Why did you choose your career path?​

I am blessed to be among the few young professionals that walks within my truest purpose in life. I did not choose this path, the Universe chose it for me and I have fully accepted that I have a responsibility to carry out within the world of Maternal & Child Health. I am passionate about changing the fundamental public health & health inequalities issues effecting women, children and families around the world. Maternal and Child health is the foundation of life, and because of that, it’s my deepest desire to make progression forward. In terms of education and speaking, it was written. My testimony is powerful and transcends through generations. I am an educator and speaker because I want to change lives! I want to rewire generational mindsets and legacies by pouring into the lives of those around me.

What is the best advice you give?​

The greatest piece of advice that I’d give to young health professionals is to network and find a mentor! I believe that mentorship has the power to transform lives both personally and professionally. Often times, having a mentor offers guidance, advise, encouragement, exposure, connections, visibility and the opportunity to learn from previous mistakes. While failure, at times, can provide significant learning experiences, adopting previously learned values and lessons from a mentor can contribute to our overall success. Having a professional mentor has really helped me navigate through my role in public health and academia. 

What does your daily routine look like?​

As a single mom with many professional roles, mastering a career while being present for all of the field trips and extracurricular activities can make it challenging to find balance. No matter how busy my daily routine is, I always begin my morning in prayer and meditation. I don’t consider myself to be particularly disciplined because my schedule is constantly changing depending on classes, births and speaking engagements- However, prayer and meditation are always my constant. My day then continues with making lunches (mostly meal prepped) and dropping my daughter off at school. This is my favorite part of my day, every single day. As a child, I too grew up in a single parent home and had to take the bus to and from school. Having the flexibility to drop my daughter off is a blessing and gives us an audience of quality talk-time that most other parents of middle school aged children don’t receive. I then go to work within the Teen Parenting Program, facilitating professional development, strategic planning efforts and collaborative community projects aimed to support parenting teens. I’m additionally responsible for providing education, support and the resources needed to encourage timely steps toward graduation and higher education. If one of my Breathing through Life Doula clients is in labor, I attend their birth, all while organizing speaking engagements and teaching for the college online. Add some track & softball practice in with daily gym sessions, and that pretty much sums up my daily routine, whew!  

What organizations do you admire and why?​

Within the realm of Public Health I’ve always admired the CDC and NIH for all of their continued efforts and funding to support local health initiatives, specifically within maternal and child health. I am deeply moved by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance which is a movement that envisions a world where Black Mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during and after pregnancy. Additionally, I respect and honor all of the minority health work that Midwife Jennie Joseph has successfully contributed with her JJWay framework. 10. Who are your mentors and/or people you follow?


What are the biggest challenges you see in healthcare?

I am constantly reminded of the challenges occurring from ALL of the Determinants of Health and how they affect overall health access and health care for marginalized populations.

Unconscious bias and racism co-exist with systemically flawed health care options that contribute to health inequality and disparities. The lack of affordable and accessible preventative health care is still killing people today. Women are disregarded.  Black and Brown moms and babies are dying at significantly higher rates that their counterparts, from avoidable circumstances.  

Where have you traveled and where do you have plans to travel (and what have you learned from those places)?
      
I have traveled to Europe (Paris, Switzerland, Germany), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mia, Phuket), Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and many of the States here at home. Every time I travel I am always reminded of the following ideas that make me even more passionate about my purpose and mission: 

1. Health is life!
​I believe in a holistic approach to health and wellness. Food is our medicine and mediations is the cure! I’ve learned that health is culture- everyone just practices it in a different way with different tools and resources.  

2. Women’s Health need to be made a priority!​
Human dignity, respect and equality belong to everyone- including women! Around the world, girls and women are discriminated against in so many ways- gendercide, hypersexualization, unequal health treatments, trafficking, and denied safe delivery plans- disparities and inadequacies of all kinds. Changes need to be implemented, and I’m here for it.

3. I am blessed!​
While there are a million aspects of health to revise and rebuild, I am blessed. I am awarded the opportunity every single day to impact lives and change perspectives.    

Why did you choose the school (and major) you went to? 

I serendipitously fell into public health, and each day, I am grateful for it. I started at the University of Rochester as a Biomedical Engineering major. One day, my academic advisor suggested I explore coursework outside of the hard sciences. I enrolled in an Intro to Public Health course during the second semester of freshman year, and I never looked back. The class served as an integral foundation to my knowledge of people and systems. It highlighted the relevance of the social determinants of health and stressed the importance of taking an interdisciplinary approach to address health issues. UofR had a strong public health program that allowed undergraduate students to specialize within the major, and because of that introductory course, I graduated three years later with a degree in Public Health and concentration in Health Policy. 

