Episode 26: Dr. Lipi Roy stops by to discuss how medicine and media intersect, and why she's speaking out about stigma and loneliness
Lipi Roy, MD, MPH, FASAM, shares what piqued her interest in the field of addiction medicine and how she expanded her work into media outreach and appearances. Dr. Roy talks about creating her YouTube channel, Health, Humor, and Harmony, how she started her company, SITA MED, and what it takes to prepare for a media appearance. She describes her experience as chief of addiction medicine at Rikers Island Correctional Facility in New York and discusses why she feels so compelled to speak about the issues of stigma and loneliness and how they intersect. Finally, Dr. Roy offers advice for the next generation of addiction medicine providers.
Dr. Roy is a physician, international speaker, media personality, entrepreneur, and host of the YouTube series, Health, Humor and Harmony. In July 2023, she founded SITA MED, a health speaking company addressing stress-related conditions such as addiction and anxiety, and has trained doctors, judges, journalists, executives, and beyond. Dr. Roy served on the frontlines of the pandemic as the medical director of COVID Isolation and Quarantine Sites for Housing Works in New York City. She also treated patients with opioid use disorder at a harm reduction clinic in the Bronx while working at multiple COVID vaccination sites.
As an MSNBC and NBC medical contributor, Dr. Roy made over 350 live television appearances discussing COVID-19. Dr. Roy’s work spans academia, clinical medicine, homeless health, social and criminal justice, public speaking, media and entertainment. As the former chief of addiction medicine for Rikers Island, Dr. Roy oversaw substance use treatment and recovery services at the nation’s 2nd-largest jail complex. Dr. Roy also sees patients at Greenwich House Center for Healing and serves as clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health.
Previously, Dr. Roy served as a primary care doctor to Boston's homeless population among whom the leading cause of death was drug overdose. She also served as an attending physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and as faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Roy completed her medical and master’s in public health degrees at Tulane University, followed by residency training in internal medicine at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Roy’s mission is to educate and empower the public to make healthy decisions. As a Forbes contributor who has interviewed medical experts such as Dr. Peter Hotez and celebrities such as Mary J. Blige and Ice-T, Dr. Roy is one of the world’s trusted experts in health communication. She has appeared on multiple media outlets including CNN, The Tamron Hall Show, CBS New York and PIX11, and has been featured in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Cooking Light, Oprah.com, and many others.
Articles as Forbes contributor
On social media at Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Treatment is available and recovery is possible. Visit ASAM’s Patient Resources page for more information.
The information shared in this podcast episode is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or ASAM management.