INTERVIEW: Dr. Puma Talks 'Sorin Heart Scan,' Power 105.1 Partnership, U.S. Healthcare Crisis, Health Solutions + More

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Interview with Dr. Puma

Episode: Dr. Puma Talks 'Sorin Heart Scan,' Power 105.1 Partnership, U.S. Healthcare Crisis, Health Solutions + More
Date: March 30, 2026
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Dr. Puma
Duration covered: 02:35–29:40

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club centers on the importance of cardiovascular health, the accessibility of advanced medical scans, and the deep-rooted issues in the American healthcare system. Dr. Puma, a returning guest and founder of Sorin Medical, discusses the impact of his new partnership with Power 105.1 to offer free heart scans, shares stories from his decades-long medical practice, and addresses larger systemic challenges—including advocacy, healthcare inequities, and solutions for chronic conditions like high blood pressure and uterine fibroids.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. The Importance and Function of Heart Scans

• Introduction to Sorin Heart Scan:
  Dr. Puma explains the power of his 3-minute heart scan, which visually checks for plaque and blockages in arteries, offering invaluable preventative insights for patients (03:30).
• Who Should Get Scanned & Frequency:
  • No symptoms/low risk: If clear, as rare as every 8 years (04:41).
  • High risk or diagnosed: More frequent, individualized monitoring.
  • Quotes:
    • “If you have no calcification, no plaque buildup...you know, it can't be coming from your heart.” – Dr. Puma (04:45)
    • “Doctors can only do two things for people: help you feel better, or live longer.” – Dr. Puma (03:30)
• Full Body & Brain Scans:
  Can detect more than cardiac issues—aneurysms, cancer, and systemic health issues (05:29, 06:25).

2. Addressing Healthcare Anxiety & Prevention

• Community Health Motivation:
  Dr. Puma emphasizes his Brooklyn roots and mission to target underserved communities, providing both reassurance and diagnosis.
• Mental Wealth & Anxiety:
  Many people, especially those with anxiety and limited access to doctors, benefit from scans for “peace of mind” (06:38).
• Role of Triggers:
  “Usually there's some event...A friend died young, or a coworker or family member. And there's always something.” – Dr. Puma (09:25)

3. Health Inequities and the Black Community

• High Blood Pressure as the “Silent Killer”:
  Particularly acute in Black Americans:
  • Occurs earlier
  • More resistant to treatment
  • Leads to more complications: heart failure, stroke, heart attack (08:39, 09:25).
• Daily Impact:
  Dr. Puma sees patients needing urgent hospitalization every day due to dangerously high blood pressure (10:14).

4. The Healthcare System Crisis & Advocacy

• Access Challenges:
  • Many people lack primary care doctors and strong health advocates (11:55).
  • Insurance issues, hospital/provider network changes result in fragmented, discontinuous care, as DJ Envy shares about his daughter’s experience (18:14).
• The Role of Advocacy:
  Dr. Puma underscores the need to fight for appropriate care:
  • “Everybody knows when they're not being treated properly. You feel it in your gut.” (19:46)
  • “You have to keep advocating for yourself because everyone deserves high quality health care at low or no cost. This is America.” (20:13)
• Structural Issues:
  • Decline in independent physicians (80% → <20% in 15 years)
  • Hospitals and insurance companies prioritize business over patients

5. Affordable, Accessible, and Compassionate Care

• Sorin Medical’s Approach:
  • Rejects collection policies—if a patient can’t pay, they’re not billed (22:16).
  • Heart scans offered at $300 vs. $2,000 in other clinics; free scans given away via community partnerships (22:57, 27:12).
  • “If you go to the Upper East Side, you're paying $2,000. You come to us, we're charging you 300. And if you can't pay, we just do it.” – Dr. Puma (22:57)
• Expanding Access:
  Sorin Medical will open a 50,000 sq. ft. multi-specialty facility in the Bronx—a major investment in a marginalized community (23:09).

