(funky music) - Here's what's coming up next on "You Oughta Know."

Behind the lens of a local zoologist's wildlife photography.

Plus, he's not a doctor, but his medical equipment program provides care and kindness to many.

And meet a local medical student who's realizing her dream, thanks to the NFL.

(funky music) Welcome to the show.

I'm Shirley Min, thank you so much for joining us.

The number of women working in the NFL is gradually rising, and a local sports medicine student is joining the ranks.

(cheerful music) - I always kind of considered medicine as a career for myself.

I became interested in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery because I have a previous history of being a dancer.

It's not a very diverse specialty, and orthopedic surgery has about 0.6% of women who are black orthopedic surgeons, and it's a little bit discouraging at times to not see a lot of people who look like me.

- The NFL reached out to medical colleges across the country, asking if we had any students that were be interested in participating in this.

My role here at Sidney Kimmel Medical College is to provide pathways for students who are underrepresented in medicine, opportunities that might not otherwise exist.

- I was selected for the NFL Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative When they initially reached out to Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, which is my medical school.

So then I was selected to work with the Jets, and I'm one of 30 who are participating in this program in the whole country.

(cheerful music) - Sidney Kimmel Medical College students get introduced to clinical skills and physical diagnosis fairly early on.

Azra we became well prepared to the NFL pipeline because she's had all that experience.

(cheerful music) - We do this in partnership with the NFL Physician Society and with the Professional Football Athletic Trainer Society.

The student goes and spends a one month intensive experience with the club, and they are completely immersed in the world of sports medicine.

They're working with the athletic trainers, strength and conditioning, behavioral health, nutrition, performance, every aspect of that sports medicine team that supports a modern NFL team.

(cheerful music) - On Sundays, if they had a home games, I got a sideline pass and I was on the sidelines.

And I followed around our head team orthopedic surgeon all the time, Dr. Willis.

And so if anyone was potentially injured, we would go into the blue injury tent and I would watch them assess.

And Mondays would be basically like an injury clinic.

And so anyone who got injured the day before, they would reassess them.

And then my rest of my day-to-day was pretty much in clinic and in the operating room.

And then Friday was probably my favorite day, it was practice day, and so I was there all day.

- Azra now has a talent and insight that she can take to other communities, be a mentor for young individuals who may be aspiring to go into the NFL, maybe interested in sports medicine.

(bright music) - What I've learned from my experience is gonna transcend further.

There's so much information about ortho that I learned just being on the rotation, but I think additionally you just learn more about the types of conversations and care that you're providing for people at high levels.

- This is really important mission for the NFL.

It's an important mission for us here at Sydney Kimmel Medical College that we do diversify that workforce and that we do look for the best and the brightest to go and fill those gaps within orthopedic surgery and also sports medicine.

- Given the diversity of players in our league, we absolutely believe that this is an important goal.

Much more work to be done, but we're proud of this start and we're excited about what the future holds for it.

- A lot of these players are people of color, people who look like me.

In my interactions with them, they were always so welcoming and so excited to see me.

And I think that was really inspiring for the players, but I think it was also really inspiring for me.

(bright music fades) - For more than 30 years, the Avon Grove Lions Club has loaned out wheelchairs, walkers, even hospital beds to anyone in need as part of its hospital equipment program.

(cheerful music) - We have anything from walkers, crutches, canes, wheelchairs, shower chairs, scooters, power wheelchairs available most of the time.

We loan out just about any kind of medical equipment that people in the community need at no charge.

I'm Robert Yeatman.

I've run this hospital equipment program for over 30 years.

Back then, we only got maybe one or two calls a week.

Now, it's has evolved to, I get four or five calls every day.

- [Shirley] The Avon Grove Lions Club Hospital Equipment Program is run out of this barn on Bob Yeatmen's mushroom farm in West Grove, PA.

It's where he accepts medical equipment families no longer need, fixes it up, and loans it out as needed.

