I want to go through the stepsto do so, and you know, and that
happened.
I appreciate it and I neverregretted it.
I stayed in contact with youthroughout my career after that
and just, you've always beenwilling to help with the virtual
visits that we have and you'vealready been up on technology in
(23:25):
the field as well, in themedical field, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
So yes, sir, but I started off with my own EHR,
kind of put together my own EHRbefore electronic medical
records was in vogue.
I saw that coming, oh gotcha,and I said I want to do that.
I'm tired of writing stuff.
Of course you can't read mywriting.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, but you are a very good administrator.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
You're a very good administrator, you're a very
good administrator, thank you, Iappreciate it.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
One of the best I've been with.
I appreciate it, man, and I'veheard that, but I always be
thinking like I can't believethey say that.
I've been thinking that all thetime.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
How do they say that?
And you probably didn't know atthe time, but I'm still one of
the only certified medicaldirectors in the area, really so
I'm surprised that more nursinghomes haven't hired CMDs
certified medical directors bythe American Medical Directors
Association in Long-Term Care.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Because we're trained in being medical directors for
skilled nursing facilities.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
To sound good, I say I knew it.
Yeah, I knew that, I knew hewas already certified and
everything.
I'm lying.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
But a lot of nursing home administrators either don't
know that or they don't careabout that.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
So let me repeat that again NHA's nurse home
administrators out there, ifyou're in the market looking for
a new medical director, youshould search for.
Looking for a new medicaldirector, you should search for.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Certified medical director from AMDA AMDA American
Medical Directors AssociationAll right, and they put us
through a very rigorous courseto certify us for that.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
All right, thank you, dr Everett, for that.
So what's the most surprisingthing you've learned about
yourself just this year?
Just this year, just this year,we'll tell you because I know
you have just this year, um yousurprising that I'm getting old.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Yeah, I'm starting to feel it.
Yeah, uh, when I I thought I'dfeel it when I turned 50, but
when I turned 65, I don't knowif it was in my head or not, but
I'm starting to hurt a littlebit here, a little aches and
pains.
I still try to stay active andrun, and stuff, do you still?
Play tennis Not as much as Iused to, but you still try.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
I haven't played in a while.
That's good.
That's good Just from anaccomplishment standpoint,
because you list so many, whichis wonderful.
Just what other thing you'd sayyou're probably most proud of,
whether it's an accomplishmentor a project that you worked on,
Probably?
Speaker 2 (26:04):
most proud other than my kids.
I love my kids, I'm most proudof them, and my wife that I have
I'm most proud of them, and mywife that I have I'm most proud
of her.
Yes, but probably the mostaccomplishment is becoming a
paramedic and being one of thefirst to what we call the
(26:25):
originals.
We still have a group.
We get together twice a year.
We try to call the originalsthat.
We still have a group.
We get together twice a year.
We try to call the originalsfor that.
We started Alachua County FireRescue.
It was actually called AlachuaCounty EMS when I was hired
there, but then they took in thefire department component and
changed the name to AlachuaCounty Fire Rescue.
(26:46):
So I was the first hired as thefirst rescue chief for them.
I was the youngest rescue chief.
I worked there, worked asrescue chief for six years and
probably my biggestaccomplishment is being involved
in EMS all these years anddoing the right things for
patients, whether it's an EMSsituation, long-term care
(27:09):
situation, office situation orend of life, and I like being
able to guide people throughtheir end of life care and keep
them comfortable as well.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
All right.
Yeah, that's very important outthere and you've been doing it
for a long time.
I got to keep saying that.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
It doesn't seem like it.
It's like just yesterday.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
So we're going to do another break.
Another company comedy,education and entertainment,
entertainment.
So we're going to stop.
Pause for a moment.
Pause, edit, pause that.
So I left my dog on sheets overthere, so he's going to edit
all this out.
You can keep it rolling.
What time we got shot?
(27:55):
Cuz you don't give me no time.
No, look man huh.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
That's the minutes on there.
Sometimes I get to rambling.
No, sometimes I get to rambling.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
We actually doing good on time.
I just was thinking the wholetime over there how much time I
got, how much time I got when weat.
You should put a like 10minutes, like you did last time.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yeah, you should put a timer up behind you.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You got the phone right there, you can do it All
(29:40):
right, so that's going to lastforever.
Oh, I have trying to put thisgame side.
That it was and they didn'tprint out almost freaking stuff.
Yeah, she didn't.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, not ever, that's allright, I'm good, I got.
I got all day.
This didn't not print.
I got to look forward to hiswork at the house.
Hmm, got pick up all that stufffrom the hurricane.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Oh, yeah, it's a lot too, I know.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Do you have any damage?
Speaker 1 (30:53):
We had a few shingles fall and then we had for some
reason a water leak and a smokedetector.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
And a smoke detector.
Huh, and we had a roofingcouple put the tarp on yesterday
.
Yeah, luckily we didn't haveany rain right afterwards and
it's been nice weather.
I was deployed to severalhurricanes.
(31:21):
I used to work for HomelandSecurity and I was chief medical
officer for there's a lot ofthings.
I forget to put in that stuff.
Yeah, I was going to say you,I've done so many things Chief
medical officer for a DMAT team,disaster medical assistance
team, florida 3.
And so we were the firstdeployed to when they had all
(31:43):
three hurricanes starting inPunta Gorda, went down there and
anyway, to make a long storyshort, uh, and then we ended up
in louisiana, panama city andthen louisiana after that.
Um, so I built my house as muchhurricane, hurricane proof as
possible.
(32:03):
So I got 16 foot concrete wallor 16 inch concrete walls with
steel barb what we barbed, andthe roof is held down with big
steel cables and stuff like that.
Got a generator in the houseand everything, but still, you
know we lose water, can't flushyour toilets.
You got to go out to pool andget water and put it in there.
(32:25):
Just inconvenient stuff, justhow they work.
And my mother, she came,weathered out the hurricane with
us and wanted to go back home.
I said, mom, you don't haveelectricity, you don't have any
TV, because that's all she doeswatch TV.
What's your name called.
She said I'm in your way.
(32:47):
I'd rather be at homecomfortable.
I said but, you're not going tobe comfortable.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
You can't come in here.
I opened the door, but no iPad,no phone.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
I said I'm going to let her sit here, Can you do
that?
And she'll come around.
She'll see how uncomfortableshe is.
She'll come around Back thenext day into the crib.
She had all the windows closed.
That little old lady gotsomehow got all those heavy
windows closed it was 85 degreesin there.
I said, mom, aren't you?
Speaker 1 (33:17):
hot, can we get down first and then do it?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
yeah, but she keeps.
Every time I go over there shefiddles with it she's got it on
heat.
She'll say I'm hot.
I said well, mom, we got.
Well, come on, we've gotsomebody put the heat on.
I don't know how that happens.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
All right so.
Dr Edwards we're gonna go aheadand start.
What time you got shut on thereright now six minutes.
So my game I had.
I didn't work out your game.
Yeah, I had a game, but wewould do another game.
Yeah, all right so play gamesyeah, I'm just kidding.
(33:59):
So this company coffee comedysection is just a random
question, random thoughts, allright, okay, so you get three
seconds to respond, so the firstthing you come to your head,
okay, sometimes that doesn'thappen in three seconds, okay,
but we'll try.
We'll try, all right.
So uh favorite color a red fireengine, red brian, you read,
(34:24):
all right, uh.
Next one is uh favorite actor afavorite actor.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Who's my favorite actor?
Uh, I guess johnny gage.
I don't know who the actor is,you don't?
Speaker 1 (34:36):
know their names.
You like me, I'll be knowing myface, but yeah, a favorite show
tv show favorite tv show, gosh.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
That used to be laughing when I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Laughing, yeah, I got a lot of favorite ones, a lot
of favorite.
Okay, uh, if you had to eat onemeal oh wait.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
My favorite show now, though, is uh op nation.
Uh, oh, I'm, it's uh on patrol,live, on patrol, live yeah all
right, got it.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Um, if you had to eat one meal every single day, what
meal would that?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
be Steak, Just steak Medium rare.
Yeah, that's all.
Oh, the whole meal I haveonions with it and green beans
and garlic bread.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Oh, yeah, okay, you eat that every day.
Yeah, I eat it every day.
All right, okay, and what isyour?
Do you cook?
Not as much as I used to.
What would you say your stapledish in your family?
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Oh, that my wife cooks now is chicken.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
That's your wife's chicken If it was me, it'd be
steak, It'd be steak.
Got it Fried or baked?
How do you like?
I like it grilled.
Oh the chicken, yeah, thechicken, oh, I eat it anyway,
but fried's my favorite, fried'syour favorite, good old fried
chicken.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah, so do you like Steph's?
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Like what?
Do you ever go to Steph's inDade City?
