February 13, 2025 • 25 mins
Discover the transformative journey of Dr. Alexandria Evans, a passionate advocate for healthcare reform, as she shares her compelling experiences from the front lines of the emergency room. This episode promises to enlighten you on the critical issues plaguing maternal health in the United States, with a focus on the staggering reality that 80% of maternal deaths are preventable. Dr. Evans, driven by her desire to enact systemic change, reveals her decision to pursue a PhD in public health to tackle these pressing issues head-on, particularly for marginalized communities.
Our conversation ventures deep into the challenges faced by those advocating for maternal health equity, spotlighting the vital role of community-based interventions. We uncover the barriers such as transportation and resource accessibility that significantly affect maternal health outcomes. Through insights from community interviews and an emphasis on understanding social determinants of health, the discussion illustrates the power of listening and collaboration in fostering effective healthcare advocacy and leadership.
In addition to healthcare reform, Dr. Evans brings her expertise in career mentorship and personal branding to the table. Learn how having a network of diverse mentors can broaden your perspective and support your career goals. Dr. Evans shares valuable strategies for articulating career paths through a structured brand blueprint, encouraging authenticity in building your personal brand. With resources from Five-Star BDM at your disposal, seize the opportunity to gain actionable advice for making a meaningful impact in your professional journey.
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest marketing trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates from us, be sure to follow us at 5starbdm.com. See you next time on Follow The Brand!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome everybody to the Final Brand Podcast.
This is Grant McGaughan.
I'm going to take it all theway out west.
I love Vegas.
Everybody knows things aboutVegas.
They go out there, they do alittle gambling, they get out in
the sun, lots of good shows outthere, plenty to eat.
But there is something elsegoing on in the desert and I
found out a lot of what's goingon from the people who live it,
(00:24):
the people who live there.
We're going to talk to DrAlexandria Evans.
She recently graduated.
She is a phenomenal person andshe brought to my attention
because everyone knows I'm intohealthcare, I love healthcare.
I think it's a challenge for usto really hone in on healthcare
from a human-centricperspective.
For us to really hone in onhealthcare from a human-centric
(00:48):
perspective.
She owns this space.
We're going to have a candidconversation with her about why
she chose this as a professionand what is her goal for her
career as she moves forward.
So, alexandria, would you liketo introduce yourself?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, hi, thank you for having me.
Hi everyone, I'm Dr AlexandriaEvans.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
No-transcript in my zone of genius right, so you're
starting to share some of yourpersonal journey.
I want to know if you can sharesome of that journey and how
your experiences in theemergency room shaped your
(01:45):
passion for maternal healthequity.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
That was such.
Of all the jobs I've had,working in the ER was probably
the most exciting.
I've always loved healthcare.
Since I was a kid I was like Iwant to be a doctor, but I've
also loved policy, so working inthe ER I saw like a good mix.
One thing that really frustratedme and just brought up a lot of
(02:13):
emotion for myself, working inthe ER is just seeing all of the
people that had no resourcesand then being forced to go to
the ER to receive care, and itwasn't necessarily the best
location or the best option forthem.
For example, if you, because ofEMTALA, that's the only place
you can go if you don't havehealth insurance.
(02:34):
So oftentimes I would see, youknow, families, women, young
children in there simply becausethey couldn't get an
appointment with theirpediatrician or they had a quick
question and because our healthsystem is so complicated, the
quickest way that they could getcare or to get an answer or to
resolve whatever issue was to goto the ER, and, while they
deserve to have their needs met,it was the inappropriate place,
(02:56):
and so at that time I was likeyou know, I don't know if the ER
and like being in medical,going to medical school is the
best route for me.
I became more interested inpolicy and the systems that kind
of force people intouncomfortable and unequitable
situations, and so that's reallywhat shifted my lens from ER to
(03:21):
looking at policy and systemicchange.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And seeing what's taking place, like what's
causing that to happen.
I understand that Now we'regetting to your zone of genius
about what inspired you topursue a PhD in public health.
You've had this experience.
Now you're telling us hey, youpursued this PhD, you want to
make a difference in healthcarepolicy and systemic reform.
(03:45):
Can you talk to us more aroundthose particular pursuits?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, ultimately I decided to get a PhD because I
don't think that change canreally happen unless you have
policies and systems that reallyuphold institutions and make
them implement certain practices, and so I got my PhD.
Because I wanted to work in athink tank and there you get to
use your brain in whatever wayand come up with innovative and
(04:10):
creative solutions to addressand meet the needs of the people
in a real way.
I also really enjoy communitybuilding and talking with people
, and so I felt that was abetter way for me to really
touch people, meet their needsand come up with just ways that
they can live just better lives,have better access.
