THERE'S A NEW RESOURCE IN TOWN IT IS THE HEALTH
CHANNEL, ALL HEALTH ALL THE TIME.
IT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SOUTH FLORIDA PBS
AND BAPTIST HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA.
IT ALLOWS VIEWERS TO CONNECT WITH DOCTORS AND MEDICAL EXPERTS
24-7 AND GET THEIR HEALTH QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
LAUNCHED IN SOUTH FLORIDA IN MAY 2018, THE HEALTH CHANNEL
BROADCASTS A COMBINATION OF LIVE AND RECORDED PROGRAMING.
THE LIVE PROGRAMS INVITE VIEWERS TO DIAL IN TO MEDICAL SPECIALISTS
WHO ANSWER THEIR PRESSING HEALTH RELATED QUESTIONS.
PROVIDING IN DEPTH EXPLANATIONS ON IMPORTANT TOPICS
THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIVES.
AND HERE TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THE HEALTH CHANNEL IS BILL SCOTT,
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HEALTH CHANNEL AND BERNIE
FERNANDEZ.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
MR.
SCOTT WHAT IS THE GENESIS OF ALL OF THIS?
TWOFOLD.
ONE OVER THE PAST MANY MONTHS, MANY, MANY MONTHS, SOUTH FLORIDA
PBS HAS BEEN CONDUCTING COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS, LISTENING
SESSIONS.
SO THE PUBLIC HAS PHONE AND TOLD US WHAT'S IMPORTANT THE THEM IN
THE LISTENING SESSION HE AND WE'VE LISTENED AND HEARD.
BECAUSE AT THE TOP OR NEAR THE TOP OF EVERY ONE HAS BEEN
CONCERN TO HEALTH, HOW THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH
INFORMATION AND HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE THEIR HEALTHY FOR
THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
IT IS NO SECRET, ARE NEWSROOMS ACROSS THE CUJ HAVE
CUT BACK IN REPORTING STAFF AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IS
HEALTH REPORTING.
NOT AS MANY DEDICATED TO HEALTH REPORTING.
DO YOU THINK THIS WILL FILL THE VOID THERE?
BEYOND FILLING THE VOID AND CERTAINLY WE'LL BE DINING HAD IS
THE FACT THAT THE HEALTH CHANNEL IS UNIQUE.
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT IN AMERICA.
24-7 IT'S THERE AND REALLY OFFERS TO THE PUBLIC THE ANSWER
TO THIS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
WE DO WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT IT, WHERE YOU GET IT AND
HOW YOU GET IT.
IT'S A CONVENIENCE FACTOR AS WELL AS A FULL INFORMATION
FACTOR, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO THIS IS NEW.
IT'S UNIQUE.
AND WE EXPECT THAT WE WILL HAVE A TERRIFIC IMPACT ON THE
WELL-BEING OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO DR.
FERNANDEZ, WHAT IS THE RECEPTION WHAT, HAVE YOU BEEN
HEARING?
IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY OVERWHELMING, POSITIVELY
OVERWHELMING AT THAT.
FOLKS ARE EXCITE THEY'D THEY'LL HAVE, SOME OF THEM HAVE ACTUALLY
TERMED WE CAN HAVE A CONSULTATION WITH A DOCTOR ON
TELEVISION.
WE CAN CALL IN, ASK ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO
MY FAMILY OR INSIGHTFUL AND I CAN GET AN EXPERT'S OPINION.
IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE A MEDICAL OPINION, BUT AN OPINION ON
THINGS I CAN DO TO EITHER IMPROVE MY HEALTH, IMPROVE MY
WELLNESS OR EVEN A MEDICAL CONDITION.
WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER HELP.
AND FOLKS ARE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE DOCTOR, AND VOICE
THEIR QUESTION AND GET THEIR QUESTION ANSWERED.
ABSOLUTELY.
THEY CAN GET ALL THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND WHATEVER SHOWS ARE
DONE AND WHATEVER OF WHATEVER TOPIC MEDICAL ILLNESS OR
CONDITIONS OR PREVENTION, ALL THOSE ARE CAPTURED AND THEY STAY
THERE AS A RESOURCE, PERMANENT RESOURCE FOREVER.
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THE HEALTH OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND
WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE, WHERE DO YOU HOPE, WHAT AREA DO YOU HOPE
THAT WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON?
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND ONE THAT BILL AND I
HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
IT'S THE PIECES THAT WE ARE MISSING IN MEDICINE OR HEALTH
IS, IT'S MORE ABOUT EDUCATION.
WE TALK A LOT ABOUT EDUCATION.
HEALTH CARE COSTS CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
THAT'S A MAJOR PROBLEM.
