Dr. Kela Henry: Championing Holistic Care and Honest Conversations in Medicine

Dr. Kela Henry is a passionate physician whose commitment to holistic, community-focused healthcare shines through in every aspect of her work. Inspired early on by a desire to help others, Dr. Henry’s approach has evolved to focus on empowering young women through honest conversations about self-esteem, social media influence, and realistic relationships. As a Black woman in medicine, she brings a unique perspective on health equity and patient advocacy, emphasizing the importance of trust, mentorship, and preventive care. In this in-depth interview, Dr. Henry shares her views on the emotional complexities of healthcare for both patients and providers, the critical gaps in medical education, and the hopeful shifts shaping the future of medicine. She also reflects on how prioritizing rest and self-care is a vital message she continually shares with her patients, illustrating her dedication to nurturing whole-person wellness.

What originally inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, and how has your purpose evolved since you began practicing?

As cliche as it sounds, I just knew that I wanted to help people. When I was taking my Biology 101 class in college, all of my classmates were aspiring doctors. It was like positive peer pressure. If they could do it, I knew I could do it too. Over time I took more of an interest in helping teen girls and have evolved to be much more holistic in my approach to practicing medicine.

As someone deeply invested in community health, what are the most urgent conversations we need to be having with young women today?

The following conversations are crucial:

[1] Young women need to be unplugging regularly from electronic devices, and this discussion needs to go deeper than just limiting their time interacting with social platforms. Young women need to be shown how social media is being used to manipulate their mindsets.

[2] All young women should be receiving practical steps to building self-esteem, including the definition of the term, examples, and daily practice of making their self-esteem virtually unassailable.

[3] When speaking to young ladies about the true nature of relationships, we must embrace radical honesty that is based in reality, not Disney, or any other made-up fairytales.

How do you approach building trust with patients who may feel overlooked or misunderstood by the medical system?

My approach is simple: greet them with a warm and genuine smile, treat them with respect, and actively listen to them. Unfortunately, many doctors rush in like a strong wind, they do nearly all the talking while using medical jargon the patient may not fully understand, offer prescriptions, and make a speedy exit to the next patient, leaving the first patient feeling unfulfilled and not seen.

What role does mentorship play in your life — both as a mentor and as someone who has been mentored?

This may sound unusual, but mentorship for me is like a sandwich with me in the middle. My mentor is one piece of bread, and my mentee is the other piece. I learn from my mentor, who pours information into me, and I, in turn, pour into my mentee. Although my mentor’s piece of bread is not physically touching my mentee’s piece of bread, I am the part in the middle who touches both. The mentorship sandwich is nourishing all around.

You’re an outspoken advocate for preventive care. What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving patients over and over again — that really makes a difference?

One piece of advice I give again and again is to prioritize rest (which is a form of necessary self-care). I remind patients that even God took a break on the Sabbath, so who are we humans to not follow that example? Our bodies have limits, and while we can push those limits, chronically doing so absolutely leads to breakdown, disability, and even disease. Making (and taking) time to rest reaps infinite rewards.

How has being a Black woman in medicine shaped your perspective on health equity and patient advocacy?

I realized just how important my presence in the profession matters. I cannot count the number of Black women patients who admitted they sought me out because I am a Black woman. Further, I have had male patients, both Black and white, admit that they prefer a woman physician. Several of these patients had subpar experiences with doctors of either the opposite race or gender which drove them to make a different choice. I believe Black women generally have a reputation for being nurturing yet straightforward, which people appreciate.

What do you wish more people understood about the emotional side of healthcare — both for patients and providers?

This is a great question! I wish more people took the time to understand that there are indeed bubbles of unspoken emotion surrounding doctors and patients. From the patient’s perspective, there is some degree of fear involved with doctor visits, even if the patient doesn’t admit it or show it. For a new patient, the fear may center around whether or not they have a pleasant first experience at the office, if they “click” with the doctor, or receive a large bill. For established patients, there may be some fear about losing a beloved doctor to another practice or retirement; and for all patients receiving bad health news is a fear. We physicians feel stressed about conciliating perfectionism with the fact that we are imperfect human beings. In our profession, being less than perfect could mean a lawsuit. Further, we feel the sting of loss when a patient dies. I have gone home and cried several times when I received news that one of my patients had passed away. If I may share one story in particular about two patients passing: during COVID, a mother and daughter I had been treating for over 10 years both succumbed to COVID only days apart. The mother was in her nineties and her daughter, who was the caregiver, was in her sixties. They were sweet, petite, lovely ladies who were so pleasant during visits. The mother was quite stylish and was always dressed like she was going to church, and the daughter had a sense of humor. It truly pained me that I would never see them again.

If you could redesign medical education with future generations in mind, what’s one thing you’d change immediately?

I would change the fact that we do not get nearly enough education about nutrition. The emphasis on prescription drugs and surgery versus what we put into our bodies overwhelmingly favors drugging and cutting people. Don’t misunderstand me, medication and surgery are absolutely necessary in medical practice, but so is more strict attention to nutrition which may prevent or mitigate many of the common chronic diseases that progress to the point of no return. I would make the med school curriculum more balanced in this regard.

You’re known for your engaging and empowering public speaking. What’s a message you never get tired of sharing?

I will never tire of telling an audience exactly how important education is. Although acquiring a traditional four-year college or university degree may not be the route for every high school graduate, obtaining knowledge and training for developing a marketable skill set is non-negotiable in my opinion.

What’s something that gives you hope when it comes to the future of healthcare and the next generation of providers?

I am hopeful about the fact that medical students have been exposed to a curriculum that includes cultural sensitivity so they are more aware of how different cultures approach medical care. This helps them develop a better bedside manner. Being a good doctor isn’t just about knowledge and technical expertise; it’s also about connecting with and understanding your patients.

Find more on Dr. Kela here: https://drkela.com/