No one should have to struggleto just have their basic needs
(04:33):
met.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
This is important.
I just want to double down onthat just a little bit, because
there are some alarmingstatistics when it comes to
maternal health and outcomes andwith you know, specifically
women that are giving birth andspecifically women of color that
are getting birth, that thenumbers just aren't very good.
(04:55):
You know African Americans makeup maybe 13, 14% of the
population, but there's somestats out there that kind of
alarm.
Can you just tell us a littlebit more about what?
What you see is the bigchallenge in maternal health
that you want to champion?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, so 80% of maternal deaths are actually
preventable.
So I think that's like the mostalarming thing, like these
deaths should not be happening.
People should not be havingdisparities in maternal health
and maternal and child healthoutcomes.
So, first, that's the mainpoint that I like to drive home.
But the real root and the realcause is systemic inequities,
(05:35):
racism.
It really distributes andimpacts the flow of resources.
So, for example, communitiesthat have less resources, they
are more likely to go to urbanhospitals and urban facilities
that perform worse on thematernal and child health
indicators.
They have higher C-sections,they have higher infant
(05:56):
mortality rates.
What else?
Just the complications areinsane.
I mean, it doesn't have to bethat way.
I think also it's important totap into implicit bias and
knowing that not a lot ofproviders look like us.
And so there's tons of storiesyou can talk about Beyonce,
(06:18):
serena Williams, shalon IrvingTori Bowie, vaughn Irving Tori
Bowie.
They've all passed away or havehad issues while giving birth
to their child because theydidn't feel heard or respected
by their care team.
And so those are the realinequities, just on the surface
level, when you're actually inlabor and delivery and trying to
access prenatal care.
But deeper than that, the worldthat we live in right now is
(06:41):
very interesting.
Reproductive rights, women'shealth, is under attack.
Abortions are no longer legalin a lot of different places,
and tied up and wrapped up inthat is just reproductive health
in general, and abortion andreproductive health is essential
(07:02):
for a woman to be able to livea healthy life.
Not only is it helpful for thewoman, but they also have
families, and so the family isalso impacted.
And so, just looking at thosesystemic inequities, disparities
and access to care, those aremajor, major flaws in our system
that can be addressed if wereally put our heads together
and work more closely and notoperate in silos and start from
(07:24):
the top to bottom, from policy,working with community-based
organizations, repping inpractitioners, whether it's a
pediatrician, an OBGYN, highmaternal, what is it Shoot, high
risk health centers there'sthere's just tons of there's
(07:46):
tons of opportunity, and so justbridging and bringing everyone
together is the goal.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
That is a great goal.
You identified some of theproblems in the health equity
landscape.
I want to know this because nowyou've done your dissertation,
you've gotten your academicaccomplishments, you know you've
got your graduate.
If you were in a position ofpower, someone that could make
(08:12):
change, what changes do youthink would be practical that
you would take on and you wouldmake a change in the community?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Ooh, I actually really love that question.
I have done some likefundraising and philanthropic
work, so I think, connectingfunders to legislators in a real
way, in a meaningful way, notjust brief interactions like
brief meetings, but reallygetting them to understand the
community and then training upactual community members so that
(08:44):
way we have providers that looklike us, serving those that are
, you know, in need of maternalhealth care, developing like
community-based interventionslike that is something that I'm
very, very, very much interestedin.
Whether it is increasingfunding so that way we can have
doulas assist and be present,they do improve like maternal
(09:06):
and child health outcomes.
So, whether it's having doulasmore present and having them
increasing their funding andreimbursement rates for Medicare
, that is something that I woulddo.
Having more lactationconsultants, just increasing the
diversity in the workforce Ithink it's extremely important
and then finding funding thatsupports those goals and then
(09:29):
kind of like making them afamily.
I feel like, again, a lot oftimes things operate in silos
and everyone's competing for thesame amount of money, but the
goal is the same, so justbuilding better relationships.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That's so important building better relationships.
I like how you just said thatyou shared with me a couple of
different people you look up toin the industry and you said
that's who I want to be in thenext five and 10 years, so that
you have a platform that you canmake change happen, so you're
(10:04):
not just talking about thesethings.
First of all, share with us whoare your mentors and why do you
look up to them, and secondly,can you then elaborate on the
role of policy and legislation,like the Momnibus Act, in
driving systemic health reform,if you were in one of these
(10:26):
positions of authority?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah.
So one of my, a person that Ilook up to quite a bit, is
Monica McLemore.
She is a brilliant researcher.
She's also a nurse.
