“My passion is making complex health issues seem simple. My purpose is empowering people. My plan is to transform healthcare as we know it!”
Welcome to my profile! I'm Ann Hester or Dr. Ann Hester for those who like formalities (I prefer Ann). Anyway, I practiced medicine for over 25 years as a board-certified internal medicine doctor. Naturally, I cared for thousands of patients over the years and do I have stories to tell! Not patient stories, perse, but stories about the countless times I witnessed unnecessary pain, suffering, and yes, even death. There are some things one just doesn't forget. I have had a passion for empowering patients since my medical school days when I started my patient empowerment journey.
I'll never forget that middle-aged woman I saw in the clinic with green pus oozing from a large wound on her breast. Underneath sat a firm and substantial breast cancer. I didn't even need a mammogram to confirm the diagnosis. It was that clear, even for an inexperienced medical student! The saddest part was that her cancer could have been cured if only she had come in sooner. There were many other patients like her, and it just never got easier. I had to do something, so I bought a word processor (yes, I am dating myself) and started churning out patient education literature back in 1990. I've been writing ever since.
I just finished my third book, Patient Empowerment 101:More than a book, it's an adventure! It hit Amazon at the end of November. It is an enhanced version of a book published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Your Family Medical Record: An Interactive Guide o Getting the Best Care was a book I wrote decades ago, borne out of my passion for empowering people to become equal partners in their health care. At the time, people didn't really care about partnering in their care. They pretty much did what their doctors told them to do. Luckily, over the years, patients have become far more healthcare savvy and want to take their rightful place at the center of their healthcare team. So, after testing the waters, I decided to rewrite the book and update it with new and timely information. That is how Patient Empowerment 101 came into being.
Now, I know healthcare information causes trepidation in some and a sudden desire to take a long nap in others. So, I wrote this book in a conversational tone. I am not some far-off doctor they cannot relate to. I am simply Ann. A person giving them words of wisdom that can change their lives forever. I just happen to be a very experienced physician. I even created a website to go along with the book. Users can access internal pages using the URLs provided in the book. Deep inside the website, readers can take fun quizzes and get real-time feedback. They can watch engaging videos of life-like doctors giving them empowering advice.
So, that's my story in a nutshell. I am happy to provide more details if you so desire. In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to read my profile.
Have a fantastic day!
Ann
