Ekemini Isaiah (MPH ’18) specializes in regulatory and legislative health policy. Her expertise includes Medicare Part B and Part D coverage and payment policy, drug pricing reforms, the 340B program, and other efforts to improve patient access and affordability. Currently, Isaiah is the Director of Public Policy at Daiichi Sankyo, where she leads public policy strategies to support patient access to Daiichi Sankyo’s oncology portfolio.
What was your favorite experience at NYU?
J term in London was my most memorable; it was my first taste of NYU’s global campus and the power behind the NYU name. I met so many amazing people on that trip who I now consider family.
How do you leverage your public health degree in the work you're doing?
The policy courses I took under the Public Health Policy & Management concentration introduced me to some of the biggest concerns in healthcare. But the most beneficial classes allowed me to collaborate with students from other concentrations and degree programs. They force you to understand issues from various perspectives, which is so important when working in health policy. Understanding how policy can impact various stakeholders, and working backwards to mitigate risks, is essential to developing sustainable policy.
What do you love most about your job?
I chose my concentration because I felt so many health care challenges could be improved by looking upstream at the policies that influence them. I describe my job as a big puzzle that I get to work on everyday, because navigating through health policy can feel like you’re working through a vast maze. The more experience you have, the easier it can be to identify potential downstream implications. The highlight of my job is working with stakeholders to identify solutions to improve patient access to health care and affordability.
What is a career accomplishment that you are proud of?
One highlight is watching so many mentees get what I describe as the “health policy itch.” When it happens, it’s clear: You can visibly see the gears turning in their mind as they delve into an issue, ask questions or seek historical context on a topic. They get so excited to think about the impact of a policy issue across stakeholders and potential policy solutions. It’s the same excitement that I had with my mentors in my academic and professional career. It’s a highlight for me because it means there is one more person invested in improving our health care industry with policy solutions.
What is an important trend or opportunity in your industry that should be talked about more?
I love this question because my answer is always the 340B Drug Pricing Program. It allows eligible safety-net providers to purchase drugs at a significant discount from pharmaceutical manufacturers; the safety-net provider can then pass on the savings to patients. It was created with good intentions, but many would argue that its current structure has flaws. For anyone interested in health policy, the 340B program is a great example of what can happen when legislation isn’t written clearly and doesn’t adapt to reflect changes in health care over time.
What advice would you give to a prospective student who is considering a public health career?
Don’t be afraid to tell your story out loud! The public health space is vast, and you don’t know what you don’t know. I encourage students to share experiences and interests with mentors and individuals whose work they respect and appreciate. Sometimes just a few words from a student can spark a memory and lead to a connection—but you have to be open to telling your story first.