She was in the Bay Area and forsome reason, I want to say
she's in Washington right now.
I'm not 100% for sure, but I'vebeen following her work for a
very, very long time.
Dr Jory Creary as well I citedher in my dissertation and
(10:54):
there's also tons of legislatorslike Lauren Underwood.
She was part of the MomnibusAct and essentially what that
did it recognized the maternalhealth crisis as being an actual
crisis.
The United States has one ofthe worst maternal health crisis
in the world and we are anindustrialized country, so
that's very, very alarming, andwhat that did really is increase
(11:18):
awareness, but also providedfunding opportunities.
So back to your previousquestion where you asked about
what I would do one of thethings it did was open up
funding for community-basedinterventions to really dig deep
into the root of the issue andprovide specific communities
communities that experience themost disparities more resources
(11:40):
to combat poor maternal healthoutcomes.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
You see that as a big problem now, given the current
political landscape?
Do you feel?
This is how I feel it's justnot enough awareness and that
people just don't know where,how monies are allocated.
And then the effect what is theultimate outcome?
Or the root cause analysis, asyou would do, like on a
community, so you know, why arethese people ending up in er,
(12:06):
let's just say, or why are thesematernal deaths happening at
such an alarming rate in acountry like ours?
Are we misappropriating ourresources in a way?
Because, no matter how you wantto look at it, it affects the
whole community, right?
No matter how you look at that,because that the most expensive
(12:29):
care you can get is in the ERyeah, it's, then it's not.
It's the most expensive andthen it's the less effective.
You know, because you could bethere for things that aren't
what you call critical.
They're not urgent care,they're just care, you know, and
that's it.
So my question to you is around, because you just graduated,
(12:52):
you probably are, and they knowon a lot of these things, what
advice would you give to otheremerging leaders that are
seeking this niche in healthcareadvocacy?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Get connected with your community.
They can tell you better thananything what it is that they
need, and I think that's acommon misconception and bad
practice in most cases inresearch and the medical space.
We tend to often assume and putwhat we want on people and the
solutions that we want.
But part of my dissertationactually was really doing a
(13:23):
community-based approach tounderstanding how people utilize
perinatal care, and theresponses were interesting.
So I did a survey, but myfavorite part was doing
interviews, and so I reallyspent about an hour with 10
different moms from a specificarea here in West Las Vegas and
(13:43):
they shared with me what theirexperiences were, and a lot of
times it was the basic socialdeterminants of health that
prevented them from being ableto access resources.
So maybe they didn't have a car.
They were struggling to evenput food on the table.
So they have to pick betweengoing to work and not getting
paid for that day.
To go to a doctor's appointmentwhere they're sitting in the
waiting room for three, fourhours to have a 10 minute visit,
(14:06):
you know they're not going.
Or if they have to take theirchild to a pediatric visit, they
have to take the bus, and thatin itself takes a long time.
Now their child's dysregulatedbecause they missed nap time,
and it's a plethora of things.
So the social determinants ofhealth and really understanding
the social determinants ofhealth and understanding the
communities and what uniquethings impact them specifically
(14:30):
A lot of times I would saynonprofits and organizations
it's blanket funding and theways that people are able to
utilize those resources are veryspecific and it doesn't
maximize the impact for theindividual.
And so, for one example, Iinterviewed a lady and she was
(14:55):
actually from Jamaica and shenever got her driver's license
out here and so she had to takethe bus.
But one thing is, this is veryunique, but she said I just need
to learn how to drive.
Like I can afford a car, I justneed to learn how to drive.
And so those little things buspasses are here, for example are
something that are very helpful.
If you have a driver's license,you can get a bus pass for 45
(15:19):
days, and it was just moreconvenient than going to just
other nonprofit organizations toget just very like bandaid type
solutions.
So, really, speaking with thepeople that have done the work,
that live it every day, theyknow what they need, and so
touching base with them and thenalso I would tell them to know
your community so you know whatresources are available.
(15:41):
It should be a one-stop shop.
People shouldn't have to gohunt and pick and scavenger to
find what they need.
They shouldn't have.
It shouldn't be that much work.
If we're a community and wewant the best for everyone, we
should make our resources andthings known and available.
I think that's a part ofcapacity building.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I like that capacity building.
You have a unique leadershipstyle and we have worked
together, you know, for the lastthree or four weeks just
building out and really focusingon what you want to accomplish,
which has been phenomenal.
I would like for you to share alittle bit about your
leadership style and how youwant to utilize that style to
(16:25):
position yourself for success.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
That's a good question.
I am very much a.
I like to listen, I like toobserve, I don't like to assume.
One thing I've learned in mylife is that you don't know
everything, so I like to sitback and listen to others.
