Rising Stars: Meet Dr. Phabillia Afflack

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Phabillia Afflack.

Hi Dr. Phabillia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Having spent most of my time in Harlem during my college years, I enjoyed having my free time servicing the community. During the period of 1992-1995 while attending full-time academic Studies in City College of New York. As a dedicated member of the caduceus society, I was in charge of organizing community outreach program. My particular interest was sex education to local high school students and health fairs to the uninsured individuals. Every semester we would go to the high schools and talk about sex and sexually transmitted diseases and their prevention.

Three times a year, we spent visiting the children at “Mother Hail House” in Harlem. These children were born to addicts and their mother abandoned the great majority of them. So, we played with them, hug them and gave them plenty of attention. It was then that I realize how powerful the second principle of holistic medicine was. Of course, at the time I didn’t know what it was. I just knew that the healing power of love was real and true. I learned that just by listening to them or by simply holding a child that is crying can sometimes make a big impact on my life as well as theirs. Despite my dedication, I wanted to do more.

In 1995-2000, attended medical school in Hershey Pennsylvania. I became a member of the American Women Association where we provided free breast examinations every six months and

Comforted battered women. I was also a member of the SNMA (Student National Minority Association) we provided health fairs and free health assessments and examinations to the Harrisburg community and local churches. Unknowingly providing and acting on principle 4 of integrative holistic medical practice, preventive medicine. In 2000-2004, I did my Ob/Gyn Residency in Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center where the population is primarily Hispanics and Africans. Being Fluent in French and conversational Spanish, I was able to blend in without difficulty. I didn’t realize how much of an impact I made in my patient’s lives just by speaking their native language until they would come to every clinic visit with a gift or two. I realize now the importance of communication and what a difference it makes when you are able to communicate with your patient in their native languages. They are more comfortable, more willing to disclose information and more importantly, they feel safe.

In 2004, I remained in the Bronx as a staff attending and pursued my career, but it wasn’t until I came across my patient that would impact my life and change my perspective of medicine for ever. I can remember it like it was yesterday, it was Friday and my last patient of the day. She was a 40-year-old nulliparous referred by her primary care for evaluation and treatment of chronic pelvic pain. The initial questions and answers were pretty typical until I started talking about the different treatment options available for pelvic pain. Dr “Do you plan on having children?” patient “No, I know I can’t have children”. For whatever reason when she answered the question with that response, I immediately paused and began digging. I began asking why??? Why??? Would you say that? It was then that she opened the flood gates and disclosed her past. She revealed to me how members of her family repeatedly raped her since she was eight years old and she was prostituted by her mother to men that would come and go in her house. Her mother repeatedly told her that she was unlikeable and that she was nothing.

All I could do from that moment was to tell her the truth that she was a loveable human being and I gave her a hug. I treated her with oral contraceptives and pain medication and had her come every month just to talk. I spoke words of encouragement into her life, gave her positive outlook of her life and showed her kindness and love, something she had never experience by any member of her family including her mother. In six months, we stopped the OCP’s and after another six months we stopped the pain meds and continued our monthly meetings. After two years, she remains off medication and follows up twice a year. I realized from my encounter with patient X that sometimes our pain can be manifested in the physical and it is important to individualize our patients and to treat them as a whole. We are three-dimensional beings that have a mind, a body and a soul and we must treat all aspects to truly make an impact in our patients’ health and lives and thus began my journey as a Holistic Ob/Gyn physician.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Change is always welcome but not always well received. I had my daughter in 2005. I had graduated my residency and been in practice for over a year so my confidence was there as a physician as well as my knowledge so going into motherhood was not scary to me after all, I survived residency. Looking back now I can say, “I was clueless”. No training, No books, No seminar, No test, Nothing could of prepared me for this adventure. Whenever I talk about this, I can only describe it as an Identity crisis. I was about to assume yet another Identity called “Mother” when I just finished acquiring “Doctor” I was comfortable as Phabillia the sister, Phabillia the wife, Phabillia the doctor I knew her very well but Phabillia the Mother who was that? I described pregnancy as a battle within myself. I was battle of surrendering control of my body, my worries, my fears and accepting the changes that my body was going through. Accepting the new dynamics of life, it was about embracing the changes that this new world that I will be exposed to because of the baby. It was about accepting this new roles that my husband and I were going to have and share together. Nobody had prepared me for that.

At my prenatal visits, we talked about how well my body is doing and how well my baby is doing but nobody ever asked how am I doing emotionally and mentally. How is my relationship with my husband? How is my life going to change? No one prepared me for becoming a parent. It’s like putting all of effort and work on the Wedding and not preparing for the Marriage which is going to last longer than the Wedding. Most Doctors spend the bulk of the visits focus on the mothers physical well being and the baby well being but never prepare the couple for what is coming; “Parenting” The Labor is the easy part, that is the doorway to parenting, it is the beginning of the adventure not the end. After having my child, I started to prepare the couple for parenting as well as taking care of mother and baby. This is one of the reasons that all of my prenatal visits the father is included. It is an all-inclusive visit. This way of practicing was not well received by the majority of my colleagues because this requires time, at least 30-45mins. In today’s world that is unheard of to spend that much time with a patient. Most physicians have to see on average 25-30 patients a day just pay their overhead of their practice. Today, Doctors No longer work for themselves they are employees of insurance companies. They dictate the cost of care not the Doctor. But I didn’t care about that I wanted to go back to reason why I wanted to become a Doctor “Is to take care of people, to serve them, to help them and to heal them. Not many people could see my vision of bring back the “house call doctor”.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an Obstetrician and Gynecologist. My companies name is Phabulous Care. Phabulous Care is a mobile concierge service that uses patient-centered care model at its core value. Bringing quality, affordable and attentive care to the patient.

I guess I am known for singing happy birthday at every birth I deliver because I believe that is when the song truly applies. After all, every year thereafter is simply an anniversary not a birthday. I can sing the song in French and Spanish but I willing to learn in every language with help.

I practice patient-centered care. Patient-centered care is the practice of caring for patients in ways that are meaningful and valuable to the individual patient. It includes listening to, informing and involving patients in their care. I believe that the Doctor-Patient relationship at the core of that relationship we need to have trust. Trust can only be established when every person in that relationship is acknowledged, respected and honored. This can only be achieved through great communication.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t get frustrated. Be patient, slow and steady wins the race.

And above all, be grateful for what you already have and don’t focus on what you don’t have.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.phabulouscare.com