Q&A With Dr. Jeffrey Sterling

Jeffrey E. Sterling is a physician, speaker, author, executive and international leader in community-based medicine, health care, and public health. He serves as President & CEO of Sterling Initiatives (SI), a healthcare consulting and implementation firm, helping entities in incorporating best practices.

SI has assisted health systems, health plans, state governments and medical practices in three dozen states nationally and gained particular notoriety for its work in creating “Centers of Excellence” among hospitals and other healthcare entities.

Dr. Sterling has served on the Board of the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (Texas Chapter), the American Lung Association (Central States Region), and three terms as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Student National Medical Association.

He also served as Chairman of the DFW Minority Supplier Development Council’s Health Industry Group, and he serves as Chairman of the Health Industry Group for the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce. In these capacities, he has facilitated hundreds of business gaining connections with governments, corporations and other businesses.

Dr. Sterling founded the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, a national organization of medical and other health career aspirants, with chapters in approximately 300 colleges nationally. He has degrees from Northwestern University, Harvard University School of Public Health (Health Policy Management), and the University of Illinois College Of Medicine and completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

N’DIGO sat with Dr. Sterling recently to talk about healthcare.

N’DIGO: You worked at Cook County Hospital in the emergency room. How does it differ from other hospitals?

Dr. Jeffrey Sterling: When I was there it was legendary, and exceeded any effort such as the TV series ER or the Harrison Ford movie The Fugitive to depict it. Seemingly every conceivable disease, patient and scenario frequented the hospital and especially the emergency room. The difference is in the energy it exudes. It’s as if it’s its own living being. I’ll never forget 300 patients flowing through there in an eight-hour timeframe.

What is community based medicine?
Community-based medicine sits in contrast to academic medicine, which focuses on the science behind illness. Community-based medicine is more patient oriented and lives closer to public health. It necessarily focuses on the patients and the contributing social conditions that prompted the patient to seek care.

What advice would you offer at this time of crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic?
Be informed and empowered when it comes to your health and decisions related to your health. Be selectful from where and whom you get information and advice. As it relates to the pandemic, here are the basics. You must engage in vigorous, frequent hand washing. Cough and sneeze into your elbow. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Sanitize items before and after you touch them. Stay six feet away from others. Avoid gatherings of any size and certainly more than 10 people.

What should every home have for medical safety?
I keep a list of about 20 items, but here are five of the most important. Having one gallon of water per person per day is a must. Think one half-gallon for drinking and another for food preparation and hygiene. Keep a seven-day supply of nonperishable food that’s easy to prepare (don’t forget the can opener).

Keep a seven-day supply of medications and any supplies needed to adminster them. You should also have a first aid kit and a smartphone with chargers. The cellphone can serve as a flashlight, and you should have copies of personal documents (birth certificates, insurance policies, medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, etc.) stored on the phone as well. Also, make sure your phone has an ability to purchase items if your cash runs low. That’s a good start. Also, if you can afford it, an AED is a great device for your home.

Please address your issue of preventive medicine versus emergency room health care.
It’s simple: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and it costs way less. The more we empower people to be empowered as it relates to their health, the less frequently they’ll need to be sick enough to use the ER. Did you know hospital bills are the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S.?

What should one do to maintain a healthy posture at this time with the stay at home policy in effect?
Stay active. Enjoy your family at home, and your friends and family virtually. Participate in virtual happy hours, town hours and exercise sessions. Do things to keep your mind active and sharp. Rest your eyes for 20 minutes after being on the computer for 20 minutes. Get sleep!

When should you go to the emergency room?
Anytime you believe you’re in the midst of a life-threatening emergency. Short of that, you have other options such as urgent care facilities or telehealth and telemedicine facilities. You can also call help lines in advance to get advice about what’s ailing you. Currently, approximately 80 percent of what comes to the ER could have been seen elsewhere, and the average cost of an ER visit exceeds $2,000.

What is the best way to use urgent care facilities?
In a similar manner as I described for ER usage. However, unless you really believe you’re in danger, the urgent care facility is a most cost-effective option.

The world of medicine has changed throughout the years. What changes do you see?
Medicine is now becoming more and more a consumer-based profession, complete with the need for patient satisfaction, education and empowerment. Most people, even if they have a physician, only see their primary care physicians once a year for about 15 minutes. You have to become more empowered to care for yourselves between those times.

Is the American medical system in crisis at this time?
It’s in perpetual crisis for many Americans. Even with the successes of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), over 20 million American don’t have insurance. This means they’re using the emergency room instead of receiving primary care. This means they’re at financial risk for doing so. This means they engage physicians when sicker.

They’re less likely to have disease diagnoses in early stages, which is necessary for optimal outcomes. This renders folks less likely to get screened and immunized. We need to get back to basics, which involves a focus on basic preventive measures, such as promoting activity and exercise, and focusing on the food we eat. The current pandemic surely has exposed many flaws and weakness in our system. Hopefully, it’s also impressed upon people the need to engage in healthy behaviors.