What's it called?
It's called Steph's Soul Food,I think.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Oh no, Is that the one that's behind the church?
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Uh-huh, I mean, people say it's good gold yeah,
gold I used to be calledsomething else, uh, johnny's or
something like that.
Oh really.
Well, when I used to work upthere in dave city, we had as a
family.
We started going there likeonce a week.
I was addicted to it.
But it's good, man, uh.
And if you could take uh onecelebrity on a date, who would
(36:18):
it be?
Speaker 2 (36:19):
on a date.
On a date, it would be my wife.
She's my celebrity, really oh,she's my celebrity.
Really, she's my celebrity.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
He's just saying that no, I'm not, you have nobody
though.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
I wouldn't date a celebrity, because they're too.
They don't have a private life.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
They don't have a private life.
He liked privacy and yourfavorite place that you ever
went on a trip to- my favoriteplace is the mountains.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I love going to the North.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Carolina mountains.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
I like hiking.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I don't know about hiking, but I like just the
temperature and everything upthere.
The floor is a little too hotand leggy, you know.
Alright, but back to the show.
Back to the show, alright,right Back to the show, all
right.
So health advice.
Of course, the mission ofComfort Measures, consulting and
Listen Comfort Podcast isempower listeners with the
(37:13):
knowledge and resources to agecomfortably.
So our next category is healthadvice.
So, in long term, health andwellness, just what are some
general advice that you wouldgive individuals above the age
of 50?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Keep active as much as you can, physically active,
moving around.
When you stop moving, yourhealth goes down quickly.
And keep your brain activeReading, crossword puzzles,
music, anything like that thatstimulates your brain.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
That is very interesting.
I was speaking to a doctor andshe was telling me about an app
that they're actually working onthat helps patients with like
well, help sort of prevent sortof that cognitive loss and
decline.
So there's apps out there forthat.
But you're right, that iswonderful advice.
Keep your mind active and yourbody active.
(38:11):
Yep, right, not stationary.
That's wonderful right.
And any advice for caregiversout there you have a long
history of been caregivers foryou know loved ones yourself,
history of being caregivers foryou know loved ones yourself.
Just one thing that you'd saythat you wish you would have
done as a caregiver, and not notnecessarily associated to the
(38:32):
care that you were provided, butjust for yourself during that
period of time well, I don'tthink I had a problem with this,
but I would say, be patient andbe understanding.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
It's hard to put your place yourself in their shoes,
you know, and how would you wantto be treated when you get that
age and become more like achild again?
You know, some people do becomemore like a child again.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Right right, Any resources you would advise that
maybe you utilize I know you'rea physician, but that you found
helpful or, if you didn't use it, just any resources that you
think that people should takeadvantage of.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Well, you know, I kind of grew up before computers
and computers are very useful,but you've got to be.
You got to watch what, whereyou get the advice from, because
you got a lot of bad advice.
So you can search a lot ofthings on on the internet, as
long as it's coming fromreputable sites, you know, like
(39:37):
Mayo Clinic, or as far asmedical advice, mayo Clinic or
there's several other good sitesout there.
You know, just don't getinvolved in a lot of these blogs
that say you know you get a lotof people ranting on about they
do this and do that.
You get a lot of bad advicewith that, but you can get some
(39:58):
good guidance that way.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
A lot of people are healthcare experts these days.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Yeah, yeah yeah, Okay that way.
A lot of people are healthcareexperts these days.
The main point of that is toeducate yourself.
Educate yourself as much aspossible.
Unfortunately, even in themedical world, you can't always
rely on physicians to knoweverything that's coming from a
doctor.
We don't know everything andwe're not God.
(40:26):
So if you don't like what onephysician is saying, research it
Politely.
Say well, what about this doc,If they're not willing to work
with you?
Find somebody that will.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Find somebody that will, that's a good one.
And your collaborations withhospitals you've always done so.
What are some of the, I guess,things that you feel from an
improvement standpoint, that youthink the hospitals to the
skilled nursing facility orrehab transition, how, what
areas you think can improve inthat?
Speaker 2 (41:00):
The same thing that that CMS wants to improve and
all the experts communications.
And even though we've tried tomake strides at communications
and demanded communications, westill don't get to
communications.
Hipaa a lot of people don'tunderstand the HIPAA Act.
It wasn't meant to detercommunications but because of
(41:27):
that they seem to not want tocommunicate with us.
We'll have people that we'llsend to the ER and they'll send
them right back, but they won'tsend us the information on what
they did and it's like pullingteeth to try to go through their
medical records department toget it and so forth.
So it just shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Shouldn't be that it should be more streamlined, so
it's almost like beingimprisoned by the, the, the
HIPAA law, the restricted by it.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
They they hide behind HIPAA or they say it's HIPAA,
but really we're caring for thepatient, so HIPAA is not
involved.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
But they a lot of people in between don't know
that, right, right, and justfrom, I'm glad you stated that,
because a point I actually did apost about this a while back on
LinkedIn is how can we improvecommunication with the hospitals
, with the care providers out inthe community?
(42:22):
Because really it's almost likethe hospitals are like this
major, almost like monopoly,right, you know everyone's going
to have to go to the hospital,right, and that from there,
typically, is where all theother care providers actually
become involved.
But it's so much limited accessto hospitals.
And I understand, right,because if you have every level
(42:45):
of care wanting access to you,it's sort of um, hard to sort of
open up that gate to everyoneand give that access.
But do you have any advice forthat of how we communicate?
Because I even posed thethought I'll just share this
with you and I'd like to hearyour thoughts on it of like
hospitals having like aparticular day, like a vendor
(43:06):
day, so to speak, where theywould have a dedicated case
manager or care coordinationteam member to just be there for
different time gaps.
You know, whether it's assistedliving facilities hey, this is
your time gap for the day, orfor this week, skilled nursing
providers, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
So that was sort of like an advice I gave, but it's
such a restricted space.
Yeah, if we could.
You know when we, when westarted off with with the
mandating medical records andEHR in medicine, the thought was
that we would be able to shareinformation and with all the
different EHR companies outthere they haven't really
integrated with each other andif we could somehow.
(43:50):
And I understand privacy andthe resistance because they
don't want to leak anyinformation, because that's a
big penalty if you leak patientinformation to the wrong people.
But we've got to be able to getinto the hospital system and
see what look up information onour patient.
And they should be able to lookinto our system and look up
(44:10):
information on the patient sothey're not relying on calling
the nursing home to getinformation and they might get a
nurse that's never worked withthem.
But if they look into the chart, the patient's chart, they can
get more information.
So it needs to be right now andnot I mean, it's a good idea
that you have for the liaison,but we need information right
(44:32):
now.
In a lot of cases You're rightand we can't wait.
And so there's a hospital.
They need information right now, exactly, and it could head off
a lot of things like the DNRsand so forth.
And it could head off a lot ofthings like the DNRs and so
forth, but also just inphysician's offices, physician's
offices can share with thehospitals and the nursing homes
(44:53):
and so forth.
I think it would cut down a lotof redundancy and a lot of
problems that that brings up.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Yes, I agree with you .
I agree with you Advancement intechnology forthcoming.
Do you know about anyadvancements or anything you're
excited about from a technologystandpoint?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Well, excited and kind of weary about or leery
about, rather, ai.
Ai is a big thing out there now.
A lot of people are leery aboutAI.
I think AI has its artificialintelligence has its purposes In
a lot of ways.
It can shortcut a physician'sthinking and decision making.
(45:40):
But in my experience with AI AIjust in coming up with lectures
or something like that my kidskind of turned me on to AI a
while back when they were incollege because they use AI a
lot to come up with their papersand so forth.
But I don't know if this wasthat professors want them to
know that.
But so they said hey, dad, youknow I was gonna do a one on
(46:04):
constipation for a group ofnurse practitioners.
So I said I'll try this ai.
They hooked me up with a coupleai things.
So I put give me all the lateston constipation.
It put out beautiful lookinglecture on constipation, but
then I spent more time factchecking it to make sure I was
right, that it was right.
I did find some errors.
(46:25):
So it's not without errors, itdepends.
It's just like what you put inis what you get out to a
computer.
So same with AI.
But I think it's beneficialwhen you first have a patient,
maybe the nurse that checks themin could put all their symptoms
into the computer and AI couldgive you shorten your list of
(46:49):
differentials, gives them tothen kind of shorten the time
that they have to spend,hopefully, with figuring it out
and there and then, or thatmight bring up something.
(47:09):
Oh, I didn't think about thissyndrome.
That might be a cause too.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yes, so there's advantages and disadvantages,
but you still need that sort ofpersonal touch human touch.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
I don't think you should rely solely on AI but
there's some benefit no no.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
So what are some questions you wish?
Just from a caregiverstandpoint, what are some
questions if you have a patientcoming in to you, or a loved one
with their mother or father?
