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You Are the Most Important Part of Your Healthcare Team
Navigating the medical system can feel overwhelming—but you don’t have to do it alone or in the dark. This empowering guide helps you become a confident health advocate for yourself and your loved ones. Learn how to prepare for doctor visits, ask the right questions, track vital info, and speak up to get the care you deserve. With practical tools and inspiring encouragement, this book shows how your voice can lead to better outcomes—and begin to close health disparity gaps.
Take charge. Speak up. Your health depends on it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henraya McGruder, PhD is a former senior research scientist in the Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a retired Lieutenant Commander in the United States Public Health Services. During her 22-year career, she has served in many roles, from Epidemiologist to Public Health Advisor, across various divisions at CDC. Dr. McGruder began her career at CDC in 2002 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, where she was assigned to the Cardiovascular Health Branch. She is a subject matter expert in emergency response, tobacco cessation and health disparities among persons with chronic diseases. She has published several scholarly articles in scientific journals such as Stroke, Ethnicity & Disease, Preventing Chronic Disease, Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), and many more. In 2022, Henraya created Audacious Health Advocates to help individuals learn the value and importance of advocating for their health. This organization is an outgrowth of her research in health disparities and her need to find ways to eliminate them in various populations. Dr. McGruder also has over a decade of teaching experience as a professor of psychology, serving at Spelman College and Johnson C. Smith University.
Dr. McGruder is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hampton University and Masters and Ph.D. in neuropsychology from Howard University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and listening to live music. She is the mother of two children, Alexander and Hailey, and the wife of Juan A. McGruder, PhD.