Dr. Kimberly F. Jackson, The Next Chapter
Become INSPIRED and EMPOWERED by learning more about “Dr. J,” a practicing Family Medicine physician who has dedicated her life to healing and connecting.
Dr. Jackson: The Physician
Dr. Kimberly Funches-Jackson, known as Dr. J, came from humble yet strong beginnings. She grew up on a farm and her mother was an educator and father a minister and mechanic Dr. J had a love of learning from early childhood and was raised to value the importance of education. She initially aspired to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a teacher. Once she reached high school, she had the opportunity to shadow an emergency room physician where she fell in love with the inner workings of the human body. Her first inclination was to become a nurse – it was her pastor Reverend McAfee who encouraged her to reach for the stars. “Why stop at a nurse?” he asked. “Why not become a doctor?”
Dr. J went to undergraduate school close to home at William Carey University where she earned a full academic and chorale scholarship and excelled graduating Summa Cum Laude. Medical school at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine was more challenging, academically, and emotionally, being further from home and family. She loved the clinical years over the classroom years, the interaction with people over textbooks. Dr. J completed her training at the Columbus Regional Family Medicine Residency Program in Columbus, Georgia, and is currently the medical director and co-owner of her Family Medicine & Pediatrics clinic in Phenix City, Alabama.
Dr. Jackson: The Catalyst
It didn’t take long for Dr. J to witness firsthand the many challenges in healthcare that negatively impact both patients and physicians alike. Physician-led, team-based care was being undervalued and abandoned. Patients were being held hostage by their insurance companies, often leading them to less qualified “providers” in the name of profits. Physicians were burning out at alarming rates, tired of the busy work and regulations impeding their ability to focus on the patients and discouraged by the negative perceptions that physicians are non-caring, interested only in money. Physicians were leaving their professions in droves, in some heartbreaking cases suicide being their way out, a path taken by Dr. J’s dear colleague.
These factors led Dr. J to the realization that physicians need to “connect, collaborate and care” – to help their patients navigate health care and to care and uplift each other. In June 2015, Dr. J founded Physicians Working Together (PWT), now a non-profit organization aimed at revitalizing the crucial patient-doctor relationship through unity and mutual respect across all medical fields. Who knew that what started as a small Facebook group consisting of 3 physicians could grow and blossom into such a powerful collaboration amongst nearly NINE THOUSAND physicians members! Additionally, PWT champions collaborative efforts to foster strong connections among physicians and medical students, underscored by the annual offering of a medical student scholarship.
Dr. J didn’t stop there. Coincident with the founding of PWT, she led the charge to transform Doctors Day on March 30, established in 1990, into an entire week focused solely on the recognition and appreciation of physicians. She was supported by other physicians, namely Dr. Marion Mass who secured funding for the National Day Calendar application. Upon their acceptance, National Physicians Week was born and is now celebrating its 9th year, March 25-31, 2024. This year’s theme is “Medicine and More in 2024” and will highlight the many ways physicians engage and contribute to their communities as mentors, artists, musicians, coaches, poets, authors, and you name it. The goal is to celebrate the physician as a whole person, with passions and gifts that go beyond the practice of medicine.
Dr. Jackson: The Giver
This year, Dr. J shows us her own passions and gifts that go beyond the practice of medicine – the gift of giving. With the objective of sharing her collective wisdom, experiences, and secret sauce to enable others to benefit from her many learnings and blessings as a physician, entrepreneur, mother, and woman of color, on February 14, 2024, Dr. J launched www.
The platform is accompanied by Dr. J’s new book “The Sun Is Rising: 10 Strategies to Get Unstuck – Find Your Voice, Walk In Your Purpose, Live Passionately, and Step Outside of Your Box.” The book is available for purchase today on www.inspireandempower.org
The book is centered around 5 key themes and requires active participation and soul searching from the reader. Are you living your life in shades of gray, lacking fulfillment? Do you want to experience life in full color, with passion and purpose? Then let’s get to work!
Get Unstuck: Overcome the hurdles that hold you back.
This theme is all about understanding whether you are in fact stuck and if so, how spark the desire for change. It addresses how to identify and overcome your personal hurdles, including the voices you listen to as it relates to status, gender, comparison. It invites you to examine the life you are living – where you are and where you want to be.
Find Your Voice: Express your true self and your deepest convictions.
Frequently, we parrot what we hear and see, without realizing it. It’s human nature, part of social survival and the need for acceptance. To truly live life with passion, we need to live it based on our own deepest and authentic convictions. This is easier said than done and may require tools like meditation, prayer and journaling. It requires faith that its ok to be different than the pack, to be that leopard among the zebras. There is room in this world for many unique voices and if we can draw out, respect, and appreciate those voices that are different than our own, we can be stronger together. Imagine how boring music would be if there was only one voice, one tune.
Walk In Your Purpose: Identify and pursue what gives your life meaning.
Once you have found your own voice and understand your true convictions, it’s much easier to align how you spend your time and who you spend it with. While the realities of life may not always allow for unlimited choices, there are ways to find joy and meaning in everything you do and still pay the bills on time. This theme is all about making the most of your “dash” – the precious time between our birth and death.
Live Passionately: Embrace life with zest and enthusiasm.
Leave your mark on the world. Share your gifts. Practice gratitude. Spread positivity. Commit random acts of kindness. Let others see your inner light and feel blessed just to know you.
Step Outside of Your Box: Challenge your boundaries and expand your horizons.
This theme is all about being open to new things and people and having a growth mindset. Show yourself what you can do. Say “yes” when you would normally say “no.” Get comfortable with discomfort, don’t overthink things, and allow yourself to find joy where you least expect it.
Most importantly, understand that the sun can rise in your life no matter where you are in your journey. Just like every day is welcomed by a new sunrise, every day brings a new opportunity to live your best life.
A message from Dr. J: I’m excited to share with you that I will be embarking on a national book tour for my latest work, “The Sun is Rising.” This journey is not just about promoting a book; it’s a celebration of empowerment, resilience, and the collective sunrise we can all experience in our lives. Our tour will kick off with a special event on March 29, 2024 in Hattiesburg, MS, a place very close to my heart. This tour is about us – our challenges, our victories, and our shared paths to discovery and empowerment.
As we plan to visit cities across the country, I’m looking forward to meeting many of you, engaging in meaningful conversations, and sharing stories of inspiration and empowerment. Each stop will be an opportunity to get your copy of “The Sun is Rising” signed and dive into the messages of the book. More details on tour dates and locations will be announced soon so please subscribe to our email list at Inspire and Empower Order your copy of The Sun Is Rising today! Also available on Amazon – get your Book and Journal!
“Every new day is a chance to live life better than the day before” – Dr. Kim Jackson