(cheerful music) - [Robert] I'm the kind of person that has to do something, and I enjoy this.

(cheerful music) - [Shirley] Joyce Baughn and husband Juan drove out from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania to pick up a knee scooter for his sister.

- I think it's a fantastic program, and I was surprised to find out about it.

And because I'm finding that insurance doesn't always pay for these equipment that's needed.

- And the equipment looks new, so it's not like, it's just terrific, it's terrific.

It's a fantastic opportunity for the community.

Good for the Lions Club.

(cheerful music) - [Robert] There's definitely a need for this program.

People that come in, just, they are so appreciative of this program that they just can't express themselves enough.

(cheerful music fades) - The Avon Grove Lions Club Hospital Equipment Program operates Monday through Thursday from two to 4:00 p.m.

Donations are always welcome.

And next week, Bob turns 88 years old, so happy birthday to you, Bob.

(camera flashing effect) A Philly zoologist captures the world he sees around him.

Through his wildlife photography, he hopes others will see and appreciate the beauty of nature too.

- So we got a large, a northern flicker right up here.

(bright music) Beautiful bird.

(bright music) Very large bird as well.

Photography is a form of art and it's how I want to express myself.

I'm very much into emotion and action.

(bright music) For example, one of my favorite shots of all time, when I was in Italy, there was this red fox kit.

He was coming over a hill, and I got the moment where he was relaxed.

And he kind of came over the hill and the light hit his face.

And it hit it to a point where his eyes were almost glowing.

He's kind of looking, and it's a very warm, inviting tone.

So people see it and they're like, "That's not just a fox."

I try to express emotions and that kind of aspect into my photography.

(relaxed music) It's been my goal for these past four years to find out, figure out a way to make my work unique.

So when people see my pictures, they're like, "Oh, Anwar took that picture."

We're seeing a really cool trend here with our animals.

I've always had that love and passion for zoology.

I always knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.

The world may not had that expected for me.

I remember I told my parents that and they were a hundred percent like, "Of course, it's your dream, let's do it."

And I remember my first high school interview, and did the basic question of, what do you want to be when you grow up?

And I was excited, I was like, "I wanna be a zoologist.

I wanna travel the world, I wanna take pictures."

I remember it was just dead silent.

And the principal and assistants all looked at each other, and they all started to laugh.

What's funny?

I didn't know I told a joke or anything like that.

And the principal looked at me and he went, "Zoology, it's a really hard field to get into, it's a lot of hard work.

But you have a nice pair of long legs, how about you play basketball for us instead?"

(pensive music) I had a friend that reached out to me and said, "There's a new high school that opened up in the city called Science Leadership Academy."

And they said, "Try that."

(pensive music) So I met with the principal, and same thing, he was like, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

And this time I wasn't as hype about it, I was like, "I want to be a zoologist, I wanna study animals."

And he looked at me, he was like, "That's great."

Ever since then, that just opened up my world and changed my life.

I started volunteering at the Philadelphia Zoo, at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Went to college for zoology, and landed a job at the academy, and then now I'm here.

My role at the Academy of Sciences is I am the manager of animal program.

They have a really unique adaptation, and when they get scared out in the wild, they can open up those giant red eyes.

And they're seen as a warning color.

(bright music) The academy reached out to me and they said, "Hey, your pictures are amazing.

We're opening up this exhibit called "Conversations with Birds."

And it was supposed to highlight the beauty of nature and diversity in the city, and the unfortunate fact that a lot of birds are killed during window strikes and collisions.

We would like to have them highlight it for the exhibit."

Having my work just, showcase in a museum, it was a dream come true.

I think wildlife probably one of the hardest, not the hardest form of photography.

There's a lot that goes into it.

Understanding animal behavior, I think that is super vital if you want to take really good images.

I always say that as a wildlife photographer, it is our responsibility, we're advocates for nature.

We have to make sure that we are doing this in a respectable and safe way.

