How Healthcare Works, LLC

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I’m 54 years old. Yet, people like to act as if I need to "grow up" when I ask anyone for help.  I want to explain — calmly, clearly, and honestly — why that comment isn’t just wrong, but deeply disrespectful. I have been a grown-up since I was a child. I entered foster care when I was three or four years old. That is not a childhood filled with safety, ease, or protection. From a very young age, I had to take care of myself and help care for my younger sister. Survival requires responsibility. Responsibility forces maturity long before a child should ever need it. Since I was 18, I have been on my own. I have paid my own bills. I have supported myself. There has never been anyone quietly handling things behind the scenes for me. I paid my way through college. I worked for my education. I lived on my own in New York City. I survived homelessness. None of those experiences are possible without discipline, problem-solving, and resilience. Later, I r...

 by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I have an unpopular opinion to express: I like mornings. Even as a kid, I woke up early — really early. Not 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. Early before the crack of dawn. People would say, “Why are you up in the middle of the night?” But waking up between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. always felt natural to me. Growing up in small-town Iowa, I rode the bus to school every day. Even though we lived closest to town on our route, we were the first stop at 7:00 a.m. So my dad started waking me up at 5:00. It was a whole routine. I was slightly conscious as I heard him downstairs throwing wood into the furnace. I could smell the wood embers drifting through the house as the backup furnace turned off. I would stay in bed until he opened my door and said it was time to get up. His words the night before — “ 5:00 comes awful early ” — always rested in my mind as I tried to wake up. I finally dragged myself out of bed to take a long, hot shower. I fixed my hair in our three-way ba...

 by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH There are so many small things that shape our lives—for better and for worse. Today, I want to focus on the little acts of service that other people do that make my life just a bit easier. You know the saying, “It’s not easy being green?” That’s how I feel most days. This week, I was accidentally caught in two different pictures at my day job. The first was in an Instagram video someone was filming. I walked right through it at the end of the day, carrying my big pink purse, wearing a grey sweater that hit right at the widest part of my hips, and somehow looking 50–60 pounds heavier than I actually am. I’ve always believed that when someone doesn’t like you, they portray you negatively—even in photos. When someone takes an unflattering picture of me, I call it a hideograph . And that first image was definitely pushing the hideograph scale. A few days later, we had a team lunch, and again I was caught on camera. But this time, the picture actually look...

The holiday season is here — and for many of us, that means long to-do lists, family gatherings, and the pressure to make everything perfect . But you don’t have to feel drained before the celebrations even begin. Here are five practical strategies to help you stay energized and calm this Thanksgiving week . 1. Take Micro-Breaks Even 5–10 minutes of quiet time can recharge your mind. Step outside, stretch, or just breathe. These mini-breaks make a bigger difference than you might think. 2. Keep Expectations Realistic The holidays don’t have to be flawless. Focus on connection and self-care, not perfection. 3. Prioritize Energy Sleep, hydration, and quick healthy snacks help you maintain focus and mood throughout the day. 4. Share the Load Let family or friends help with cooking, decorating, or errands. Delegating doesn’t make you weak — it keeps the holiday fun. 5. Pause for Gratitude Take a moment before meals or gatherings to notice something positive. Even brief mindfulnes...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH The other day, someone texted me and said I was “doing great.” I know they meant well, but when you’re barely able to cover your basic bills and working in a job far below your qualifications, it doesn’t feel like “great.” A lot of the challenges I’m facing now stem from years of people minimizing my needs, making assumptions about what I “deserved,” and encouraging others to withhold even basic support. For a long time, I didn’t realize how deeply that affected me. When I moved to Idaho, I met someone who finally showed me something different—what genuine friendship looks like. This person treated me with kindness, consistency, and respect. They helped me begin to understand that it’s normal for people to do kind things for one another. That friendship was the first time I truly saw that needing help isn’t a flaw, and accepting help doesn’t make you weak. It’s simply part of being human. Notably, that person did not attend my undergraduate institution. He...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH As I’m writing this post, I have dinner cooking on the stove. What’s on the menu tonight? Carne asada tacos. My pre-dinner snack was Skinny Pop. I’m a self-proclaimed foodie, having lived in Kansas City and traveled extensively throughout the country. It’s funny to think about now, because I was an extremely picky eater as a child. As an adult, every time I traveled somewhere new, I made a point to try new foods. I’ve even tried Ethiopian food—definitely not my favorite. To me, it tasted like a spicy, dirty sponge. I enjoy cooking when I have the time to cook and clean up afterward. I have this quirky rule where I won’t cook unless the kitchen is clean first. So it’s bothering me tonight that I have dirty dishes in the sink as I’m cooking dinner. But they will be washed and put in the dishwasher before bed. I’ve had a long, complicated love-hate relationship with food. In a previous post, I shared that I was neglected as a child and often didn’t have enoug...