6. Innovations in Women’s Health – Uterine Fibroids

• Non-surgical Treatments:
  Outpatient embolization performed in under an hour, dramatically reducing the need for hysterectomies—a pivotal advance, especially since Black women face higher fibroid risks (25:05).
  • “Up to 70% of Black women will develop uterine fibroids... When it's easily treatable.” – Dr. Puma (25:18)
  • “If men had a problem where we told them that's what they needed...how many of them would go for that?” – Dr. Puma (26:48)

7. Community Partnership & Free Scans Giveaway

• Power 105.1 Initiative:
  Continuing to give away weekly free heart scans—this week, 50 scans available to anyone who registers via power1051.com (27:09, 28:11).
  • “We just want people. Because when people come in for their free heart scans, we're checking their blood pressure...we find so many other things.” – Dr. Puma (27:33)
• Hosts' Personal Testimonies:
  Envy and Charlamagne both share their own positive experiences and urge listeners to get scanned and bring their families (19:19, 29:19).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Doctors can only do two things for people: help you feel better, or live longer."
  – Dr. Puma [03:30]

• "In the black community... complications of high blood pressure now... is higher than heart attacks."
  – Dr. Puma [08:39]

• "You have to keep advocating for yourself because everyone deserves high quality health care at low or no cost. This is America. I mean, can you imagine we're having this conversation in 2026?"
  – Dr. Puma [20:13]

• "I've never put anyone in collection. And if people can't pay, they can't pay."
  – Dr. Puma [22:09]

• "If you go to the Upper east side, you're paying $2,000. You come to us, we're charging you 300. And if you can't pay, you know, we just do it."
  – Dr. Puma [22:57]

• "Every time we tell people to go to Dr. Puma, they always leave with the same sense of relief that I felt when I first went…as somebody who deals with anxiety…to me that's priceless."
  – Charlamagne Tha God [24:32]

• "We just want people. Because when people come in for their free heart scans, we're checking their blood pressure...we find so many other things."
  – Dr. Puma [27:33]

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Key Timestamps

• 02:52 – Introduction to Dr. Puma; importance of cardiovascular health
• 03:30 – What Sorin Heart Scans do and who benefits
• 04:41/05:24 – How often to get heart and body scans, early detection value
• 06:38 – Anxiety, access to care, and who should get scanned
• 08:39 – High blood pressure and stroke in the Black community
• 10:14 – Urgent cases found daily; role of Dr. Puma’s advocacy
• 11:55–12:26 – The lack of advocates in the current healthcare system
• 18:14/19:46 – Insurance loss, care disruption, and tips to advocate for yourself
• 22:57/23:09 – Dr. Puma’s affordable care model, expansion in the Bronx
• 25:05 – Innovations in uterine fibroid treatment
• 27:12–29:01 – Free heart scans giveaway, impact on community
• 29:19 – Final encouragement: make it a family health activity

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Conclusion

The episode is a powerful discussion on proactive healthcare, tailored interventions, and compassion-driven patient advocacy. Dr. Puma stands out as a physician who not only addresses clinical needs with advanced technology but fights for system change—especially for vulnerable communities. The ongoing free heart scan initiative and new facility in the Bronx are tangible proof of this mission, and both the hosts and guest encourage listeners to know their status and demand the care they deserve.

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Transcript

[Dr. Puma]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Let me get this straight.

[Dr. Puma]

You're in Italy?

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Child pretended to be the white Italian man's fiance.

[Dr. Puma]

Hard to believe.

[Michael / Nephew]

This is Michael, my nephew.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Then you ended up catching feelings for the black Italian Cousin Brothers.

[Podcast Narrator / Advertiser]

On April 10, she came for the pasta and got lost in the sauce.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Please just tell me that you support me.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Damn.

[Podcast Guest / Personal Story]

No.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Is he fine, though? Come on, baby.

[DJ Envy]

You can eat, pray, and love me.

[Podcast Narrator / Advertiser]

Baby, you be in Tuscany B13 only. Peterson. April 10 may be inappropriate for children under 13.

[Lauren LaRose]

And, Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird.

[Michael / Nephew]

What is this, your first date?

[Dr. Puma]

Oh, no.

[Lauren LaRose]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Dr. Puma]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Lauren LaRose]

Anyways, only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty.