And by learning an animal's behavior, you can definitely do that safely for yourself, for the animal as well, but also it helps you get really great images.

(bright music) - Hand2Paw is supporting Philly's youth by pairing them with pets that need to be cared for.

As you'll see, the work the organization is doing to improve lives is why it was nominated as a good soul.

(bright music) - I've always had a passion for animals, that's how I got involved in Hand2Paw.

And now I have a passion for the youth side as well.

And I think everybody has that thing that moves them enough that they're willing to take their free time and do something about it.

I started life as a lawyer, and I practiced at a Philadelphia law firm for about 16 years.

And I got to the point where I started thinking, what else is there to life?

At that time, students at the University of Pennsylvania were petitioning to have a animal law class taught there, and my passion was animals.

I got an adjunct teaching position at the law school teaching a class called Animal Law and Ethics.

One of my students came to me and said she had come up with this idea to put together two problems in the city of Philadelphia, one of which was youth homelessness, and one of which was animal shelters who didn't have enough resources to care for the animals the way they wanted to.

So she was putting them together for weekly volunteer sessions.

When she graduated, I told her that I would take that idea and do what I could with it.

And Hand2Paw is a violence prevention paid internship program for young people in Philadelphia who are between the ages of 15 and 24, most of whom have been involved in either juvenile justice system, or experienced homelessness, or experienced foster care.

And that's how Hand2Paw grew from an all volunteer organization to having a paid staff, to running an adoption center for the Pennsylvania SPCA and Fishtown for a few years, to eventually ending up in our own space in Olney, where we have our own small rescue.

And we have cats, and guinea pigs, and rabbits.

We have two internship programs, Unleashing Opportunities, which is a full-time program for six months, and Pawspurr, which is a once a week program.

And we use our animals here in our own space to support that programming, support the animal assisted therapy, humane education.

The youth learn the skills that they need to then move on into careers serving animals.

And to explore their interest in whether or not this is a career they might want to pursue, we use animal assisted therapy to support the growth and empathy in the youth that participate.

People who commit violence have a lack of empathy.

So to the extent that you can nurture the empathy that is in people and make them feel supported in what they do, I think that lessens violence.

People that commit violence against animals go on to commit violence against people.

And you'll often see domestic violence in the same home with animal cruelty or neglect.

To the extent that you can teach empathy through the vehicle of the animal, that empathy doesn't end with the animal, hopefully the goal is that it extends to your family and to the community.

(bright music) - If you know of an organization or person who goes above and beyond to make a difference in their community, you can nominate them as a good soul for 2024.

Our next guest is no stranger to "You Ought to Know" viewers.

From three seasons of "Check Please!

Philly," to local and national multimedia appearances, and recently the cover of "Philly Magazine," Kae Lani Palmisano is here to talk about her latest project.

Kae Lani, welcome back to the show and so glad to see you.

- Thank you so much for having me.

- And congratulations, you had a baby.

- I did a little girl, she's fantastic.

- Aw, beautiful.

Well, today we wanna talk about your role as food editor at "Philly Magazine," which from my perspective seems like a perfect fit for you.

Does it feel that way to you also?

- It is a dream come true, but also a massive responsibility that I'm so honored that the Philadelphia region just trusts me with their dining decisions.

(both laugh) - I am happy to have you at the helm of "Philly Magazine" because I do trust your culinary opinions.

And this issue, the 50 best restaurants, seems just massive.

Because in our area there's so many amazing restaurants to choose from, how hard was it to narrow it down to 50?

- It is really hard to evaluate restaurants when there's so many different kinds of dining experiences across a wide spectrum too, from casual spots, to fine dining establishments with all these types of cuisines represented in between.

So when we approached the 50 best restaurants, we thought about the best being this relative term.

And I actually kind of learned that working with "Check Please!"

Because people come on the show and everybody has a different definition of what the best means to them.

