Rani G. Whitfield, MD

Dr. Rani G. Whitfield, a Board Certified Family Physician with a Certificate of added qualification (CAQ) in Sports medicine, is currently in private practice in his native Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Whitfield attended University High School in Baton Rouge, and then earned his undergraduate degree from Southern University and A&M College also in Baton Rouge. He completed medical school training at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, completed his residency in Family Medicine at Franciscan Medical Center in Dayton, OH and went on to earn his Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine from Ohio State University. Dr. Whitfield is an impassioned advocate for increasing the awareness of health related issues, such as HIV/AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease and substance abuse affecting today’s youth, young adults, and the elderly. Dr. Whitfield is very active in his local community and the surrounding areas and currently serves on the Southern University systems Board of Supervisors (2015- present), City Year Advisory Board (2016- present), and the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging (2016- present). He is also a member of Mayor President Elect Sharon West Broome's Healthcare, Social Services, and Mental Health transition team. In 2004 Dr. Whitfield was selected by BET to appear on the critically acclaimed hit show “106 & Park” to discuss HIV/AIDS. In 2005 he agreed to become one of several noted professionals (Hill Harper, Patti Labelle, comedian/actress Mo’Nique, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, etc) to share his wisdom via a book entitled Not In My Family – a collection of essays that discuss AIDS in the African American community. Dr. Whitfield also contributed a chapter to the book Family Affair a collection of essays that discussed what it means to be an African American today. He was featured in the book I Am A Father with his daughter, edited by David Manuel and Southern Greats, a book about successful individuals who graduated from Southern University. He traveled with the “Road to Health" tour alongside nationally syndicated radio commentator and television talk show host Tavis Smiley and has been a featured guest on the Michael Baisden Show, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Sway in the Morning's First Aid with Kelly Kincaid, and was a regular guest on the legendary Chuck D. show, On the Real. He has represented the American Heart/American Stroke Association and its Power to End Stroke campaign as an ambassador and national spokesperson with the late Yolanda King (daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr.), gospel artists Bebe Winans and Latice Crawford, NBA analyst Kenny “The Jet” Smith, actress Cicely Tyson, R&B vocalist Chrisette Michele, current past president of the American Heart Association Dr. Donna Arnett, and progressive hip-hop artist Dee-1. The collaboration between Dee-1 and Dr. Whitfield inspired a music video entitled "FAST" which discusses the warning signs of a stroke. As a result of his knowledge and exposure, in November 2007 “Tha Hip Hop Doc” served as Medical expert for a one hour television special on BET entitled “What You Know About That” discussing sexual health, STD’s and HIV. Dr. Whitfield has also been featured on CNN (Dr. Sanjay Gupta, MD) and MSNBC (Ed Schultz Show, Al Sharpton's Politics Nation, and Disrupt with Karen Finney) multiple times discussing his community outreach as “Tha Hip Hop Doc”, heart health and the Affordable Care Act. He has produced three music CD’s: “Tha Hip Hop Doc presents: State of Emergency”, My Life In Your Hands, and Get on Tha Bus; recorded multiple music videos to educate youth and young adults on various topics; and has published a comic book series entitled The Legion of Health, as vehicles to encourage young people to adopt good health habits. In June of 2011 he was personally invited by Ms. Cicely Tyson to deliver the commencement address for the Cicely Tyson School of Performing Arts in East Orange, New Jersey. In March of 2012, he traveled with Southern University and A&M College staff and students to Kampala, Uganda to keynote an address on the use of telemedicine and electronic medical records in underserved areas. Dr. Whitfield also has his own health segment called Prescription for Health on LPB's award winning show The State We're In which is in its fifth year and airs monthly. In November of 2012, Dr. Whitfield was invited by students and faculty to be a guest lecturer at Brown University in Providence, RI. The Simon Lecture, a key event for all Brown students and faculty, aims to bring together members of the Brown and Providence community for conversation and reflection around a central issue concerning ethics and humanism in medicine. Dr. Stanley Simon embodied the ideals of altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, service, honor, integrity, and respect for others. His lectureship provides an