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

Liberty. Liberty.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

On the Adventures of Curiosity Cove podcast, what if the right fit isn't what everyone expects? In the case of the Right Fit, Ella explores movement, confidence, and belonging, and learns that not all strength looks the same. This Women's History Month story introduces kids to women who change sports by trusting themselves and moving differently. Listen to Adventures of Curiosity Cove every Monday from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts on the Cino show podcast.

[Cino Show Host]

Each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejo. Talk about addiction, transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with guests like Tiffany Adish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Podcast Guest / Personal Story]

I'm an alcoholic, and without this truth, I'm a die.

[Cino Show Host]

Listen to Cino's show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Mom, can you tell me a story?

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Was she brave?

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

She was tired, mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Did you have to fight a dragon?

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

Nope. She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Was it scary?

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Did the car have a sunroof?

[Carvana Advertiser / Storyteller]

It did, actually. Okay, good story. Car buying. You'll want to Tell stories about Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hold up.

[Dr. Puma]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRose is here as well. We got a special guest in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We talking to you about him all the time.

[DJ Envy]

All the time. Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Puma. How you feeling, doc?

[Dr. Puma]

Great to be here again. Thanks. Thanks for having me. And it's great to be here with Jess.

[Lala Kent]

Yes.

[Dr. Puma]

Who I love. And Lauren, great to meet you as well. Charlamagne, always good to see you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

My guy. Now, we always tell you about Dr. Pullman, and we encourage everybody to go to Soren Medical because cardiovascular health is very important. But today we got something very special for listeners because we're giving away free heart scans.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

At Soren medical, courtesy of Dr. Puma.

[Dr. Puma]

Hey, that's right.

[DJ Envy]

Well, for people that don't know who Dr. Puma is or don't listen to, the show might not have heard us explain what Dr. Puma does that helps and benefits so many people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It keeps you from dying.

[Dr. Puma]

Well, in long form, we hope so, yes. I mean, in, in, in short form, doctors can only do two things for people. Help you feel better or live longer. But there's real differences in care in this country and especially in New York. And, you know, I'm a Brooklynite, come from South Brooklyn, and it really focused majority of my care, but especially the last third of my career on just improving care and underserved areas. People who either don't have access, don't know how to have access. And with our technology, with a three minute heart scan, we can see your arteries in your body, we can see if you have plaque, we could see if you have blockage. And truthfully, you know, as you know, Charlemagne, the majority of people who go to the cardiologist just have anxiety and are having all kinds of different symptoms. Chest pain, palpitation, shortness of breath. And so a normal scan is as valuable as anything else. So we're just trying to improve the health of the community and, and really reaching out and giving people an access point.

[Lala Kent]

Now, you often should.

[DJ Envy]

You.

[Lala Kent]

I'm sorry, how often should you get a heart scan?

[Dr. Puma]

Well, it depends. It depends if, if, if you're having symptoms. It depends actually what the results are. If you have no calcification, no plaque buildup in your arteries and normal coronaries, then that has the lowest risk of heart attack, stroke, or death. Over the next eight years, less than 2% and so in that case, there's pretty much nothing you're going to do to have a heart attack. So just, you know, we'll see you in eight years and that should give you peace of mind. So even if you get chest pain or shortness of breath for some reason, you know, it can't be coming for your heart. But if you have severe blocked arteries, which we see every day, and you end up getting bypass surgery or stents, then we personalize it for you and you may have a scan more frequently.

[DJ Envy]

Now, the head to toe scan that, that you can do as well, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Full body and brain scan?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, full body and brain scan. Now, of course, you do the veins and your arteries and those type of things, but can you see cancer through those scans?

[Dr. Puma]

Yes. And, you know, we're at a different time in the world today, right. And I think that the two things that we really have to work hard on in medicine is accessible and trust. We've lost, especially post Covid, we've lost a lot of trust in people. And underserved communities in particular already had a lower trust level. So people are searching and people are trying to advocate for their own health. And a full body scan, we see all the tissues, the organs, but the way we do it is we also accentuate all the arteries in the body. So if there's an aneurysm or any calcification or blockage, we'll see that also from head to toe.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And that's what I went for. Because, you know, for like the past year, some change, I just kept hearing people catching in your getting aneurysms, getting in, getting aneurysms. So I went and got the full body and brain scan because you can detect for those, as you just said,

[DJ Envy]

who, who should be getting them?

