What is your current job? What do you want to do in the future?
I am currently a Senior Specialist, Business Resilience at Kite Pharma. As emergency management and business continuity are versatile fields, I can apply the skills and lessons I've garnered from a healthcare perspective to the private sector, government, higher education, or public safety. In the future, I'd like to continue working in the private sector and eventually hold a leadership position on my own emergency management team.
Why did you pursue a career in public health? What motivates you to continue doing this work in such a challenging COVID-19 era?
I originally pursued public health because it felt like the most tangible way to directly help the largest number of people. Previously, I'd been working in the environmental field, where I felt I was making a difference. However, I wasn't able to directly see the impacts good public health choices can have on an individual, the community, and the world. I've said previously that my position during the Covid-19 era felt serendipitous - I think if I had been in any other position at the time it was happening, I would have been frustrated to help more people. But being able to work in a healthcare system in the middle of the epicenter of the global pandemic, I could see how much emergency management adds to an institution and ensure a smooth(er) response since no response comes without hiccups.
What are some practical actions other people can take to improve the health of their community?
This is not public health advice per se, but I think we all need to hear this right now (especially me) - be KIND to one another. Holding the door for a person, being empathetic to their point of view, trying to understand where each other is coming from, saying hello to your neighbors, commenting on how cute their dog is - all these things will lighten someone's day even if they seem inconsequential. This is not a "world peace" answer but a practical thing every person who lives in New York can do as they leave their house each morning.
What's your best piece of career advice for young professionals who want to make an impact in public health?
Get your foot in the door through networking and internships. And when you get your foot in the door, open it wider for everyone behind you. I started at NYU Langone as an intern and was grateful to be hired as a full-time employee at the end of my intern term. One of my "passion projects" was to create an internship program for those who were like me and didn't know that the field of emergency management was an option or what it was. One of my greatest accomplishments from my three years at NYU Langone was opening the door for six other interns after me in a more formalized summer internship program. I also am proud to have founded the EM+ER Fellowship Program, a one year, full-time salaried position that prepares rising talent for a career in emergency management.