Society & Culture → Personal Journals Episodes
Sept. 1, 2026
Breaking Barriers, Building Health: Dr. Nina Ford Johnson
She was sworn in as the first pediatrician to lead the Medical Association of the State of Alabama in 20 years — and only the second woman of color to hold the role since Dr. Regina Benjamin, who went on to become U.S. Surgeon General. In this episode of Living It Up with Lenise, Dr. Nina Ford Johnson opens up about the moment her father administered her oath of office, the physician shortage reshaping care across Alabama, and why she believes "if you are not at the table, you are the meal being served." We talk infant mortality, rural healthcare access, the billion-dollar conversation around weight and GLP-1s, and what it means to raise three kids while leading a statewide medical association. Dr. Johnson shares the loss that first pointed her toward medicine, the mentor who told her she could do it when she doubted herself, and the one health habit she'd prescribe to every person in Alabama. It's a conversation about service, legacy, and remembering that everybody is somebody'…