[Dr. Puma]

Well, well, it depends. I, you know, I work with you on mental wealth every year, Charlemagne. I think there's so many people who have so much anxiety and don't have access even to a primary care doctor or, or they don't go to anyone who sits and listens to them. Those are the people who are signing up most commonly because they're just trying to find answers, right? They're not even sure what the questions are, but they're trying to find answers. But certainly anyone at risk, anyone if you're a male over 40 or a woman over 50 and you have any risk factors for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and then again, anyone who's having symptoms. So let's separate people who have no symptoms. Versus people who have symptoms. If you're having pain somewhere, dizziness, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, those types of symptoms.

[DJ Envy]

I was gonna ask, you know, when people do go for the scan, how often should they go for the scan? Because, see, the first time when I go there, the first thing you say is, what did you see on TV that made you come here? You know, what did Charlamagne say to you? And that's usually what it is, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what he said to me when I went to for the full body brain square. He's like, what are you here for? I said something. You guys know, what are you really here for? And I said, I just been hitting about all these aneurysms.

[DJ Envy]

The same. See, Charlemagne gets me going. Charlamagne's like, yo, I just went and I got a full scan, and I'm good. And then I just start seeing stuff on tv, and this person just passed. And then I wound up going. He goes, what are you here for? What did you see on television? And we go through the scan all

[Charlamagne Tha God]

morning, and we've been talking about ass warts.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, Doc, I have not been talking about ass warts. But my question to you is, how often should people go and also stroke silent killer. If I go to you and I get a clear, should I have to worry about a stroke? Or is there other things that can happen? Or can you see it from your skin? Because that's another thing that. That scares me now.

[Dr. Puma]

So we could. So first of all, I'm not talking about warts.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you.

[Dr. Puma]

I came in saying I talk about it. Yes, I said I talk about anything, but I have a limit. He's good with ass words. Okay, between here and here, I'm not talking.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay?

[Dr. Puma]

Got you, got you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Gotcha.

[Dr. Puma]

Fair enough. But so if there's a vascular abnormality in your arteries, if there's blockage, if there's aneurysm, you'll see it, and then I can give you a risk score what your risk is over time. Right? Because the body changes over time. But the key is, especially in the black community, is high blood pressure damage or death from high blood pressure. And complications of high blood pressure now in the black community is higher than heart attacks, okay? And most commonly, because black Americans compared to white Americans, develop high blood pressure sooner, it's usually more resistant to treatment, and they have it longer in life, they develop complications, congestive heart failure, stroke and heart attack. And so.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And it's no symptoms.

[Dr. Puma]

And the high blood pressure is what we call the Silent killer. That's exactly right. So in those cases, again, everything is customized. But. But you're right. Charlamagne. When people come in, usually there's some event that happened. A friend died young, or a co worker or family member. And there's always something. And you know, put yourself in my position. I've spent 40 years primarily in an 8 by 10 room sitting, interviewing people, not the way you interview them, but hearing their worries, their anxieties, their symptoms, and you learn what the right questions are to ask to get them to open up. And it's usually, so what's bringing you to see me? What are you worried about?

[Lala Kent]

And.

[Dr. Puma]

And usually that's one of their triggers.

[DJ Envy]

How often do you see somebody and they have to go straight to the hospital? Like, maybe you do their blood pressure and you're like, oh, this is too high. You're gonna go now?

[Dr. Puma]

Every day.

[DJ Envy]

Really?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[Dr. Puma]

Every. Every single day. And I can tell you the work you've done here, and I appreciate that, that you talk about it. And by the way, puts a lot of pressure on me, by the way, because when people leave, I said, please make sure you tell them I did okay. You know, because we don't want any. Anything negative. But so many people have come in that would otherwise not see a doctor or have gone. Gone to doctors and. And they're not listened to or they go to the hospital and. And you know, they don't have their specific doctor. And you know, Lauren and I have.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

I just recently went through that and I called Dr. Puma and he literally like saved one of my family members lives.