What are some questions you'dsay they should ask or you'd
like for people to ask more of?
Speaker 2 (47:53):
What do you want?
What are?
Where are you in life right nowand what do you want?
You know, are you tired ofpoking and prodding and the
medical system sending you thisspecialist, that specialist,
that specialist?
Some people want, want that andwant to find out about it, but
some people have been throughall of that and it is.
It's difficult, um, and theyjust want to be.
(48:17):
I have a lot of patients say Ijust want to be left alone.
You know, and you got torespect that and and help them
through that process, and thenthey may change their mind at
some other point when you canlet them know.
Speaker 1 (48:29):
Right.
So you, what I can justunderstand, and this is what I
knew about you as well you'reall person-centered care.
Yes, person-centered care Focuson the patient what they desire
, and a lot of times we see inour industries too, our loved
ones will get involved andthey're sort of speaking for the
patient, or they have adifferent agenda.
(48:49):
Have a different agenda, as youknow.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
As you know.
But a lot of times the careshould be focused on the
individual, because this istheir body and they should have
some control there.
How do you and I should add tothat that it's important to
understand on the individual,because this is their body and
they should have some controlthere.
Speaker 2 (49:05):
And I should add to that that it's important to
understand when you havecaregiver resistance, they
aren't on the same page as thepatient.
I had this the other day a ladyin the hospice unit that was a
full code.
And, yes, you can be in hospiceand be full code, which means
if your heart stops and you stopbreathing, they have to do
chest compressions and breathefor you and they end up in a
(49:28):
ventilator and and so forth,probably crack some ribs and so
forth.
So this was this lady.
Looked like a holocaust victim,she was, and she was on death's
door.
She could go at any time andthey told me she was full code.
Why is she full code?
Because the husband hasn'tbrought himself around to the
realization that she's going tolose her, and so, in that aspect
(49:54):
, instead of being mad like thesister-in-law was mad at him,
you have to say well, you haveto delve into what's.
What's going on with him.
So he's now a patient as well.
Why is it that you feel thisway instead of being resistant
(50:14):
against him?
No, you got to do it this way.
You got to make her a full coat.
Why don't you what's, what areyour fears, and get them to talk
about that and get them to comearound.
But this is the reality andwhat's going to happen to her if
we do this CPR and so forth.
So it's kind of a balancing act.
A lot of physicians don't gothe extra mile to do it.
Speaker 1 (50:35):
It's almost like your counselor as well.
Yep, yes, sir.
So just throughout your careerI know you was an EMS long-time
paramedic.
What is one of the mostmemorable stories you have?
That just stuck with you tothis day.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
Funny or that traumatized me.
Speaker 1 (50:54):
No, just any story.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
It doesn't have to be funny, Well probably some of
the things that bothered me.
I don't know if I mentioned thisat the beginning or not, but
the way elderly people areneglected.
I had one instance that stillhas nightmares about this today,
where I think this lady was inher 90s.
(51:17):
She was out in the ruralcommunity outside of Gainesville
and she lived in a littletrailer and she had rolled out
of bed for some reason, fallenout of bed and was trapped
between her bed and the wall ofher trailer and she laid there
for something like five days, tothe point where rats had
(51:38):
started nibbling at her toes.
And when we got to her, aneighbor had checked on her
finally and said you know, Ihadn't seen her for a while and
did a welfare check, found herand she had, um, you know,
maggots were starting to eat onthe toes and so forth.
So it was a pitiful scene.
I mean, she was almost ready togo.
(51:59):
The thing that bothered meabout that the most is her son
lived next door, never came andchecked on her.
Never came and checked on herand I, just to this day, I don't
understand that.
And there's a lot of elderlypeople that are that way.
There's nobody to watch out forthem and check on them and
(52:20):
advocate for them, wow, wow.
So and advocate for them, wow,wow.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
And I got a lot of funny stories too.
Right right I know, but that'sa touching story and I can see
how that sticks with you.
Speaker 2 (52:31):
Yeah.
I can see a lot of badaccidents and everything, but
those are the things that botherme the most.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
Yeah, and I'll just share a story for me that stuck
with me to this day is duringCOVID.
We had a COVID unit facilityand one of our residents there
he was very afraid of gettingCOVID.
And I just remember I don'tknow why him, because I've
(52:58):
talked to many patients I usedto sort of go in and be personal
to them when they actually wastested positive for COVID, sort
of give them the protocols andprocedures and why we're doing
what we're doing.
And I talked to this gentleman.
He said I was in his room,gowned up, you have to go, the
whole thing.
And he said Norman.
(53:18):
I said, hey, man, we have tomove you over to our COVID unit.
We'll do that today.
Later on today, he said Norman,he looked at me.
I just still could see the lookin his eyes.
He said I don't want to die.
So we moved him over to theCOVID unit and about a week and
a half later, about nine dayslater, he died.
(53:38):
So I was like man, I could seethe fear in his eyes.
So, yeah, that stuck with me aswell.
Some people, though but I'veseen multiple, you know people
pass away all of that, but thatone there just stuck with me.
Yeah, but it was at your heart.
Yeah, for sure.
And I know you have a lot ofstories, but your just
(53:59):
dedication to Pasco, pascoCounty.
Why Pasco?
I know it's home for you, butjust your general impact on
Pasco County.
If you can just share that withthe audience.
Speaker 2 (54:12):
Well yeah, home, born and raised here Know a lot of
people Wouldn't be anyplace else, other than as I get older, if
I retire, maybe I'll go up toNorth Georgia, where it's a
little cooler.
Speaker 1 (54:25):
Yeah, a little cooler , but not too cold.
Yeah, yeah, and so you knowabout the what's it?
Comquats.
Oh yeah, yeah, comquats.
Speaker 2 (54:32):
Yeah, that's right outside of.
I live in San Antonio now San.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
Antonio, okay.
And the next little area overis the Comquat capital of the
world, kumquat capital is uhyeah, actually, uh, so just he
shot with dave city of sanantonio right, I think it was it
, but the kumquat festival isbig boy.
Talk here now.
Kumquat festival made the foodnetwork channel.
Oh, did it yeah, it made.
Speaker 2 (54:56):
I saw it on.
I said look at dave city indade city.
But the actual capital wherethey grew all the kumquats was
out in St Joseph, out St Joe.
Oh okay, so this is a realhistory right here.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
Real history.
So yeah, man.
So thank you, dr Edwards,anything else?
A last thoughts to the audiencehere, our comfy listeners, of
one where they can locate you atyour offices, if you'll share
that with them, but also anywebsite or social media you'd
like to share with the audience.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
Not really Like I say I don't have an office.
I work in nursing homes andother facilities, so I'm kind of
a sniffist, if you will.
A skilled nursing facility, doc.
Okay, so there's really nooffice or websites or anything I
can think of.
Speaker 1 (55:43):
No website?
Okay, but I'm going to say thisfor Dr Edwards.
Just google him.
Google Dr Thomas Edwards, dadeCity or Pasco County.
He's on, like so many differentwebsites.
What is it called Approximity?
Yeah, there was one.
Speaker 2 (56:00):
I googled myself the other day.
I had one review on google thatsaid this guy is a pervert from
seven years ago.
I have no idea who it is onereview.
Speaker 1 (56:15):
Well, no, that well I didn't say for my experience
and donald was always getting mydon't, always got my vote up,
never let me down Veryresponsive too.
Responsiveness and professional.
I appreciate that.
That's what stands out for me.
And the care and just the sameway he's talking right now, his
voice level, the same way hetreats his patients, the same
(56:38):
way he treats people.
He knows how to treat peoplevery well, so I'm glad to have
you.
When I reached out to youmonths ago about joining the
show, you didn't hesitate.
Uh, so that it always stickswith me, man so I know it's
coming from a good place.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, but as comfortmeasures, consulting the let's
(56:59):
get comfy podcast Anotherepisode in the books with the
legendary Dr Thomas Edwards.
Thank you, sir, y'all staytuned.
Be sure to like, comment andsubscribe on YouTube.
Please follow along on YouTube,subscribe to let's Get Comfy
podcast, look at other episodes,check out all our short clips,
(57:22):
like, comment and subscribe onthose as well.
Need your support.
Come for listeners, listencover podcast salute.
All right.
Yeah, how long that was.
All right, it's another episode of the let's Get
Comfort podcast.
We are back, Florida's numberone healthcare entertainment
station, home for love, peaceand joy, but most of all comfort
.
I'm your host, Norman Harris,and sole proprietor of let's Get
Comfort podcast.
We have a special guestdedicated to Pasco County, Tampa
(00:26):
, Florida, Tampa Bay area,actually A historian, a legend,
Dr Thomas Edwards.
Welcome to the show, sir, Thankyou.