opportunity for students to explore, with physicians, the "human" dimension of medicine. Dr. Whitfield's talk was entitled "Giving Back: The Greatest Gift of All" which was followed by a reception in Dr. Whitfield's honor. Dr. Whitfield volunteered invaluable time and knowledge throughout the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, volunteers to feed and clothe the homeless with It Takes a Village BR, and volunteered his health care services during the 2016 Louisiana flood. He is also a physician volunteer, medical director. and former board member of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics: Communities are Responding Everywhere (C.A.R.E) which provides free health care to underserved patients across the USA. He is an active member of the American Academy of Family Practice (AAFP); American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM); American Medical Society of Sports Medicine; Louisiana State Medical Association (LSMA); and East Baton Rouge Parish Medical Society (EBRPMS). He is also an Ambassador/National Spokesperson for the American Heart Association, a previous Board member for the organization’s Southeastern Affiliates, and previous member of the American Stroke Association’s Advisory Committee. He has also served on the board of directors for The Junior League of Baton Rouge, I-CARE, Cenikor (local and national board) and Susan G. Komen of Baton Rouge. Of his accomplishments though, even the $21,000 he personally helped raise as a member of the American Heart Association, Dr. Whitfield calls his most crowning achievement his beautiful daughter Raina aka Toota Boota. Dr. Whitfield has been featured in three documentaries: To Live and Die in Amerikkka, Soul Food Junkies, and SickCare and is currently working on his own documentary “Free” that addresses the lack of access to healthcare in the working poor and the underserved populations in America. Dr. Whitfield is a motivational speaker and has traveled all across the country speaking at mega churches, universities, high schools, middle school, and elementary schools delivering his messages of what he believes is our most important possession- our health. He is the recipient of the Time Warner Power Forward Award (2006), YMCA Black Achievers Award (2007) The American Stroke Association National Ambassador Award (2007), the NAACP Freedom Award (2008), Baton Rouge’s Top 40 people under 40 (2008), the American Stroke Association Southeastern Affiliates Service Award (2008), the American Stroke Association Legacy Award (2009) The American Academy of Family Physicians Public Health Award (2010), Louisiana's Best Dressed (American Cancer Society- 2012), and Dancing with the Stars (Big Buddy- Baton Rouge 2010). His music video “Let’s Go” featuring hip hop artist Love-N-Pain and R&B vocalist Ian Von, was nominated for the 2011 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 3rd Annual Film Series On November 15, 2013, Dr. Whitfield was honored at the YMCA Legends Ball for his continuing support and time to help to improve our community and his tireless effort to help others, especially our youth. He was also selected by The Drum Newspaper Top People to watch in 2014, Cummulus Urban Achievement Award (2014), The Rouge Collection Top 25 Most Influential People in the City of Baton Rouge (2014), and the Louisiana Public Broadcasting President's Award for his volunteerism and his ongoing health segment, Prescription for Health featured on Louisiana the State We're In. In November of 2014 he received two awards: the Charles I. Hudson Visionary Award from the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus because of his work to raise the quality of life for African Americans in the area of healthcare; and the Pink Starfish award from the Louisiana Coalition of African American Breast Cancer Survivors for making a difference in the lives of cancer survivors here and around the country. In August of 2015 he was honored by his high school and inducted into the Hall of Distinction. In October of 2015, Dr. Whitfield participated in Hunks in Heels with several other community leaders to raise awareness about sexual trauma and rape. In December of 2014, Dr. Whitfield was invited to Washington, DC along with 29 other community leaders of various professions to ask specific questions about healthcare at a roundtable discussion. The guest of honor- President Barack Obama! This came only days before he proposed to his beautiful wife Kiara. Dr. Whitfield is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In his leisure time he plays bass guitar and sings/raps with his band U4ria, exercises regularly (he post some of his workout videos on social media), and he loves to cook, eat, and ride his Slingshot- a really cool motorcycle and gift from his wife. As a result of his social media post, Dr. Whitfield has been selected as an Ambassador for the clothing company TASC, representing them across the country as he competes in various events including long distance races and the Warrior Dash.