And so with that mindset, we approached it as every restaurant defines their own version of the best in how they approach their cuisine, their command and fluency of that cuisine, their ability to step outside of the boundaries, bend the rules a little bit, and try to make new dishes that are pushing the dining scene forward.

So that's really what we were looking for when choosing the 50.

- And so can you share some of your picks and why you chose them?

- Of course.

Well, new to the list is Cantina la Martina.

And I put them right up at five because this place is fantastic.

It's Chef Dionicio Jimenez, and he's been in Philly kitchens for over 20 years, including at Vetri.

And it comes through, all of that experience from his Puebloan roots, to working in Italian kitchens, it comes through his food.

So he's got things like huitlacoche ravioli.

For brunch, he does these blue corn pancakes.

- Oh, interesting.

- Yeah, he built a barbacoa pit in the backyard.

So it's just everything that he's doing there is just phenomenal.

- Wow, any other highlights for you?

One other one maybe.

- Oh goodness, okay, yeah, like June BYOB.

I brought them back, they were on the list a few years ago.

But I am just a sucker for any restaurant that has a device for one purpose, which is that duck press.

- [Shirley] Yeah.

(both laugh) - They press the carcass of a duck to make a juice, and it's all tableside, and it's a delectable spectacle.

- Oh my gosh, wow.

I could listen to you talk about these restaurants all day.

So were there any restaurants that were new to you?

- New restaurants, oh gosh.

Tabachoy, that's a Filipino spot in, I believe Queen Village.

And he started out as a food truck, but he's got a now brick and mortar space, and he's just making the food that is comforting to him, like adobo, and lumpia, and it's just everything there is so good.

- Okay, well we don't want you to leave without getting a sneak peek of season four of "Check Please!

Philly" here on WHYY-TV 12.

So that's gotta be exciting.

- Yeah, yeah, I'm excited for the next season.

The restaurant picks are outstanding, some of them surprised me.

- Okay, well Kai Lani, it is always great to see you here, and we will see a lot more of Kae Lani when "Check Please!

Philly" returns.

Kae Lani, thanks for being here.

- Yes, and thank you.

And thank you so much for sharing "Philly Mag" with us today.

- Get yours today.

You can pick up your copy, it's out on stands now.

Well, what goes great with dinner, a movie.

Here's Patrick Stoner with this week's flicks.

- Growing up, I loved the space program, but nobody doing that stuff looked like me.

- [Patrick] Appropriately enough for Black History Month, "The Space Race" fills in a gap of our knowledge.

We knew about the white astronauts back in the day, but there were also some black astronauts, And the producers wanted you to know about them.

They themselves remain modest.

- I don't look at life that way.

That's kinda sort of, no matter what I've done.

It goes with the territory and I don't run around seeking attention, I guess, maybe.

And when I get it, I'm very humble about it.

- When Guion Bluford, the first African American to fly in space, he said he wouldn't have been that person because he wasn't that braggadocious arrogant kind of astronaut.

He was, he came from a line of introverts, and I'm, my Myers-Briggs has me pegged out on introversion.

So, but there has to be some confidence in knowing that you have the right stuff.

Putting it out there on the edge doesn't mean that you have to live that part of your life in your every day as I'm on the edge there and I'm on the edge of being a hero.

I mean, a hero to me is a sandwich.

- When did all of this begin to bubble?

- For this project, it really began with the story of Arnoldo Tamayo Mendez in Cuba, and the discovery of his being the first Afro-Latino to go to space and not to have had that history recorded.

So from there, our journey with our other participants grew.

- Everyone looks up to astronauts.

I wanted to be an astronaut.

I saw the space camps that NASA did in the summer and I thought one day maybe I could do it from Spain.

And so for us to discover all these wonderful stories about contributors to space exploration that we'd never heard about, I think it's gonna be fascinating for people.

- [Lisa] Because we know the power of the stories.

And if we can play any small part in planting a seed of possibility in any person who sees us, that's a really great goal for our film to have.