Thank you for having me.
Yes, sir, yes sir.
Dr Edwards, I thank you forjoining me on the show man.
It means so much to me forhaving you, but just tell the
audience, audience, let you doyour own introductions because
(00:48):
it's it's, it's the longest.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh, my goodness, I don't know if you want to have
here all of them.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, tell them who dot.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So tell the audience who dr edwards is well, um, I'm
a jack of all trades, I guesssum it up.
In the medical field, startedoff in high school, wanted to be
a paramedic and had to waittill I turned 18 to take the
first EMT test.
Worked my way up in paramedicsfrom Alachua County EMS I was
(01:17):
one of the first rescue chiefsfor Alachua County EMS in
Gainesville.
Did that for six years, cameback to my hometown of Dade City
, became a firefighter paramedicafter I went to medical school,
(01:38):
of course, and so I didfirefighter paramedic for about
14 years and then I've been aphysician for 33 years.
So in EMS or medical field it'sbeen 40, about 50, almost 50
years, 49 years.
In the EMS medical field I'mstill medical director for it in
an EMS for MedFleet Ambulance.
(01:59):
I've been there since theystarted, yeah, medfleet.
And I've been medical directorfor several skilled nursing
facilities Pasco Rehab that hasnow been closed in Dade City
years ago.
Roar Loke Nursing Home, dadeCity Health and Rehab, which you
hired me there when you were anadministrator there.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
How many name changes you've been through there at?
Uh, oh, my goodness, with allof them, all of them um, yeah,
probably about five or six.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I remember when it used to be owned by the city.
The city of dade city used toown, oh, city health rehab.
Wow, um, so it was called.
Uh, what was it called then?
I think it was dade city healthyeah, they went full circle
back to it.
Full circle back to it.
Yeah, and I used to work tohave an office and always did
(02:53):
long-term care in nursing homes,did a little home health where
I went out and saw patients intheir homes, did that for a
while ALFs as well, but beennursing home doc for the whole
time and do that full timepretty much now as well as
hospice.
(03:13):
I'm also medical director forSt Leo University for their
student health clinic, right,and I work as a team physician
for Gulfside Hospice for theeast side of the county, and I'm
also a kind of a not reallymedical director but a area
(03:40):
physician for two companiesLongevity, which is an insurance
company that takes care oflong-term care patients with
nurse practitioners, and thenalso Optum, which does the same
thing.
They are an offshoot of Unitedthat takes care of United Health
patients in long-term carefacilities, so a lot of
(04:02):
extensive work in long-term carefacilities as well.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
So audience out there comfortably listeners.
As you can see, that was a longintroduction.
He's a very accomplishedindividual, for sure, and this
is why I had him on the show sohe could share his insight and
expertise with you all today.
So I'm so happy you joined usand expertise with you all today
.
So I'm so happy you joined us.
Dr Edwards was one of the firstbatch of paramedics in the state
(04:30):
of Florida, one of the firstbatch, so 49 years of emergency
management services.
So you know, at the heart ofwhat he does, it comes from a
good place and it comes from hisfoundation almost 50 years of
(04:50):
this.
So, um, wonderful, glad to haveyou part of the show and you've
worked in every, almost everylevel right, yeah, every level
of health care, from hospice tohome health, from home care to
skilled nursing, emergency toend of life yes, sir, from
emergency to end of life.
So we get a full-scaleperspective.
But we're going to rewind thisthing a little bit down there
and uh, take me back to young,young, uh, thomas Edwards um
(05:15):
just uh tell me about just whereyou're from originally.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Uh, your parents, uh, yes, sir born and raised in
Dade City, um.
My parent, uh, mother andfather, uh, my mother's still
alive.
She's 93.
I take care of her, uh, shestill is independent in her home
, really, yep, yep, and we, wetake care of her at her home, um
, and uh, judy edwards, and thenmy father, lg edwards, uh, he
(05:42):
deceased, uh, actually, when hewas age 65 and I'm 66 now, so
I've I've won out on that aspectbut he died of esophageal
cancer and took care of him athome as well.
And then uh also took care ofmy uh, my mother-in-law.
We took care of her before atend of life within our home, um,
(06:03):
so I'm very familiar with beinga caregiver, um, but uh went to
pasco high school, um, and uhwas shy.
They called me timid tom timidtom I don't tell many people
that, but timid tom, timid tom,so I was very shy.
They used to call me.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Normal Norman, oh, really so.
Yeah, yeah so, timid Tom,whatever kids just make some fun
of you, huh yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Kind of what broke me out of my show when I became a
paramedic.
You have to kind of learn totake control of the scene or
take control of the situation orbe able to interview patients
and so forth.
Being timid, I was very shy andnot very outspoken and you
could tell.
So one of my partners called measide and said they noticed I
had that problem and said whydon't you do this?
(06:53):
Become an actor?
I said what do you mean?
Become an actor?
He said what's your favoriteparamedic that you look up to?
And at that time there was ashow on TV called Emergency.
It was the only show forparamedics and firefighters that
was on TV at that time.
The first one out of Californiais Johnny Gage, and Roy DeSoto
(07:14):
were the two paramedics there,and Johnny Gage was my hero.
I wanted to be like Johnny Gage.
So he said well, here's whatyou do when you walk out of your
house in the morning, you leaveTom Edwards behind and you
become Johnny Gage.
You act like Johnny Gage, youdo, you look like Johnny Gage,
you do everything Johnny Gagedoes, because he was kind of an
(07:35):
easygoing guy but yet he couldget things done in a nice way,
without insulting people orbeing mean, and it worked.
After, after a year or so, thatjust became natural and I was
tom edwards in my mind, just asgood as johnny cage.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Johnny johnny gage or cage gage gage, johnny gage
okay, so good program.
So you know a lot of people.
Now, if you're out there, youwant to check his instagram.
It's probably on the johnnygage, right?
You know people changingInstagram names and stuff like
that that's a good idea, I'msorry, joking with you about
that too.
Yeah, I thought it was when Icall him and say Jenny, yeah, I
(08:16):
don't know, he's probably stillalive, probably.
So yeah, well, that's a goodthough, and that was great
advice from that.
Yeah, yeah, what's his name?
You remember his name?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
um mitch.
What was mitch's name?
He's.
He's dead and gone now.
Yeah, I can't remember mitch'slast name, but well, mitch's
family out there rest in peace,that was wonderful advice, it
really was uh.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
So current life, now family life, uh, and how does
family impact your business,your organization?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
It.
It does impact my organization.
It's one thing I feel reallybad about as as a as a physician
as those probably a lot ofphysicians is that we kind of
put our family life asidesomewhat.
We kind of put our family lifeaside somewhat, unfortunately,
(09:11):
because we are always on calland you never, you know.
You have to sometimes say, I'msorry, I can't do.
I got to take this call or Igot to go see this patient, or
something like that.
So that's one thing I feel badabout.
My kids have grown up notknowing their father as much as
they should, but I try to stillspend as much time and guidance
(09:34):
as I can with them.
That's good.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
But from that aspect you're doing it with the right
heart.
Right, you want to be aprovider and do what was best
for your family.
But just sometimes a careerfield or the area that we choose
requires that sort of thatcommitment.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And I tell my daughter who's in, she's pre-med
now, she wants to go to medicalschool.
I said, choose, if I had to doit over again, I'd probably be
an anesthesiologist, becausethey make good money and when
they're off they're off, theydon't have to take calls or
anything.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
I used to.
That was actually crazy thatyou say that when I was in high
school I was looking at a careerpath, like I joined the Florida
State Overbound Program and Ididn't know.
It was like 10th or 11th gradeand I still didn't know what I
wanted to do.
You know, as far as when I gotout of school and my mom used to
(10:32):
have these encyclopedias Idon't know how she got every
letter of the alphabet, but shehad every letter of the alphabet
encyclopedias and I looked inthere at the time.
It was called nurseanesthetists, right, uh-huh, yep
.
And I looked it up, nurseanesthetist and my cousin
actually went to school uh drill, uh, for uh to become a nurse.
(10:54):
But I did a little research.
I was like they have to seeblood and stuff like that and I
got scared, yeah, so I didn't doit.
I didn't do it, but yep, butit's crazy to say I don't know.
That just came to my mind atthe time.
But uh, so sports and we'regonna take a break here.
This is a comfy break.
I like to do comedy here on theshow, uh, at the time.
(11:22):
So we're gonna do a.
Dr Edwards, unfortunately, is aUniversity of Florida Gator fan.
You say you know Florida Gator.
I'm a Seminole and a rattler.
Oh my goodness yeah, so you knowpart in Seminole and rattler,
but just tell us what.
Tell us, you play sports inhigh school, right, right, right
, right.
What sports did you play?
(11:43):
My biggest sport was tennis.
I was.