[Lala Kent]

Nice.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

You know, like, literally like they were. I had a family. I'm not going to. Not too much detail, but I had a family member who was going through something in the hospital. Her family wasn't there at the moment when something was happening, but when they got there, they knew something was wrong. And the hospital was telling them, oh, no, no, no. And it was something very seriously wrong. And I called Dr. Puma and I'm like, I know something's wrong. Here are her symptoms.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

What do you think?

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

And he's like, here's exactly what you need to tell them to do. So I called and I'm like, hey, like, this is what we need to say to them. And on the other side, advocating, like, that's what I wanted you to talk about too, like having an advocate in the hospital. On the advocate side. I also talked to him about if they don't do it legally, like, what can she say? Who should we talk to who in the hospital should she talk to? And everything got going within, like, the next hour, and it probably saved her life, even though there is damage that's done because they neglected some things for some time. But I called you in the airport, and he just, like, stopped everything he was doing to help me figure it out. And people like you really save people's lives from phone calls like that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But.

[Dr. Puma]

But I guess the thing that concerns me more than anything is this is a national problem now. People don't have primary care doctors anymore that they're connected to that advocate for them. How. How would the patient know what to advocate for? Right? You talk about it all the time, Charlemagne. And I hear you talking about on the show about insurance issues. Insurance doesn't cover this procedure or that doctor or this medication I heard you talking about. I heard a caller this morning. They're alternating every month.

[DJ Envy]

Rationing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy.

[Dr. Puma]

I mean, in what universe do we live in, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you got a ration, as you see that?

[Dr. Puma]

Rationing, yeah, rationing, medication. So. So I think there's a lot we can do. And I've. I've tried to use, you know, I got a tiny little platform, but I'm screaming from the top of my lungs and, you know, bringing people in that. That relate to different communities. And instead of just talking to doctors, you know, like, we had our conference this year. You were at it last year, Charlemagne.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And.

[Dr. Puma]

And I'm trying to open their eyes. And, you know, we. We had the let's Rap about it podcast there this year, and we just have an honest, open conversations and trying to go direct to the community.

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Let me get this straight.

[Dr. Puma]

You're in Italy?

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Child pretended to be the white Italian man's fiance.

[Dr. Puma]

Hard to believe.

[Michael / Nephew]

This is Michael, my nephew.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Then you ended up catching feelings for the black Italian Cousin Brothers on April 10.

[Podcast Narrator / Advertiser]

She came for the pasta and got lost in the sauce.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Please just tell me that you support me.

[Michael / Nephew]

Damn.

[Lauren LaRose]

No.

[Podcast Guest / Storyteller]

Is he fine, though? Come on, baby.

[DJ Envy]

You can eat, pray, and love me.

[Podcast Narrator / Advertiser]

Baby, you be in Tuscany. Greedy. PG 13th only in Peter's. April 10th may be inappropriate for children under 13.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Host]

Usually on this podcast, We'll Kill youl, we talk about the diseases, infections, and biological threats that can make us really sick.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Co-Host]

But right now, we're doing something a little different.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Host]

We're stepping back and looking at what the human body needs to keep going.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Co-Host]

When you consider what we know about sleep in humans, there's one rule that comes out. We are predictably unpredictable sleepers.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Host]

We're talking about why sleep works the way it does, why our bodies don't follow neat rules, and why modern life makes rest so hard to come by.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Co-Host]

The second half of our series takes us to the digestive system with a multi part series on what happens after we eat. Okay, I just have to say that all of my favorite words apparently are digestive words.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Host]

Sphincter, peristalsis, duodenum. It's fascinating, it's funny, and it matters so much more than you think.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Co-Host]

Episodes of our new series run from January 20 through February 17, with new episodes every Tuesday on the Exactly Right Network.