IT'S BEEN CALLED A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN PLAY A ROLE WHERE IN, BY EDUCATING THE
PUBLIC, ON EITHER PREVENTION, WELLNESS OR EVEN COMPLIANCE WITH
WHATEVER MEDICAL CONDITION THEY HAVE, THAT WE CAN BE ANOTHER
VEHICLE TO LOWER THE HEALTH CARE COSTS.
I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
OKAY.
THE PUBLIC DOESN'T EVEN KNOW AND OCCASIONALLY WHAT THEY
SHOULD DO IN TERMS OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
SHOULD I GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM OR WHAT THEY DETERMINE A MILLION
EMERGENCY, THEY GO TO URGENT CARE CAN I GO TO MY PRIMARY CARE
DOCTOR?
HAVING THAT AS INFORMATION, IF YOU CAN SOLVE SOMETHING WITH
YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE
LEARNED IT FROM US, WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE AND AVOID GOING
TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM, YOU HAVE NOW GONE TO A LOWER-COST CARE
THAT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR ISSUE, AND YOUR CONDITION, THAN
HAVING TO GO TO A VERY EXPENSIVE, PROBABLY ALREADY
OVERCROWDED EMERGENCY ROOM WHERE MANY PEOPLE ARE USING IT FOR
PRIMARY CARE SERVICES.
SO THAT'S A LITTLE SNIPPET ON HOW CAN LOWER THE HEALTH CARE
DOLLAR AND THE COSTS THAT WE ARE CHARGING IN AMERICA BY GOING TO
THE RIGHT PLACE.
AND I WAS GOING TO SAY, THERE IS A LOT OF NEED FOR EDUCATION
IN OUR COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY WHERE IT COMES TO HEART HEALTH,
DIABETES, ARE YOU SEEING A LOT OF REQUESTS NOR INFORMATION ON
THOSE ISSUES?
ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED ISSUES.
ON NUTRITION AND DIABETES.
WE ARE CONCENTRATING ON NOT JUST TREATING ILLNESS US BUT HOW TO
PREVENT THEM.
IF YOU HAVE THEM, HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT BETTER?
BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT WE DO WITH OUR OWN HEALTH ASK, YOU KNOW,
ALL ON BEHAVIORS.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO, EITHER DO NOT EXERCISE, HAVE A
SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, EATING TOO MUCH, EATING THE LATE, NOT
EATING THE RIGHT TYPES OF FOOD.
ALL THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND
BRINGING TO THE SHOW BY DEMONSTRATING TO THE PUBLIC THAT
HEALTH CARE IS A TEAM SPORT.
WE ARE NOT JUST AS ODOCTOR, BRINGING EXERCISE FIZZ YOTIONS,
NURSE HE, PSYCHOLOGIST HE, SO WE WANT -- WITH PHYSIOLOGISTS.
NURSES PSYCHOLOGISTS.
THERE IS ALSO OTHER PROGRAMMING.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE IN PROGRAMMING ACCESS TO PROGRAMS PRODUCED OVER A
PERIOD OF TIME BY PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEM.
AND WE GME GET FROM PBS AND -- WE GET FROM PBS AND PLAY THEM A
VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AT VARIOUS HOURS DURING THE DAY AND THE
NIGHT.
SO THAT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND THIS IS THE KEY, AT THEIR
CONVENIENCE, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, THERE IS
ACCESS TO SOLID, CREDIBLE HEALTH INFORMATION.
CREDIBILITY IS THE KEYS AND THE KEY CONCERN OF THE PUBLIC, WHEN
THEY LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT SAYS WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU WITH
HEALTH.
THE FACT IS YOU DON'T GET MORE CREDIBLE THAN PBS IN THE FACT OF
PASSENGER YEARS IN A ROW, THE MOST TRUSTED IN AMERICA, AND YOU
DON'T GET MORE CREDIBLE IN TERMS OF MEDICINE THAN THE BAPTIST
HEALTH SOUTH FLORIDA.
YOU NOT ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, CAN YOU BANK ON
THAT INFORMATION INFORMATION.
IT'S THERE FOR YOU AND EASY TO ACCESS AT ANY TIME.
AND WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR THIS IN FIVE YEARS?
WE LOOK LADY TO GET THE PROGRAMS PRODUCED MAYBE FIVE
MINUTES, FIVE YEARS.
OUR VISION IS OUR HOPE AND OUR HOPE IS THAT WE WILL HELP TO
IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND
THEIR FAMILIES.
WHERE IT GOES FROM HERE, WE WILL FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF THE
PUBLIC, WHEN THEY TELL US, AS THEY TELL US WHAT IS IT THEY
NEED AND IT'S CLEAR INFORMATION ON HEALTH.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US, MR.
SCOTT CONDITIONED DR.
FERNANDEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.
AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NEW HEALTH CHANNEL WHERE YOU CAN
WATCH IT IN YOUR AREA AND CATCH UP ON THE NEW VIDEOS WATCH
ALLHEALTH TV.COM.