February 15, 2020

by drplasticpicker

There are those rare people in life that embody joy and happiness. They are sometimes irreverent but always positive, and make those of us who are staid middle-aged middle-managers look at events and people from a different angle, maybe even upside down! And when one of those rare people is a MD, than they are even closer to unicorn status.

Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid is a phenomenal pediatrician, and again rare is that she is able to practice in multiple settings. Delivery room, hospitalist, emergency room and regular clinic – she has done it all with great skill and compassion. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and pediatric residency at Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Yes, she did the Boston and then New York (Bronx) split personality thing. I assume she is a Red Sox fan? But she is now a Southern Californian by choice, and those of us born and raised here welcome her with open arms.

I have worked with her closely and admire her, and she has actually been the catalyst for much of Dr. Plastic Picker. She has always challenged me to push the envelope, and to get on Instagram, blog, and to dream big for the environment. If Dr. Plastic Picker was monetized, she would be a paid social media consultant. She continues to be a big fan of our efforts, and has given me valued advice about mediating this new world of advocacy and also to push me to “dream big” for myself and for our earth. For that, I will always thank you Dr. Lawrence-Reid. She has probably helped decrease carbon emissions more through her encouraging text messages than anyone else! She has done this in large part because she believes in the mission of this blog, that as pediatricians we are child-advocates and must be earth-advocates. As children need a livable earth to inhabit. So here is our fun interview with Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid. She is a dear friend and definitely a drplasticpicker!

What kind of coffee mug did you use this morning? I was on the run this morning, so I used a travel coffee mug to pick up coffee from a coffee shop where I sit and catch up on emails (like this one :). I feel good about using my own rather than the standard disposable cardboard ones that I’ll dump in the trash in 15 minutes. (pic attached). But my 2 most used home mugs read “Male Tears” and “Trap Queen” respectively—both gifts from friends who know me well…

Do you carry a reusable water bottle? Can you describe it? Yes, I actually use a Contigo coffee tumbler for water because it’s so well insulated that ice cold water will stay icy all day! Purchased at Target at least 4 years ago and still going strong. 

Your last trip to the grocery store, did you use a reusable grocery tote? Can you describe it? Went to the grocery store 2 days ago and I have 2 reusable bags that I always carry (only 2 to prevent over-shopping). One is a Boston-themed bag (my Hometown) that has cartoons of all of Boston’s famous landmarks. The other I bought from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater after a particularly moving performance that I attended in New York City about 10 years ago. It has a photo of the dance company on it so it’s always a conversation piece with cashiers. Go catch a performance in a city near you! You won’t be disappointed. https://www.alvinailey.org/

What kind of car do you drive and how many miles per gallon do you get? How far is your commute to work? I drive a Volvo XC40 and get approximately 30 MPG. I often work from home and isn’t that the most environmentally efficient commute? 🙂

What things have you done for the environment lately? I have consciously curbed my clothing shopping and made a commitment to hand wash and hang dry most items of clothing rather than use a washing and drying machine. 

What are your feelings about drplasticpicker? It has been inspiring to watch @DrPlasticPicker grow her advocacy platform into a full-fledged movement! Us busy pediatricians work so hard to ensure the healthy future of children so it seems only natural that we should invest in the future of a healthy environment that our patients will be the ones to enjoy.

Thank you Dr. Naomi Lawrence-Reid for stopping by our blog. She will be there at our epic American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibit Service Event, which will be an ocean clean up! If you want to meet this unicorn figure, you will need to come on October 2, 2020 at this event (details forthcoming) or bring your child into after hours clinic of the rare evenings that Dr. Lawrence-Reid works at our HMO. She is in high-demand from other hospitals, so she only stops by at our workplace occassionally. But her spirit is always with us at this blog.