COVER STORY
She realized, like many, that black and
brown minorities were experiencing sig-
nificant disparities with chronic conditions,
access to care, preventive screenings and
mental health. Continue to be part of the
problem or become part of the solution was
her motivation for opening her own private
practice, Operation Med-Care at Without
Walls International Church then called
South Tampa Christian Center in 1996.
She expanded her practice by starting the
Mobile Medical Care in inner city areas of
Tampa and began providing medical care
in housing projects of North Blvd Homes.
Dedication to the healing and restoration of
black segregated, disenfranchised, poverty
stricken is what spurred her to begin Fruit of
Glory Ministries, Inc. a 501c3 organization.
As if Dr. LeGrande did not have enough
education under her belt, she became an
ordained minister of the Gospel in 1996 in
order to expand her community outreach
efforts to include teaching bible study and
preaching whenever asked. She included
medical mission trips to Haiti, Dominican
Republic and Jamaica annually as an ex-
tension of her community outreach.
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IBA Success Magazine
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VOL 5, Issue 5
ward answers and easy solutions, chronic
pain does not. If chronic pain is frustrating
for patients, it can be equally as unnerv-
ing for those entrusted with patient care.
The relief of pain is obviously one of the
main functions of physicians. Ironically, Dr.
LeGrande feels that it is one of the things
that doctors do not do well. Adding to the
complexity are drug abuse concerns. Prac-
titioners and pharmacists can become re-
sentful and fearful of the scrutiny they face
practicing compassionate care with poten-
tially addictive drugs, and this takes a toll
on the patient’s need.
When it comes to business, Dr. LeGrande is
always looking for a way to serve those in
need. According to Visit Orlando, 75 mil-
lion people visit Orlando annually. About
6 million are international tourists. It stands
to reason, that at some point, these visitors
might require medical care, and many may
not have health insurance. Not to worry,
Dr. LeGrande to the rescue. This fall, Dr.
If you are visitor to Orlando and become ill—or an hotelier, and would like more information
on how to protect or add amenities for your guests—visit us on the web: www.MyMD2Me.com
Another issue in health disparity caused her
concern. Pain management and its treat-
ment are strongly influenced by race and
ethnicity as well as by the social and eco-
nomic conditions where people work and
live. The Black and Brown community ex-
perience significant disparities with chron-
ic conditions, access to care, preventive
screenings, and mental health. Research
has shown that these patients are under-
treated for pain not only relative to white
patients, but relative to the World Health
Organization guidelines. According to Dr.
LeGrande, pain is a four-letter word, but it
shouldn’t be a dirty word because hope is
also a four-letter word. Pain is complicated
and subjective. It is an unpleasant sensory
and emotional experience primarily asso-
ciated with tissue, bone or nerve damage.
Everyone feels pain from time to time, but
chronic pain is different. Chronic pain is de-
fined as pain that lasts 12 weeks. It may be
steady or intermittent, coming and going
without any apparent reason. Chronic pain
is a distraction, because people have diffi-
culty functioning with this debilitating pain.
Health problems as a rule have straightfor-