But just tell us, you playedsports in high school, right,
right, right.
What sports did you play?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
My biggest sport was tennis.
I was number one on the tennisteam all three years in high
school Wow.
And we actually went to state,won our conference and
everything, and I was ranked asvery low in the rankings At that
time.
It was called the United StatesLawn Tennis Association Wow,
(12:09):
although we didn't play on grass, we played on ball services.
But when I was younger I usedto go to tournaments in Lakeland
and Tampa and so forth.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Really how many people used to be in the crowd.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
What do you mean in the crowd?
Oh, in the crowd.
Yeah, you know I try not to payattention to that.
I never played in stadiums,they were just kind of out and
about, so I wasn't that high inthe rankings.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
So I never won anything.
I was joking with you.
I was joking, yeah, but, yeah.
But you also played footballand basketball.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Played football and basketball Tied in.
It was my favorite Tight end.
They tried to make mequarterback, but I didn't like
being quarterback.
What I really like to do isdefensive things.
I like to tackle people.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You like to tackle people?
All right, basketball, yes, forour comedy section.
I want to ask you what's yourfavorite University of Florida
quarterback of all time?
Oh, steve Spurrier, steveSpurrier, steve Spurrier, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Why Steve Spurrier?
I met Steve Spurrier with mydad, was a Bull Gator, okay, and
so he loved the Gators and wewent to all the football games
and he introduced me to SteveSpurrier back when he was
actually a player.
Oh, wow.
And then later again when hewas a coach.
So I've always liked SteveSprague.
(13:26):
I've got an autographed pictureof him.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Okay, yeah, I can't be a hater about that one.
Yeah, I can't hate you.
All right, so, and top runningback of all time for the Florida
Gators and wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Oh, running back, I didn.
Emmett Emmett, yeah, emmettSmith, emmett Smith, yep.
And as far as wide receivers, Ihad a number of them, a lot of
good ones.
I can't think of one.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Taylor Jacobs.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, you've had what was it?
Redell Anthony playing for youall?
Yeah, andre Caldwell, I likehim, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
There's just a lot of good ones.
They all caught on so it's hardto pick one, it's okay.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Defense.
Last one this is defense player.
Oh, defensive player.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Again, we had a lot of good ones.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
I can't pick one out individually Not one individual
Not really Not really Gotchaindividual not really not really
gotcha.
Let me try to think of mine.
Not for the bucks, the booksyou could okay I'm a bucks fan
there, so we are together there,yeah, but defense probably for
the florida, I would say, andI'm not a fan, by the way
(14:37):
probably was uh he won ratliff.
Yeah, he won rat lift was apretty good play.
I like him, uh, and probablykey one rat lift, uh.
Brandon Spikes too.
Oh yeah, I like Spikes goodlinebacker, but probably keep on
rat lift though he will he willget my number one, yeah, but
(14:58):
all right, so that's our comfycomedy section.
Okay, yeah, thank you forsharing that, dr, dr Everson,
but let's go back into it andwe're going to talk about your
passion and what do you docurrently your current
employment status.
What do you do right now?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Right, now I am long-term care, which means
nursing home, nursing home doc.
I've been doing that the whole33 years and that's a passion of
mine, as well as end of lifecare is a passion of mine, with
hospice.
Okay, that's kind of one of mynewest passions.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
And then EMS has always been a passion in life
and, as I said, I'm medicaldirector the thing I admire
about you is the same thing,sort of how you started you
still you didn't just lose trackof it or stop doing it right,
you continue on at least havingan impact in that in those areas
(15:57):
still and I use mad fleet.
Probably everyone here in pascodefinitely is um, I know about
mad fleek, so that's a plug foryou med fleek.
But uh, what influenced yourtreatment style, your treatment
method?
Speaker 2 (16:12):
um, and it started as out in ems too.
Um, probably from the way myfather brought me up, he was in
business and insurance and realestate, so he was big in
treating people right and he waswhat he would say.
(16:35):
If he didn't like somebodywhich he always liked everybody
he said he'd kill them withkindness.
Basically he wouldn't actuallykill them, but he'd be extra
nice to that person.
This, basically, he mightactually kill him, but he'd be
extra nice to that person.
Um, but basically it.
It's not that I was trained inmarketing.
It just kind of came naturallyfrom what my father taught me
and um, do treat people likeyou'd want to be treated.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
That's the least thing, yeah, stars at home.
So if I was, if a patient outin the audience right now, what
experience they can expect whenthey come and visit Dr Edwards?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Well, I'm going to sit down with you and I'm going
to talk with you.
I'm going to find out what Ican do.
One of my favorite questions iswhat do I need to know about
you so I can give you the bestcare possible?
And that really opens up a loton a personal level.
(17:32):
It makes them feel like youcare about them and what you
want to know about them as aperson, not just treat them as
another patient or anothernumber.
So and I try to respect them asa person, I try to.
You know a lot of physicians tryto push their will on the
(17:52):
patient.
Well, if you don't do exactlywhat I say, because I'm the
doctor, then I'm not going totreat you anymore.
You can go to another doctor.
So I get a lot of patients thatway.
A lot of doctors give theirpatients up because they're not
doing what they want them to do.
And I'm flexible.
You know, if the patient wantsto be comfortable, wants to not
(18:13):
go through certain things, thatis their right.
That's their right, you'reright.
That's what I let them do and Itry to help them be as
comfortable as possible in thatand not give up on them.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Right, you dare to lead and sort of guide, but you
also let them have this sort ofthe control of their health care
and their bodies as well,because technically they know
themselves or should know whatthey feel.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Right, right, so having that open line of
communication.
As long as they're informed,and I inform them and I say but
it's your decision, yourdecision, and I try to make it a
cooperative thing Got you, socan you sort of explain your
private practice and yourorganizational structure?
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Well, it's a very easy one.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I used to have a hospital-owned practice with a
couple different hospitals inthe area and as a family
physician and seeing patients inthe office, and still did the
hospital and the nursing home onthe side.
So when my twins were born 21years ago boy-girl twins my wife
(19:15):
said I need help and so I gaveup the office and just did
nursing home full time, whichprovided a lot more flexibility
in my schedule.
But Listen, that's good.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
So if and I'm sorry I forgot your question- so the
question was what's your, yourprivate practice, what's your
organization?
Speaker 2 (19:36):
so my organization is basically my wife is my office
manager, so to speak, my biller,and everything like that.
We do everything to keep theoverhead low because when I was
in a hospital practice theyreally inflated the overhead.
I mean, a typical physician'soffice has at that time had at
least 50% overhead and with ahospital practice it's even more
(20:00):
than that because in thehospital takes more of their cut
out of it for theiradministrators and so forth.
So I kind of got tired of thatas well as my twins were born.
So we developed a model whereit's a mom and pop model.
My wife takes care of all thebilling and the credentialing
and stuff like that.
I basically do just Medicareand Medicaid.
(20:22):
I don't do any HMOs or PPOsvery few anyway.
So the billing is prettystraightforward and she takes
care of that beautifully.
And I see the patients when Iwork out of my home and just
travel to the different nursinghomes or hospice facilities that
I need to go to.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Well shout out to Mrs Edwards yes, ma'am, yes sir,
all right, team effort, uh, butalso just having that open line
of communication in yourmarriage one, and for you to
make the adjustment when youknow the time was right.
You know for you, when she saidshe needed help, you did
something about it and that'simportant, probably actually why
y'all probably still togethernow too, yeah, yeah.
(21:04):
So, man, I congratulate you, uhfor that, because that it takes
a lot to still be in tune athome, uh, when you're you have
such a high demanding job, so Icommend you for that.
Yeah, seriously, man, uh.
So if your career was a movie,right, um, what would the title
be of your, your career rightnow?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
oh, oh, my gosh, what would it be?
You come up with the craziestquestions, but you're fun, you.
I have no idea, you got to giveme one.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Come on down there A title of a movie, a title of
your movie, your story, yourchapter.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I'll just say, doc, dr E Smiley E.
I got a patient called Smiley Gand he calls me Smiley E.
Smiley E okay, Because I'malways smiling.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
That is true.
I have yet to see, just withgoing back from our history as
well, and I want to share thiswhy you say Smiley E.
So I'm going to share our story, dr Edward's story.
So I became a nursing homeadministrator at it was at the
time, of course, those five mainchains so far that you
experienced.
I was orchid cove, uh at dadecity, working cove at dade city,
(22:19):
and I became an administratorthere and at the time we had a
different uh medical director,but my uh director of admissions
and business development, uh,joni, she said you didn't get
that.
That was in here.
I said that it was who's that?
I don't even know him like that.
And uh, she said well, he, good.
So I talked to uh, my nurseclinical leader, my director of
(22:43):
nurse at the time, uh, and Iasked my unit manager, just
asking the team, because I saidwhat physician y'all like you
know here?