Although specializing in health policy helped me see "the big picture", to fully grasp the healthcare landscape, I needed to go a layer deeper. So, I decided to pursue a Master of Health Administration—this facilitated my understanding of how policy manifested itself on the ground and on more operational levels. One of the reasons I chose Columbia’s MHA program is because of the school’s assertion that health is a human right and its commitment to safeguarding that principle. Through both academic programs, I've been fortunate to further explore the intersection of health policy and management.

Why did you choose your career path?

I grew up in the South Bronx where I witnessed the harsh realities of health inequities: food deserts, substance abuse, lack of access to care, language and cultural barriers, etc. The public health course I took in college really underscored these health disparities. I decided then that the professional route I pursued would help prevent or narrow these gaps, both in care and delivery. And that journey intrigued me. As I matured, the recurring phrase that captivated how I truly wanted to engage in the field was: “problem solving”. In fact, that’s part of the reason I pursued consulting. It was important that I worked alongside various industry players and leaders in engagements that allowed me to tackle healthcare issues from multiple angles. It reminds me why I choose to stay in the field: despite all of its changes and challenges, I am actively making a difference.

What are the biggest challenges you see in healthcare?

I believe cost remains one of the biggest, although, another challenge I’m noticing more is transformation. There is so much activity occurring in the current climate: technology is advancing; mergers and acquisitions have been on the rise; policies and regulations are shifting. How do we position ourselves to successfully implement and manage change? This is a dialogue occurring frequently… in some instances (although not as frequently in others). Ensuring we are equipped to handle transformation is a difficult yet inevitable challenge, and as such, a critical one to confront. With it, though, comes more innovative thinking… and that excites me. I find that we are asking more—how can we best leverage our platforms to enhance, shape, and address the healthcare we want for tomorrow, together.

What is the best advice you give? 

I'll highlight three pieces because they’re concise and connected. The first is that we rise by lifting others. I believe that there is enough room at the table for all of us, where we can advocate and sponsor just as much as we coach and mentor. The second is that we are the masters of our fate, and the captains of our soul. This one is pretty self-explanatory but is an important reminder that you (and only you) determine your destiny by how you handle life's curveballs. Finally: hope for the best, but plan for the unexpected. The two clauses are different sides of the same coin. When we expect the best, we are optimistic about what’s to come. Often that positivity is contagious and finds its way back to us. On the other hand, life happens. Sometimes it surprises us with unexpected circumstances, but preparation helps us recognize those opportunities as such when they come. I've internalized many insights, but have found these in particular to be the most compelling life philosophies that have helped me live with grit and grace.

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What is the best advice you give?

My best advice is not allow anyone’s point of view to direct your path in life.

What does your daily routine look like?

I spend 8-10 hours each day running a marathon in Corporate America; replying to colleague emails, running reports for clients, and delivering service that grows our international business. Another 4 hours are spent
devoted to my family through meal preparation, school, PTA, and extracurricular activities.

Therefore, I have committed to beginning my day with time for and by myself. I wake up while my family is asleep and take a brisk walk through my community while I listen to music and observe ducks. This is my time to self-reflect and to not do anything for anyone except myself. But from 8am-10pm; I belong to Randstad USA and my family.

Why did you choose the school (and major) you went to?

I chose FSU because it was close to home and allowed me to align my education with the career goals that I had for myself at 17 years old. The University is the center of Tallahassee and the community truly cares about the advancement of the school and its students. This practice allows students to have access to state government, endless free resources and platforms to branch into upon leaving graduation.

What are the tech tools you can’t live without (apps, products, etc)?
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I am addicted to my calendar!! I do not commit, plan or make a move without reviewing my calendar. It’s imperative that we do not over commit ourselves or follow through on obligations; so I ensure that my time is available and my mind is able to focus before committing to anything.

Why did you choose your career path?

I chose my career path because I enjoy bringing ideas into fruition.
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What are your professional goals?

My professional goal is to be a Business Consultant/Project Manager. I plan on growing my software consulting firm so that it can reach a bigger population of clients.

What is the best advice you give?

I would say to trust in God/Source/Higher Power. That has helped me throughout my journey in life.

What are you doing to make an impact outside of work?

The impact that I try to make outside of work is to help those with developmental disabilities. Provide them with the needed services to help them become independent.

Why did you choose the school (and major) you went to?

I obtained my Masters in Public Administration at UCF. I pursued that degree because since I wanted to work in the non-profit sector, I figured it would give me a good understanding on how it works. Totally not what I expected. It was mostly Government related studies but I enjoyed it.

What organizations do you admire and why?

I admire my organization AdventHealth because they promote for the individual to adhere to Christ like principles. It pretty much allows Christians to be themselves and to thrive.

Who are your mentors and/or people you follow?

- I have a mentor for finance
- I have a mentor for business development
- I have a mentor for community relations
- I selected these mentors because those were the areas that I wanted guidance on in my professional path.

