EP #75: Structural Racism in Healthcare plus Public Health, & HIV Education with Dr. MarkAlain Déry

Sunni and Lisa are joined by  Dr. MarkAlain Déry who talks
about structural racism in healthcare and his latest venture into
health education via animation. 

Dr. MarkAlain Déry, who is a nationally recognized HIV/AIDS
advocate and Medical Director of Infectious Diseases and Chief
Innovation Officer for Access Health Louisiana – the largest
Medicaid-providing clinic system in Louisiana.


 Throughout his career Dr. Déry has been dedicated to
raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and the social justice issues
tied to it.  His most current efforts include releasing a
series of free, innovative animated videos aimed at conveying
crucial health messaging surrounding HIV medications designed to
destigmatize HIV and people of trans experience.


 A truly exemplary infectious disease physician, even being
named Internist of the Year by the American College of
Osteopathic Internists, Dr. Déry remains steadfastly committed to
working for human rights and social justice. 

NoiseFilter — an educational platform that addresses health and
wellness topics through creative storytelling — in conjunction
with Access Health Louisiana (AHL) and theAIDS Education Training
Center, is pleased to announce a new animation trilogy aimed at
conveying crucial health messaging around HIV and HIV
medications.


 


NoiseFilter is hosted by Dr. MarkAlain Déry, an infectious
disease physician, and Dr. Eric Griggs (Doc Griggs), a community
health specialist both of AHL. Through daily podcasts, engaging
live streams and whimsical animations, the doctors explain
complex health topics simply and creatively. Dr. Déry is also the
Medical Director of Infectious Diseases and Chief Innovation
Officer for Access Health Louisiana where he specializes in the
diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS at the Pythian clinic in New
Orleans.


 


Alongside Dr. Déry and Doc Griggs, the new innovative animations
— designed to destigmatize HIV while also amplifying the voice of
people of trans experience — will also feature Milan Nicole
Sherry, a trans rights activist and educator.


 


“Our goal is to change the stigma that still remains around HIV,”
said Dr. Déry. “The colorful and compelling videos use creative
exploration into the human body to explain HIV medications and
how they protect individuals from transmission.”


 


In the first animation, Undetectable, Untransmittable and
Undeniably Fierce! Déry and Doc Griggs journey inside Milan’s
body to explain that people living with HIV, who are taking their
medications, can have the same quality and quantity of life as
individuals living without HIV, also known as U=U.  The
human immune system is depicted as an orchestra and illustrates
how, when introduced, HIV causes chaos for the musical
conductors.


 


Get in Step with PrEP, the second animation, also features
Milan as she joins Dr. Déry and Doc Griggs inside of Dr. Déry’s
body to explain how PrEp, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, prevents
HIV transmission. In the video, PrEP is seen as a force field,
targeting HIV once it enters Dr. Déry’s body. One of the key
takeaways is that people living without HIV can take PrEP as a
defense as the autoimmune disease.


 


The third animation, Little Miss Muffuletta (a reference
to the popular New Orleans food staple), uses the classic nursery
rhyme of Little Miss Muffet to explain nPEP or non-occupational
post exposure prophylaxis. In this clever animation an HIV
exposure has occurred and nPEP is needed to prevent HIV from
replicating. When nPEP is us