Because I'm new, new to thefacility.
I was like so what physicianare y'all like here?
Because I'm new to the facilityand they was already on me.
We need a new medical director,we need a new medical director
and every time it came up, drEdwards, dr Edwards.
So I reached out to you I saidman, hey, dr Edwards, I'd like
(23:03):
for you to become our medicaldirector here.
I want to go through the stepsto do so, and you know, and that
happened.
I appreciate it and I neverregretted it.
I stayed in contact with youthroughout my career after that
and just, you've always beenwilling to help with the virtual
visits that we have and you'vealready been up on technology in
(23:25):
the field as well, in themedical field, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
So yes, sir, but I started off with my own EHR,
kind of put together my own EHRbefore electronic medical
records was in vogue.
I saw that coming, oh gotcha,and I said I want to do that.
I'm tired of writing stuff.
Of course you can't read mywriting.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, but you are a very good administrator.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
You're a very good administrator, you're a very
good administrator, thank you, Iappreciate it.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
One of the best I've been with.
I appreciate it, man, and I'veheard that, but I always be
thinking like I can't believethey say that.
I've been thinking that all thetime.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
How do they say that?
And you probably didn't know atthe time, but I'm still one of
the only certified medicaldirectors in the area, really so
I'm surprised that more nursinghomes haven't hired CMDs
certified medical directors bythe American Medical Directors
Association in Long-Term Care.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Because we're trained in being medical directors for
skilled nursing facilities.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
To sound good, I say I knew it.
Yeah, I knew that, I knew hewas already certified and
everything.
I'm lying.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
But a lot of nursing home administrators either don't
know that or they don't careabout that.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
So let me repeat that again NHA's nurse home
administrators out there, ifyou're in the market looking for
a new medical director, youshould search for.
Looking for a new medicaldirector, you should search for.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Certified medical director from AMDA AMDA American
Medical Directors AssociationAll right, and they put us
through a very rigorous courseto certify us for that.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
All right, thank you, dr Everett, for that.
So what's the most surprisingthing you've learned about
yourself just this year?
Just this year, just this year,we'll tell you because I know
you have just this year, um yousurprising that I'm getting old.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Yeah, I'm starting to feel it.
Yeah, uh, when I I thought I'dfeel it when I turned 50, but
when I turned 65, I don't knowif it was in my head or not, but
I'm starting to hurt a littlebit here, a little aches and
pains.
I still try to stay active andrun, and stuff, do you still?
Play tennis Not as much as Iused to, but you still try.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
I haven't played in a while.
That's good.
That's good Just from anaccomplishment standpoint,
because you list so many, whichis wonderful.
Just what other thing you'd sayyou're probably most proud of,
whether it's an accomplishmentor a project that you worked on,
Probably?
Speaker 2 (26:04):
most proud other than my kids.
I love my kids, I'm most proudof them, and my wife that I have
I'm most proud of them, and mywife that I have I'm most proud
of her.
Yes, but probably the mostaccomplishment is becoming a
paramedic and being one of thefirst to what we call the
(26:25):
originals.
We still have a group.
We get together twice a year.
We try to call the originalsthat.
We still have a group.
We get together twice a year.
We try to call the originalsfor that.
We started Alachua County FireRescue.
It was actually called AlachuaCounty EMS when I was hired
there, but then they took in thefire department component and
changed the name to AlachuaCounty Fire Rescue.
(26:46):
So I was the first hired as thefirst rescue chief for them.
I was the youngest rescue chief.
I worked there, worked asrescue chief for six years and
probably my biggestaccomplishment is being involved
in EMS all these years anddoing the right things for
patients, whether it's an EMSsituation, long-term care
(27:09):
situation, office situation orend of life, and I like being
able to guide people throughtheir end of life care and keep
them comfortable as well.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
All right.
Yeah, that's very important outthere and you've been doing it
for a long time.
I got to keep saying that.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
It doesn't seem like it.
It's like just yesterday.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
So we're going to do another break.
Another company comedy,education and entertainment,
entertainment.
So we're going to stop.
Pause for a moment.
Pause, edit, pause that.
So I left my dog on sheets overthere, so he's going to edit
all this out.
You can keep it rolling.
What time we got shot?
(27:55):
Cuz you don't give me no time.
No, look man huh.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
That's the minutes on there.
Sometimes I get to rambling.
No, sometimes I get to rambling.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
We actually doing good on time.
I just was thinking the wholetime over there how much time I
got, how much time I got when weat.
You should put a like 10minutes, like you did last time.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yeah, you should put a timer up behind you.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You got the phone right there, you can do it All
(29:40):
right, so that's going to lastforever.
Oh, I have trying to put thisgame side.
That it was and they didn'tprint out almost freaking stuff.
Yeah, she didn't.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, not ever, that's allright, I'm good, I got.
I got all day.
This didn't not print.
I got to look forward to hiswork at the house.
Hmm, got pick up all that stufffrom the hurricane.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Oh, yeah, it's a lot too, I know.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Do you have any damage?
Speaker 1 (30:53):
We had a few shingles fall and then we had for some
reason a water leak and a smokedetector.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
And a smoke detector.
Huh, and we had a roofingcouple put the tarp on yesterday
.
Yeah, luckily we didn't haveany rain right afterwards and
it's been nice weather.
I was deployed to severalhurricanes.
(31:21):
I used to work for HomelandSecurity and I was chief medical
officer for there's a lot ofthings.
I forget to put in that stuff.
Yeah, I was going to say you,I've done so many things Chief
medical officer for a DMAT team,disaster medical assistance
team, florida 3.
And so we were the firstdeployed to when they had all
(31:43):
three hurricanes starting inPunta Gorda, went down there and
anyway, to make a long storyshort, uh, and then we ended up
in louisiana, panama city andthen louisiana after that.
Um, so I built my house as muchhurricane, hurricane proof as
possible.
(32:03):
So I got 16 foot concrete wallor 16 inch concrete walls with
steel barb what we barbed, andthe roof is held down with big
steel cables and stuff like that.
Got a generator in the houseand everything, but still, you
know we lose water, can't flushyour toilets.
You got to go out to pool andget water and put it in there.
(32:25):
Just inconvenient stuff, justhow they work.
And my mother, she came,weathered out the hurricane with
us and wanted to go back home.
I said, mom, you don't haveelectricity, you don't have any
TV, because that's all she doeswatch TV.
What's your name called.
She said I'm in your way.
(32:47):
I'd rather be at homecomfortable.
I said but, you're not going tobe comfortable.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
You can't come in here.
I opened the door, but no iPad,no phone.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
I said I'm going to let her sit here, Can you do
that?
And she'll come around.
She'll see how uncomfortableshe is.
She'll come around Back thenext day into the crib.
She had all the windows closed.
That little old lady gotsomehow got all those heavy
windows closed it was 85 degreesin there.
I said, mom, aren't you?
Speaker 1 (33:17):
hot, can we get down first and then do it?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
yeah, but she keeps.
Every time I go over there shefiddles with it she's got it on
heat.
She'll say I'm hot.
I said well, mom, we got.
Well, come on, we've gotsomebody put the heat on.
I don't know how that happens.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
All right so.
Dr Edwards we're gonna go aheadand start.
What time you got shut on thereright now six minutes.
So my game I had.
I didn't work out your game.
Yeah, I had a game, but wewould do another game.
Yeah, all right so play gamesyeah, I'm just kidding.
(33:59):
So this company coffee comedysection is just a random
question, random thoughts, allright, okay, so you get three
seconds to respond, so the firstthing you come to your head,
okay, sometimes that doesn'thappen in three seconds, okay,
but we'll try.
We'll try, all right.
So uh favorite color a red fireengine, red brian, you read,
(34:24):
all right, uh.
Next one is uh favorite actor afavorite actor.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Who's my favorite actor?
Uh, I guess johnny gage.
I don't know who the actor is,you don't?
Speaker 1 (34:36):
know their names.
You like me, I'll be knowing myface, but yeah, a favorite show
tv show favorite tv show, gosh.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
That used to be laughing when I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Laughing, yeah, I got a lot of favorite ones, a lot
of favorite.
Okay, uh, if you had to eat onemeal oh wait.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
My favorite show now, though, is uh op nation.
Uh, oh, I'm, it's uh on patrol,live, on patrol, live yeah all
right, got it.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Um, if you had to eat one meal every single day, what
meal would that?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
be Steak, Just steak Medium rare.
Yeah, that's all.
Oh, the whole meal I haveonions with it and green beans
and garlic bread.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Oh, yeah, okay, you eat that every day.
Yeah, I eat it every day.
All right, okay, and what isyour?
Do you cook?
Not as much as I used to.
What would you say your stapledish in your family?