What are the biggest challenges you see in healthcare?

I think communication is a big challenge. As well as, the healthcare arena has become so technologically savvy (I’m sure other reasons too) that sometimes we miss the mark of caring for the individual.

Where have you traveled and where do you have plans to travel (and what have you learned from those places)?

I have gone to Baltimore, Haiti, Georgia, New York, Philly, Toronto, Montreal, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama, Texas, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, New Orleans, Louisiana, Florida, Bahama’s

From traveling to all those places, I have learned that the world is way bigger than my “Back yard.” There is so much diversity that it makes me appreciate life even more.

What are the tech tools you can’t live without (apps, products, etc)?

I can’t live without my phone and laptop because I have to get my work done. But if there was a way for me to not live with them I would do so.

Why did you choose the school (and major) you went to?

I chose the University of Central Florida to complete my bachelors and masters degree because of their high ratings, location and student diversity. Diversity was a major factor when making my selection because it allowed me to interact with students and professors from all walks of life. The cultural insight was intriguing, and I made lifelong friends. I chose to study Health Services Administration because I have always admired the behind the scenes professionals, that made sure everything was running smoothly. I believe that all Physicians and Nurses are heroes and I also believe that heroes can’t complete a mission without their support team. I wanted to be apart of the elite team of individuals that were responsible for not only supporting the clinical team but also improving the patients experience and the efficiency of the organization.

What are the biggest challenges you see in healthcare?

The biggest challenges I see in our healthcare system is the alarming number of uninsured citizens. We have millions of Americans still living without health insurance and with our current administration fighting so hard to repeal Obamacare, we will only see this number rising. We seem to lack the resources to assist our uninsured population, yet we are consistently increasing the cost to receive healthcare and medication. It will be a great challenge trying to figure out how we can manage cost without compromising the safety or quality of patient care.

Where have you traveled and where do you have plans to travel (and what have you learned from those places)?

While serving in the U.S Air Force, I was blessed enough to spend three years in Okinawa, Japan. As a
passionate traveler, I was super excited to experience a different culture. One of the main things I
learned during my time in Japan is that they take great pride in their health and education. Japan’s
healthcare system is considered one of the best systems in the world due to all their citizen’s receiving national health insurance which provides access to high quality healthcare. The focus they put on their community’s well-being is commendable and the reason why they have a higher rate for life expectancy, a lower rate for infant mortality and a higher percentage of high school graduates receiving a higher education. In addition to Japan, I have traveled to many Caribbean Islands and plan to visit Alaska sometime next year.

Today, Sabastian Berry joins us from Atlanta, Georgia where he is currently a second year Master of Public Health student at Emory University, within the Rollins School of Public Health.

What are your predictions for the future of health and healthcare? 
Three words: quality, convenience and consolidation.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid are pushing health care organizations to move from the current fee for service payer model to one that is more value and quality based, and focuses on the totality of the patient experience. I believe in the future you will see hospitals allocating more resources to their respective offices of quality improvement/sustainability. Closely associated with quality is convenience. The advancement of telemedicine and retail clinics like CVS, Urgent Care, etc. are providing more affordable and convenient and time saving options for patients who have acute medical issues. Telemedicine and retail clinics are also opening avenues of communication between physicians and their patients in areas negatively impacted by the consolidation of hospital systems. Often consolidation has the worst impact on rural and low income communities, making it harder for them to access care. Ultimately, I think we will see a shift towards more retail clinics and companies like CVS becoming more of a one stop shop for convenient health care services like dialysis, chemotherapy, general checkups, and of course prescriptions. 

Why did you choose your career path? 
I chose my current career path to provide better access to and quality of care to patients. 

What is the best advice you give? 
Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks, especially in your 20s. This is the time when we should be the most risky and daring—in our careers and daily lives. It’s rare for people to win big if they don’t risk a little. I will add that calculated risks require work and research. Given that most people are risk averse, doing the homework and preparing can ease the uncertainty associated with taking a risk, and will help guarantee that you’re ready to execute when the moment is right. 

What projects are you currently working on?
I recently completed a project with Emory University Hospital analyzing their hospital acquired infection rates due to lack of cleaning of patient high touch areas (bed rails, call buttons, IV polls, etc.). By surveying the nursing staff on several of the hospital’s busiest floors, my team was able to take that data and design a protocol to increase cleaning rates and hopefully reduce the amount of infections caused by bacteria/viruses within the patient’s hospital room. Our next task will be to complete a similar project analyzing hand washing rates amongst clinical and non-clinical staff. 