[We'll Kill You Podcast Host]

Listen to this podcast will kill you as part of the Exactly Right Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts on the

[Podcast Listener / Caller]

Adventures of Curiosity Cove podcast. What if the Right Fit isn't what everyone expects? In the case of the Right Fit, Ella explores movement, confidence and belonging and learns that not all strength looks the same. Tennis is powerful, fast, focused and kind of fun. Strong swing, Ella this Women's History Month story introduces kids to women who change sports by trusting themselves and moving differently. A thoughtful episode about identity, courage and helping kids discover where they truly belong. So it's okay if I'm not quite sure what my thing is yet. It's absolutely okay when and if you do find a sport you love, you may be the next Gertrude, Tony or Venus at Curiosity. Listen to Adventures of Curiosity Cove every Monday from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Michael / Nephew]

Hello gorgeous. It's Lala Kent, host of Untraditionally Lala. My days of filling up cups at Sur may be over, but I'm still loving life in the Valley. Life on the other side of the hill is giving grown up vibes. But over here on my podcast, Untraditionally Lala. I'm still that Lala. You either love or love to hate. I've been full on oversharing with fans, family and former frenemies like Tom Schwartz. I had a little bone to pick with Schwartz when he came on the pod. You don't feel bad that you told me I was a bootleg housewife? I almost flipped a pizza in your lap.

[Dr. Puma]

Oh my God. I literally forgot about that until just now.

[DJ Envy]

Sorry.

[Dr. Puma]

I don't want to. I don't want to blame alcohol that

[DJ Envy]

I got to blame that one on the alcohol.

[Michael / Nephew]

This is about laughing and learning when life just keeps on life in because I make mistakes so that you guys don't have to. We're growing, we're thriving. And yes, sometimes we're barely surviving, but we do it all with love. It's unruly, it's unafraid, it's untraditionally. Lala. Listen to Untraditionally lala on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Guest / Personal Story]

I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him.

[Dr. Puma]

Hi, dad.

[Podcast Guest / Personal Story]

And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen and she says, I have some cookies and milk. This is badass. Convict me just finished five years. I'm going to have cookies and milk. At mom.

[Cino Show Host]

On the Cine show podcast. Each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor cultural icon Danny Trejo talk about addiction transformation and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Haddish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

[Podcast Guest / Personal Story]

I'm an alcoholic, and without this trouble, I'm gonna die.

[Cino Show Host]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search the C no show and listen now.

[Dr. Puma]

And that's why I love coming on the show, because it definitely triggers something in people. And they come in and then we find diabetes, we find high blood pressure, we things that weren't treated or inadequately treated, we find blocked arteries, DJ envy every day or blood pressure that's over 200. And we send them straight to the hospital every single day.

[DJ Envy]

I wanted to ask, you know, when you. When you do have those situations, what do you do? Right? Because I just remember my daughter when she was in the hospital, right? So she was in the hospital in December, and Dr. Puma helped out, like, made sure everything was great. But in January, the hospital stopped taking her insurance, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why?

[DJ Envy]

They just cut off the insurance that they took. Instead of using that provider, they used another provider. So now they basically said they can't see her anymore. And they said you have to go to somebody else. But what we were explaining, and Dr. Puma helped out with this, is if she goes to another doctor, they don't know what the other doctors did. They don't know the medicine that she's on. They've never seen her. So, like, how does that work? And, you know, we had to yell and scream and we got it done. But for people that don't have the platform, that people that don't know what's going on, like, what can they do?

[Dr. Puma]

It's a big challenge if they're part of Our practice, we advocate for them. We take everybody and anyone, whether they have insurance or not. I've said it before here, and if they come in for a scan or they need care or they lose their insurance, we don't cut them away. We don't play that game. But that's a huge problem because all these health Systems now, remember 15 years ago, we didn't have any such thing as health systems, right? These health systems are basically corporate practice of medicine. These are just business deals between the hospital and, and the insurance company. And so the patients are getting cut out. Independent physicians, I think, are critically important. You know, 15 years ago, 80% of the doctors in the US were independent in private practices. Now it's less than 20%. But they're the ones who advocate for you. They're the ones who know you. And I think, Lauren, I would say this to you, or DJ Envy, I think that's why you all call me, because I work for you or I work for the patient. When you go to a hospital system, you just found out now, sadly, after all you went through, which was traumatizing, that everyone there works for the hospital and for the health system. They're not working for you. So it's a challenge. But what you need to do is just keep advocating. Everybody knows when they're not being treated properly. You feel it in your gut. You know it. Everybody knows when they're being disrespected or they're not, you know, being treated with dignity. And you need to keep advocating. And it might not be the doctor or the hospital that you're in front of. You may have to find somewhere else. And that's unfortunate. But you have to keep advocating for yourself because everyone deserves high quality health care at low or no cost. This is America. I mean, can you imagine we're having this conversation in 2026, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We say this is America, as if this isn't America like it's supposed. This is. To me, this is the American way, the system being corrupt. I've never known it any other way. I've never known a country, I've never known this country to have affordable healthcare for people. I've never seen it easy for people to access the healthcare system, me personally. So when we say this is America, you're actually the exception to the rule. Dr. Poom.