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Oh, that my wife cooks now is chicken.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
That's your wife's chicken If it was me, it'd be
steak, It'd be steak.
Got it Fried or baked?
How do you like?
I like it grilled.
Oh the chicken, yeah, thechicken, oh, I eat it anyway,
but fried's my favorite, fried'syour favorite, good old fried
chicken.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah, so do you like Steph's?
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Like what?
Do you ever go to Steph's inDade City?
What's it called?
It's called Steph's Soul Food,I think.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Oh no, Is that the one that's behind the church?
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Uh-huh, I mean, people say it's good gold yeah,
gold I used to be calledsomething else, uh, johnny's or
something like that.
Oh really.
Well, when I used to work upthere in dave city, we had as a
family.
We started going there likeonce a week.
I was addicted to it.
But it's good, man, uh.
And if you could take uh onecelebrity on a date, who would
(36:18):
it be?
Speaker 2 (36:19):
on a date.
On a date, it would be my wife.
She's my celebrity, really oh,she's my celebrity.
Really, she's my celebrity.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
He's just saying that no, I'm not, you have nobody
though.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
I wouldn't date a celebrity, because they're too.
They don't have a private life.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
They don't have a private life.
He liked privacy and yourfavorite place that you ever
went on a trip to- my favoriteplace is the mountains.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
I love going to the North.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Carolina mountains.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
I like hiking.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I don't know about hiking, but I like just the
temperature and everything upthere.
The floor is a little too hotand leggy, you know.
Alright, but back to the show.
Back to the show, alright,right Back to the show, all
right.
So health advice.
Of course, the mission ofComfort Measures, consulting and
Listen Comfort Podcast isempower listeners with the
(37:13):
knowledge and resources to agecomfortably.
So our next category is healthadvice.
So, in long term, health andwellness, just what are some
general advice that you wouldgive individuals above the age
of 50?
Speaker 2 (37:29):
Keep active as much as you can, physically active,
moving around.
When you stop moving, yourhealth goes down quickly.
And keep your brain activeReading, crossword puzzles,
music, anything like that thatstimulates your brain.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
That is very interesting.
I was speaking to a doctor andshe was telling me about an app
that they're actually working onthat helps patients with like
well, help sort of prevent sortof that cognitive loss and
decline.
So there's apps out there forthat.
But you're right, that iswonderful advice.
Keep your mind active and yourbody active.
(38:11):
Yep, right, not stationary.
That's wonderful right.
And any advice for caregiversout there you have a long
history of been caregivers foryou know loved ones yourself,
history of being caregivers foryou know loved ones yourself.
Just one thing that you'd saythat you wish you would have
done as a caregiver, and not notnecessarily associated to the
(38:32):
care that you were provided, butjust for yourself during that
period of time well, I don'tthink I had a problem with this,
but I would say, be patient andbe understanding.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
It's hard to put your place yourself in their shoes,
you know, and how would you wantto be treated when you get that
age and become more like achild again?
You know, some people do becomemore like a child again.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Right right, Any resources you would advise that
maybe you utilize I know you'rea physician, but that you found
helpful or, if you didn't use it, just any resources that you
think that people should takeadvantage of.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Well, you know, I kind of grew up before computers
and computers are very useful,but you've got to be.
You got to watch what, whereyou get the advice from, because
you got a lot of bad advice.
So you can search a lot ofthings on on the internet, as
long as it's coming fromreputable sites, you know, like
(39:37):
Mayo Clinic, or as far asmedical advice, mayo Clinic or
there's several other good sitesout there.
You know, just don't getinvolved in a lot of these blogs
that say you know you get a lotof people ranting on about they
do this and do that.
You get a lot of bad advicewith that, but you can get some
(39:58):
good guidance that way.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
A lot of people are healthcare experts these days.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Yeah, yeah yeah, Okay that way.
A lot of people are healthcareexperts these days.
The main point of that is toeducate yourself.
Educate yourself as much aspossible.
Unfortunately, even in themedical world, you can't always
rely on physicians to knoweverything that's coming from a
doctor.
We don't know everything andwe're not God.
(40:26):
So if you don't like what onephysician is saying, research it
Politely.
Say well, what about this doc,If they're not willing to work
with you?
Find somebody that will.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
Find somebody that will, that's a good one.
And your collaborations withhospitals you've always done so.
What are some of the, I guess,things that you feel from an
improvement standpoint, that youthink the hospitals to the
skilled nursing facility orrehab transition, how, what
areas you think can improve inthat?
Speaker 2 (41:00):
The same thing that that CMS wants to improve and
all the experts communications.
And even though we've tried tomake strides at communications
and demanded communications, westill don't get to
communications.
Hipaa a lot of people don'tunderstand the HIPAA Act.
It wasn't meant to detercommunications but because of
(41:27):
that they seem to not want tocommunicate with us.
We'll have people that we'llsend to the ER and they'll send
them right back, but they won'tsend us the information on what
they did and it's like pullingteeth to try to go through their
medical records department toget it and so forth.
So it just shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Shouldn't be that it should be more streamlined, so
it's almost like beingimprisoned by the, the, the
HIPAA law, the restricted by it.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
They they hide behind HIPAA or they say it's HIPAA,
but really we're caring for thepatient, so HIPAA is not
involved.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
But they a lot of people in between don't know
that, right, right, and justfrom, I'm glad you stated that,
because a point I actually did apost about this a while back on
LinkedIn is how can we improvecommunication with the hospitals
, with the care providers out inthe community?
(42:22):
Because really it's almost likethe hospitals are like this
major, almost like monopoly,right, you know everyone's going
to have to go to the hospital,right, and that from there,
typically, is where all theother care providers actually
become involved.
But it's so much limited accessto hospitals.
And I understand, right,because if you have every level
(42:45):
of care wanting access to you,it's sort of um, hard to sort of
open up that gate to everyoneand give that access.
But do you have any advice forthat of how we communicate?
Because I even posed thethought I'll just share this
with you and I'd like to hearyour thoughts on it of like
hospitals having like aparticular day, like a vendor
(43:06):
day, so to speak, where theywould have a dedicated case
manager or care coordinationteam member to just be there for
different time gaps.
You know, whether it's assistedliving facilities hey, this is
your time gap for the day, orfor this week, skilled nursing
providers, you know.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
So that was sort of like an advice I gave, but it's
such a restricted space.
Yeah, if we could.
You know when we, when westarted off with with the
mandating medical records andEHR in medicine, the thought was
that we would be able to shareinformation and with all the
different EHR companies outthere they haven't really
integrated with each other andif we could somehow.
(43:50):
And I understand privacy andthe resistance because they
don't want to leak anyinformation, because that's a
big penalty if you leak patientinformation to the wrong people.
But we've got to be able to getinto the hospital system and
see what look up information onour patient.
And they should be able to lookinto our system and look up
(44:10):
information on the patient sothey're not relying on calling
the nursing home to getinformation and they might get a
nurse that's never worked withthem.
But if they look into the chart, the patient's chart, they can
get more information.
So it needs to be right now andnot I mean, it's a good idea
that you have for the liaison,but we need information right
(44:32):
now.
In a lot of cases You're rightand we can't wait.
And so there's a hospital.
They need information right now, exactly, and it could head off
a lot of things like the DNRsand so forth.
And it could head off a lot ofthings like the DNRs and so
forth, but also just inphysician's offices, physician's
offices can share with thehospitals and the nursing homes
(44:53):
and so forth.
I think it would cut down a lotof redundancy and a lot of
problems that that brings up.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Yes, I agree with you .
I agree with you Advancement intechnology forthcoming.
Do you know about anyadvancements or anything you're
excited about from a technologystandpoint?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Well, excited and kind of weary about or leery
about, rather, ai.
Ai is a big thing out there now.
A lot of people are leery aboutAI.
I think AI has its artificialintelligence has its purposes In
a lot of ways.
It can shortcut a physician'sthinking and decision making.
(45:40):
But in my experience with AI AIjust in coming up with lectures
or something like that my kidskind of turned me on to AI a
while back when they were incollege because they use AI a
lot to come up with their papersand so forth.
But I don't know if this wasthat professors want them to
know that.
But so they said hey, dad, youknow I was gonna do a one on
(46:04):
constipation for a group ofnurse practitioners.
So I said I'll try this ai.
They hooked me up with a coupleai things.
So I put give me all the lateston constipation.
It put out beautiful lookinglecture on constipation, but
then I spent more time factchecking it to make sure I was
right, that it was right.
I did find some errors.
(46:25):
So it's not without errors, itdepends.
It's just like what you put inis what you get out to a
computer.
So same with AI.
But I think it's beneficialwhen you first have a patient,
maybe the nurse that checks themin could put all their symptoms
into the computer and AI couldgive you shorten your list of
(46:49):
differentials, gives them tothen kind of shorten the time
that they have to spend,hopefully, with figuring it out
and there and then, or thatmight bring up something.
