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>> Joi Sawyer: My name is Joi Sawyer and I'm a family and nurse practitioner. I can see
patients, prescribe medicines, order tests, diagnose, treat, follow up,
everything.
I'm family practice so I see infants through geriatrics.
My special interest is decreasing the incidence of obesity because there is
such a high incidence of mortality, heart disease, strokes, and type two
diabetes. I'm from Mississippi which is the number one state for obesity
and heart disease and I've had a lot of that in my family.
Educating a patient is the most important thing. When you sit down and talk
to them about their lifestyle, what they eat, whether they exercise and
what's more beneficial on an individual level, I try to look at patients
more individually than just looking at their weight because everyone is
different.
When I sit down and talk to them, I listen. I hear what they like to do and
I try to incorporate some physical activity. I look at what they like to
eat.
Patients don't only want you to focus on their illness. They like it
if you ask about their family or what they're doing this weekend. Really
getting to know the patient and knowing their family dynamic is important.
I think they like that a lot about me.