[Dr. Puma]

Well, we were supposed to have fixed all of that, right, with everyone getting health care. But, but now in, in, in New York, for instance, 40 of New York City is on Medicaid, you know, so when you listen, so I'm. I'm with you. Right. I mean, you know, we. I think our politics actually are very. Are very similar, and, and we may advocate in different ways. And I can't say the things you always say because you have the stature that you have, but I agree with you. I think. I think it's crazy. We should all have affordable health care, and it shouldn't matter, you know, who you are, but we don't. And, And I think that there's a lot in the Affordable Care act that we need to look back at now and needs to be fixed. People can't afford medications. Right. Remember, no one was supposed to get be in medical debt, Jess. Remember that? We have more people in medical debt today than we did 15 years ago. We have more people being taken to court by hospital systems. Right. And it's harder for us in independent practice to figure out how to, you know, pay the electric and pay everyone's salaries. But I can tell you, in 40 years, we've never. I've never put anyone in collection. And if people can't pay, they can't pay.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

Before you move on from that point, can I ask you, how does that work then? Like, how can you figure out to afford that? But every. Or to do that. I don't know if it's an affording thing, but.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Great question.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

Every other hospital can't, like.

[Dr. Puma]

Well, they can't or they won't. They can or they won't.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

Let me know.

[Dr. Puma]

By the law, we have to ask for the deductible. We have to ask for the copay. But also by the law, if. If you came in, Jess, or a family member and said, I can't afford it, we're allowed to click that in the computer and not collect it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Interesting.

[Dr. Puma]

And we're allowed to say, don't build a patient.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, but that's why your scans are so affordable. Just because of that?

[Dr. Puma]

No, my scan. Scans are so affordable. That's part of it. But my scans are so affordable because I decided to go the opposite way. So if you go to the Upper east side, you're paying $2,000. You come to us, we're charging you 300. And if you can't pay, you know, we. We just do it. Okay. And then. And then I think what happens, it's kind of like what my dad told me when I was younger. If you just do a good job and try and do the right thing, you know, someone will figure it out. Someone will, you know, people will come. And that's what's happened. And I think that we've built a robust, vibrant, diverse practice. You know, we go to communities nobody wants to go to. And we open, you know, we're about to open with Basilica Management in June. Over 50,000 square foot facility in the Bronx on the Grand Concourse that'll have multiple specialties. Ob, gyn, primary care, cardiac, vascular, radiology. Who's investing there? Right? Is it the big health systems, you know, that do $10 billion a year? Is it UnitedHealth Care, that's a 400 billion dollar a year company. Now I'm really sounding like an activist, but. But no, it's, it's look small little us and we're doing it out of our own pocket, but we're figuring out because people are coming. We don't have the scale of some of these places, but, but people come. And by the way, when you all bring us up, it's like an extra obligation for us. Yeah. We even work harder because we would never want to, to not make sure that you were proud or that you were associated with something that was, that was good and positive.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I am. Because every time we tell people to go to the Dr. Puma, they always leave with the same sense of relief that I felt when I first went, you know what I'm saying? As somebody who deals with anxiety and always think they got some type of heart issues. It wasn't until I went to Soaring Medical, did my first cardiovascular scan, that I felt a extreme sense of relief. And to me that's priceless.

[Lala Kent]

Now, I know you specialize in cardiovascular issues, but uterine fibroids, they affect many women, especially black women, at higher rates. Is that something that you address at Storm Medical?