Why did you choose the school (and major) you went to?
As a 2nd year graduate student at Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from some of Public Health’s leading professionals. I initially chose Rollins because of the amount of diversity present at the school and because of how respected Emory University is in the field of public health. As a top 5 public health institution, I also knew that attending Rollins would prepare me to succeed. Prior to pursuing a graduate degree in the fall of 2018, I was a teacher in Houston, TX. Though an exciting and impactful experience, I was often frustrated with the performance of my students. Almost immediately I realized my students were not performing often due to reasons outside of the school’s four walls. Many of the behaviors acted out in the classroom were due to a lack of access to quality care in my student’s daily lives. It’s extremely difficult to focus on school when you have a tooth ache, but no access to dental care, or when you or your parent is sick and the closest doctor is miles away and you don’t have transportation to get to the physician’s office. I knew that there was a better way for me to have an impact on the lives of my students and other students who looked like them. My goal as a public health professional is to increase the access, and improve the quality of care for marginalized communities. 
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Where have you traveled and where do you have plans to travel (and what have you learned from those places)?
I’ve been to 5 continents, multiple times.
What traveling affords you is the opportunity to be a global citizen and for me personally, acts as a constant reminder of how small I am in comparison to the rest of the world.Often within our professional and academic careers, as well as our social circles people become very comfortable and feel this grand sense of accomplishment. Though important, this feeling of self-importance and accomplishment can fog our idea of how worlds outside of our own, actually work. Each time I travel I come back to America with a greater understanding of religion, culture, food, music, and various traditions/practices. These experiences have made me more empathetic, and have made drastic impacts on my career as a teacher and as a public health professional. 

Why did you choose your career path?
In healthcare, you must have a passion to make people happy or to help others in need, if not, you are in the wrong profession. I am passionate about making people happy. I am a Program Manager at a non-profit and we assist with out of pocket medical expenses. It is beyond rewarding. 

What are your professional goals?
I would love to transition in higher leadership roles at my current organization to take on larger teams. I am so passionate about the work that we do, and I want to keep that momentum going.
What is the best advice you give?
I am a huge advocate of education. No one can ever take your educational accomplishments away from you. Make it a point to at least get your bachelor’s degree, but I highly encourage you to continue to obtain your master’s degree.
Why did you choose the school (and major) you went to?
I received my Bachelor’s in Communication and Master’s in Health Services Administration both from The University of Central Florida – GO KNIGHTS! UCF stands for opportunity. I am so proud to be a Knight. They hold themselves to a high standard and for me to be accepted into that community is an honor. I present myself in a way that would make UCF proud. I’m very happy with where I am at professionally. I am still very active with UCF. I was invited to serve on a panel for students to inform them of the path I took to the Master’s program and my career path. Season ticket holder; I attended all UCF football games in the state of Florida in 2018 and traveled to the Fiesta Bowl in PHX.
What are the biggest challenges you see in healthcare?
Cost and insurance barriers. Medical expenses are expensive because they are beneficial and a need. Unfortunately, healthcare is not free in America, and if it were to become universal, the cost would have to offset somewhere; nothing comes free.
Where have you traveled and where do you have plans to travel (and what have you learned from those places)?
Professionally, I travel all over our great nation to attend and exhibit at different types of conferences. I meet with specialty pharmacies, medical professionals, healthcare admin professionals, and most excitingly, the patients. I get to explain to them all about the great work we do at TAF. Places I have traveled to for work are Baltimore, Las Vegas, San Diego, Houston, Orange County, Kansas City, Orlando. I do meet international attendees and it is very interesting to compare US healthcare with theirs from their countries. Personal travel includes northeastern America. I have family that I visit there often.
What are the tech tools you can’t live without (apps, products, etc)?
I cannot live without my iPhone. It is my handheld find all, organizer, GPS, note taker, keep me on track best invention there ever was. I can access almost anything that is connected to my house at the tip of my fingers.

Zain Ismail joins us from both sides of the USA-Canada border, as the Principal Transformation Consultant for Henry Ford Health System in Detroit where he currently focuses on their consumer facing technology strategy as a member of the CEO Advisory Council. He also leads the Design Futures Initiative as a community leader in Detroit/Windsor, along with his longtime work with Hacking Health as an organizer, mentor, facilitator and speaker. Basically, wherever you can find innovation and community leadership, you can find Zain. 

What are your predictions for the future of health and healthcare?
I actually don't think the real disruptors have entered healthcare yet. It's not going to be Google, Apple, or Amazon:
It's going to be telecom. I can see a day coming quickly when Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile etc. will become healthcare brokers as they already have that digital relationship with you and 5G becomes the norm. 

What are the biggest challenges you see in healthcare?
A lack of altruistic leadership. Leaders who are willing to say what's unpopular or carve a new path to do what’s right for the community.

What are the tech tools you can’t live without?
Fitbit
AirPods
Keurig

Check out a few more areas where you can get Zain's thoughts on creating a healthier future:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6530157342342860800/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A6530086898382237696%2C6530157313720938496%29

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