- On that positive note, thank you both very much for giving me your time.

I appreciate it.

- [Diego And Lisa] Thank you, Patrick.

- Gentlemen, thank you for giving me your time.

I appreciate it.

- All right, thank you.

- Thank you, Patrick.

Have a good day.

- One additional note from the show's producer, Andrea Gibbs.

Astronaut Guion Bluford is a proud alum of Overbrook High School.

Another African American trailblazer from the Tri-state area was James Still.

The New Jersey historical figure was known during his time as the Black Doctor of the Pines.

(pensive guitar music) - My name is Samuel Calvin Still II.

I'm the second great grand nephew of Dr. James Still.

Dr. James Still was born very poor.

He only had three months of formal education, and he became interested in becoming a doctor because a doctor came to the house and he saw and vaccinated the children.

He knew it that day he wanted to become a doctor.

He didn't know how he was gonna do it, but he figured out somehow he was gonna make it happen.

As he became of age, he moved to Philadelphia for a short period of time.

He saved his money while he was working and he bought books on botany, physiology, anatomy and sciences, and also how to distill medicines from herbs in different plants.

He moved back here to Medford, was able to buy a piece of property back there in the woods early on.

And he started distilling his medicines and he started selling his medicines.

And the word got out throughout the county that there was this African American man, this Black Doctor of the Pine Barrens out here in New Jersey.

(upbeat music) - I'm the vice chairman here of the Dr. James Still Historic Site and Education Center.

I also just happened to be the great, great, great niece of Dr. James Still.

And recognizing the need to further the importance of this site, and the fact of Dr. James Still bringing medicines that weren't available at the time to people of the community.

One way that I have a connection personally, I just happened to work in the field of clinical pharmaceutical development.

Dr. James Still was actually pretty much ahead of his time in the type of cures that he created from herbs.

And he often treated patients that medical doctors were not able to treat.

So I really do feel that he was significant because he was doing something that others could not do.

- During the time that Dr.

Still lived, in dealing with all the prejudices that he did, he overcame a lot of adversity.

A lot of times people, when they came to him, it was the last ditch effort.

They had been to another doctor and they weren't getting any better, and somebody would say, "Well, you need to go see the Black Doctor of the Pines over there in Medford," and he would cure them.

After a while, he was able to start buying property.

He got help from the Quakers that was in the area, and he paid everybody back.

And he brought an old tavern around the corner here, so he turned that tavern into a hospital and to a tenement house.

So he was not only just a doctor in the area, in this Cross Roads of Medford, but he became quite an entrepreneur and a well-known, prominent figure.

And the Cross Roads in Medford, New Jersey was what it was called then.

And it became really an African American community because of Dr.

Still being here.

- He had an earnest desire to read on his own and to come to an understanding of how to make the herbal medicines.

And so with that, he created his own business.

He ended up being the third largest landowner here in Burlington County, New Jersey, which for an African American in his time period in the 1800s was pretty significant.

And to achieve what he did at that time period is phenomenal.

- Those things help us out, to know the history where we come from.

It gives us the strength of being in a family.

And the fact that we can have classes there for all the kids from all, not just only Medford township, but all the townships around who are willing to come here and learn about the history of Dr. James Still.

And give them the, I should say, the ambition to forward theirself in education.

- Being able to tell people about Dr.

Still, it gives me great pleasure.

Since I started volunteering here about five years ago, I have seen great changes.

Sam Still, he's a go-getter.

It's just an amazing thing, the work that he's done to make an impact to Medford as a town and to the all South Jersey.

- I started doing this because I wanted to find my family roots.

I tear up because I knew that my parents would be really proud of me.

Part of my responsibility as a direct descendant, and that's what I want kids to realize, that Dr still was an entrepreneur, and he was smart, and he took the time to learn and to teach and to prosper.

- Well, that does it.

Thank you so much for watching tonight, and we hope to see you next week.

Have a good one, everyone.

(funky music)