[Dr. Puma]

So we're an integrated group now with vascular surgery, interventional radiology. We have offices all over New York, the boroughs, we even have offices now in New Jersey, Orange County. Our ambulatory surgical center is on Wall street, on the corner of Wall street and South Street. And yes, we treat embolized uterine fibroids. We've innovated in non surgical techniques, simple outpatient procedures where patients come in in the morning, they get a 30 to 60 minute procedure, and within two hours they're walking out the door. And you're right about uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are significantly higher in black women than in white or Hispanic women. In fact, I think the statistic is up to 70% of black women will develop uterine fibroids. And many of them, you know, have heavy periods or abdominal discomfort and they just suffer through it. When you know, they get anemic when it's easily treatable. And I think that the way we treat it is a huge advance with embolizations, because essentially getting an intravenous in your wrist, you're under sedation, so you don't feel anything. Takes us about 30 to 45 minutes to embolize. We use these little micro beads that we get into the arteries that are feeding the fibroids, because the fibers are essentially just benign tumors. And so we're just basically cut off the blood supply. And then within a couple of weeks, the tumors just contract and all the symptoms go away. It's highly effective. It essentially markedly reduces the need. Forever needing a hysterectomy.

[Lala Kent]

Right. That was right.

[Dr. Puma]

Which is a barbaric.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, right.

[Dr. Puma]

I mean, think of if men had a problem when we told them that's what they needed to have done, how many of them would go for that?

[Lala Kent]

Exactly. So a hysterectomy, that's something that you. That would prevent getting one. Yes, a little later. Because I noticed women are having to get them even earlier in their lives.

[Dr. Puma]

That's exactly right.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So how do we give away some free heart scans, Dr. Pumas? Right now.

[Dr. Puma]

Right now, you could give away as many as you want. Anyone who calls it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don't say that now. We got millions and millions of listeners now.

[Dr. Puma]

Charlamagne. You know, we give away one every week.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That is true.

[Dr. Puma]

We've been doing it for last year. This year, we give away one every week.

[Lala Kent]

Amazing.

[Dr. Puma]

And we, you know, these patients that come in, you know, last week or two weeks ago, a woman came in, she won a free heart scan, ended up getting two stents one day and coming back for. You know what I mean? So people are finding things. So we're glad to do it. So I'll leave it open to you. You know, my heart is open. It's all love here. So we'll give away 50, 100, whatever you'd like to do. We just want people. Because when people come in for their free heart scans, we're checking their blood pressure, if they let us. We check blood, we find out if they're diabetic. You know, we go over their medicines with them. And so we find so many other things that we could be helpful whether they stay with us or not, or they take it back to their, you know, their community. So we're glad to do it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you pick a number. Pick a number, pick a number. Just pick a number. One through 105. Huh? God damn. I was gonna say one through 50.

[Lala Kent]

48.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

48. All right, first 48 people call right now. Let's just round it up to 50 then.

[DJ Envy]

This is what you gotta do.

[Dr. Puma]

So I'll tell you why. Pick 50. All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, 50 people right now.

[DJ Envy]

Don't call right now. At [e-mail].

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, that's good.

[DJ Envy]

You got to register on the website.power10051.com.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I didn't know we still had a website.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, yes. Register on the site and we'll come see you. It doesn't matter where you from. If you drive from out of town, they can still come, right?

[Dr. Puma]

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. So it's not just New York, wherever you at.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you got to go register on the website.

[DJ Envy]

Register on the website.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I was gonna say first 50 people call from New York, give it to them right now.

[DJ Envy]

But no, no, no, no. Let's do anybody. Anybody that wants to get to New York and do this, just register on the website.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's the website again?

[DJ Envy]

Power1051.com.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Had to dust that website off.

[DJ Envy]

All right, we appreciate you so much for joining us. Thank you so much.

[Dr. Puma]

Appreciate it all.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you, Dr. Pum.

[DJ Envy]

And last thing I just want to say is make it a family thing. Bring your whole family when you go see Dr. Puma. I done brought. I brought my wife. I brought my kids.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sorry.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

Go. How many times I done called, you said, I'm bringing my family, Trying to get them out the house.

[DJ Envy]

Can you help? Bald spots?

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

Shut up.

[DJ Envy]

All right. Is Dr. Puma.

[Podcast Guest / Family Member]

You should ask that before you dyed that hair.

[DJ Envy]

It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Every day I wake up.

[Dr. Puma]

Wake your ass up. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.