(47:09):
Oh, I didn't think about thissyndrome.
That might be a cause too.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yes, so there's advantages and disadvantages,
but you still need that sort ofpersonal touch human touch.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
I don't think you should rely solely on AI but
there's some benefit no no.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
So what are some questions you wish?
Just from a caregiverstandpoint, what are some
questions if you have a patientcoming in to you, or a loved one
with their mother or father?
What are some questions you'dsay they should ask or you'd
like for people to ask more of?
Speaker 2 (47:53):
What do you want?
What are?
Where are you in life right nowand what do you want?
You know, are you tired ofpoking and prodding and the
medical system sending you thisspecialist, that specialist,
that specialist?
Some people want, want that andwant to find out about it, but
some people have been throughall of that and it is.
It's difficult, um, and theyjust want to be.
(48:17):
I have a lot of patients say Ijust want to be left alone.
You know, and you got torespect that and and help them
through that process, and thenthey may change their mind at
some other point when you canlet them know.
Speaker 1 (48:29):
Right.
So you, what I can justunderstand, and this is what I
knew about you as well you'reall person-centered care.
Yes, person-centered care Focuson the patient what they desire
, and a lot of times we see inour industries too, our loved
ones will get involved andthey're sort of speaking for the
patient, or they have adifferent agenda.
(48:49):
Have a different agenda, as youknow.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
As you know.
But a lot of times the careshould be focused on the
individual, because this istheir body and they should have
some control there.
How do you and I should add tothat that it's important to
understand on the individual,because this is their body and
they should have some controlthere.
Speaker 2 (49:05):
And I should add to that that it's important to
understand when you havecaregiver resistance, they
aren't on the same page as thepatient.
I had this the other day a ladyin the hospice unit that was a
full code.
And, yes, you can be in hospiceand be full code, which means
if your heart stops and you stopbreathing, they have to do
chest compressions and breathefor you and they end up in a
(49:28):
ventilator and and so forth,probably crack some ribs and so
forth.
So this was this lady.
Looked like a holocaust victim,she was, and she was on death's
door.
She could go at any time andthey told me she was full code.
Why is she full code?
Because the husband hasn'tbrought himself around to the
realization that she's going tolose her, and so, in that aspect
(49:54):
, instead of being mad like thesister-in-law was mad at him,
you have to say well, you haveto delve into what's.
What's going on with him.
So he's now a patient as well.
Why is it that you feel thisway instead of being resistant
(50:14):
against him?
No, you got to do it this way.
You got to make her a full coat.
Why don't you what's, what areyour fears, and get them to talk
about that and get them to comearound.
But this is the reality andwhat's going to happen to her if
we do this CPR and so forth.
So it's kind of a balancing act.
A lot of physicians don't gothe extra mile to do it.
Speaker 1 (50:35):
It's almost like your counselor as well.
Yep, yes, sir.
So just throughout your careerI know you was an EMS long-time
paramedic.
What is one of the mostmemorable stories you have?
That just stuck with you tothis day.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
Funny or that traumatized me.
Speaker 1 (50:54):
No, just any story.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
It doesn't have to be funny, Well probably some of
the things that bothered me.
I don't know if I mentioned thisat the beginning or not, but
the way elderly people areneglected.
I had one instance that stillhas nightmares about this today,
where I think this lady was inher 90s.
(51:17):
She was out in the ruralcommunity outside of Gainesville
and she lived in a littletrailer and she had rolled out
of bed for some reason, fallenout of bed and was trapped
between her bed and the wall ofher trailer and she laid there
for something like five days, tothe point where rats had
(51:38):
started nibbling at her toes.
And when we got to her, aneighbor had checked on her
finally and said you know, Ihadn't seen her for a while and
did a welfare check, found herand she had, um, you know,
maggots were starting to eat onthe toes and so forth.
So it was a pitiful scene.
I mean, she was almost ready togo.
(51:59):
The thing that bothered meabout that the most is her son
lived next door, never came andchecked on her.
Never came and checked on herand I, just to this day, I don't
understand that.
And there's a lot of elderlypeople that are that way.
There's nobody to watch out forthem and check on them and
(52:20):
advocate for them, wow, wow.
So and advocate for them, wow,wow.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
And I got a lot of funny stories too.
Right right I know, but that'sa touching story and I can see
how that sticks with you.
Speaker 2 (52:31):
Yeah.
I can see a lot of badaccidents and everything, but
those are the things that botherme the most.
Speaker 1 (52:36):
Yeah, and I'll just share a story for me that stuck
with me to this day is duringCOVID.
We had a COVID unit facilityand one of our residents there
he was very afraid of gettingCOVID.
And I just remember I don'tknow why him, because I've
(52:58):
talked to many patients I usedto sort of go in and be personal
to them when they actually wastested positive for COVID, sort
of give them the protocols andprocedures and why we're doing
what we're doing.
And I talked to this gentleman.
He said I was in his room,gowned up, you have to go, the
whole thing.
And he said Norman.
(53:18):
I said, hey, man, we have tomove you over to our COVID unit.
We'll do that today.
Later on today, he said Norman,he looked at me.
I just still could see the lookin his eyes.
He said I don't want to die.
So we moved him over to theCOVID unit and about a week and
a half later, about nine dayslater, he died.
(53:38):
So I was like man, I could seethe fear in his eyes.
So, yeah, that stuck with me aswell.
Some people, though but I'veseen multiple, you know people
pass away all of that, but thatone there just stuck with me.
Yeah, but it was at your heart.
Yeah, for sure.
And I know you have a lot ofstories, but your just
(53:59):
dedication to Pasco, pascoCounty.
Why Pasco?
I know it's home for you, butjust your general impact on
Pasco County.
If you can just share that withthe audience.
Speaker 2 (54:12):
Well yeah, home, born and raised here Know a lot of
people Wouldn't be anyplace else, other than as I get older, if
I retire, maybe I'll go up toNorth Georgia, where it's a
little cooler.
Speaker 1 (54:25):
Yeah, a little cooler , but not too cold.
Yeah, yeah, and so you knowabout the what's it?
Comquats.
Oh yeah, yeah, comquats.
Speaker 2 (54:32):
Yeah, that's right outside of.
I live in San Antonio now San.
Speaker 1 (54:35):
Antonio, okay.
And the next little area overis the Comquat capital of the
world, kumquat capital is uhyeah, actually, uh, so just he
shot with dave city of sanantonio right, I think it was it
, but the kumquat festival isbig boy.
Talk here now.
Kumquat festival made the foodnetwork channel.
Oh, did it yeah, it made.
Speaker 2 (54:56):
I saw it on.
I said look at dave city indade city.
But the actual capital wherethey grew all the kumquats was
out in St Joseph, out St Joe.
Oh okay, so this is a realhistory right here.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
Real history.
So yeah, man.
So thank you, dr Edwards,anything else?
A last thoughts to the audiencehere, our comfy listeners, of
one where they can locate you atyour offices, if you'll share
that with them, but also anywebsite or social media you'd
like to share with the audience.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
Not really Like I say I don't have an office.
I work in nursing homes andother facilities, so I'm kind of
a sniffist, if you will.
A skilled nursing facility, doc.
Okay, so there's really nooffice or websites or anything I
can think of.
Speaker 1 (55:43):
No website?
Okay, but I'm going to say thisfor Dr Edwards.
Just google him.
Google Dr Thomas Edwards, dadeCity or Pasco County.
He's on, like so many differentwebsites.
What is it called Approximity?
Yeah, there was one.
Speaker 2 (56:00):
I googled myself the other day.
I had one review on google thatsaid this guy is a pervert from
seven years ago.
I have no idea who it is onereview.
Speaker 1 (56:15):
Well, no, that well I didn't say for my experience
and donald was always getting mydon't, always got my vote up,
never let me down Veryresponsive too.
Responsiveness and professional.
I appreciate that.
That's what stands out for me.
And the care and just the sameway he's talking right now, his
voice level, the same way hetreats his patients, the same
(56:38):
way he treats people.
He knows how to treat peoplevery well, so I'm glad to have
you.
When I reached out to youmonths ago about joining the
show, you didn't hesitate.
Uh, so that it always stickswith me, man so I know it's
coming from a good place.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, but as comfortmeasures, consulting the let's
(56:59):
get comfy podcast Anotherepisode in the books with the
legendary Dr Thomas Edwards.
Thank you, sir, y'all staytuned.
Be sure to like, comment andsubscribe on YouTube.
Please follow along on YouTube,subscribe to let's Get Comfy
podcast, look at other episodes,check out all our short clips,
(57:22):
like, comment and subscribe onthose as well.
Need your support.
Come for listeners, listencover podcast salute.
All right.
Yeah, how long that was.
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Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com