I don't think that I'm theknow-it-all, and so I like to
surround myself with people thatare able to fill in the gaps
and are able to be the strengthswhere maybe I'm a little bit
(16:51):
weaker.
Um, I think that makes us awell-rounded team.
Um, so I like to surroundmyself with other brilliant,
brilliant minds, um, to helpjust develop and create, have
just meaningful conversations,to challenge me, to push each
other.
There is no one single solution, and so one mind isn't going to
get the job done, and so, yeah,that is how I like to lead, I
(17:19):
like to listen, I like tosupport.
I also like people are notthere's, we're so complex.
We have our own personal livestoo, and this is actually very
challenging work.
I find myself kind of downsometimes because the statistics
aren't the best, and when yousee people struggling, like it
just it doesn't feel good.
So, also just using a lens thatyou also have to take care of
(17:41):
yourself, like you can't ifyou're, if you're not, if your
cup isn't full, you can't helpanybody else.
You can't pour from an emptycup.
So I really like to surroundmyself with other strong
individuals.
I like to surround myself withpeople that know more than me,
that can teach me, that can helpme grow as well.
We're a team, we're a unit, andthat's how I like to lead in a
(18:01):
very balanced space.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Very good, very good, and you are very balanced.
One of the things that we, youknow, I always pride myself when
I'm working with individuals, Iwant to walk in their shoes,
and you allowed me to walk alittle bit in your shoes, and so
take me back in time five yearsago, what you were doing, maybe
even 10 years ago, as you wentacross your academic path and
(18:26):
how your awareness has changedand how you've looked at
different things and you beginto see a world that, at one
point, you have certainviewpoints, everybody has a
certain viewpoint, as youalluded to but as you begin to
go deeper into it, that visionchanges, and it changes over
time with more information andthe more stories about what
(18:49):
you're really trying toaccomplish with your skill set.
So you have a skill set, youhave a tool set, you have a very
good.
Your mindset is what's going tohelp you to traverse forward.
I want you to help and talk tothat student right now who's a
rebel, right?
Maybe this is their first yearand they're coming on campus and
(19:11):
they maybe they've gone throughtheir first semester.
What advice would you give tothem if they were on a similar
coursework as yourself?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Find a mentor.
Literally, look up whatprofessors it doesn't have to be
in your exact school Forexample, I was in the School of
Public Health.
Look at sociology, look atpublic policy, look anywhere but
someone that has similarinterests as you and ask them to
mentor you.
They will.
They're more than happy tobring you on and to help you
(19:44):
learn and to help you grow.
I think it's always importantto have like two to three
mentors one that has doneexactly what it is that you
aspire to accomplish, one thatis has a similar goal but has
taken a bit of a different route, and that way, you're able to
have like-minded peoplesupporting you, but you're able
(20:08):
to have all of your optionsavailable.
If you're just starting out,there's no limits.
There's no limits, so justdon't limit yourself.
Be as open, ask questions, talkto people, don't be shy.
That's my, that's my advice.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I love that, don't be shy.
Go ahead and go for it.
You know not, you don't havemuch to lose, uh, except you
don't live your full potential.
That's the thing I want you totalk to the audience a little
bit about, before you met me andwhen you went through the
program, through the brandblueprint strategy and what you
(20:44):
feel you got the most out of atthis point to help others.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Before I met you, I big picture knew what I wanted
to do, but what that actuallylooked like, like the how, I had
no idea and it was a bitoverwhelming.
Especially fresh out ofgraduation.
I'm like I have to have my lifefigured out right now, and so I
just had a lot of pressure onmyself.
But, working with you, youhelped me conceptualize the
(21:14):
things that had been in my headand helped me put it to paper.
So now I feel like I have asolid foundation and a framework
to succeed.
When it was in my head itdidn't feel digestible.
I didn't know the steps, itdidn't feel as doable, and now
I'm like, okay, I can do this.
There's a plan I can moveforward and I can move forward
confidently.
So I helped me understand mycareer goals better.
(21:37):
It helped me articulate mycareer goals better and it also
helped me understand myselfbetter of your career trajectory
so that it's more unified,there's more clarity in
everything.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
And then now, as you stated, you have a physical
(22:07):
blueprint that you can look atand then you can hold yourself
accountable.
Like I said, if I haven'taccomplished a certain task, or
wherever it may be, in a certainperiod of time, I have to only
look at myself, like what did Ido, or what didn't I do, or what
didn't I do, or then what did Ilearn out of this?
As we went through the entireframework and I love the fact
(22:28):
that you really understood thisone particular point was.
That was relationships.
You've got to have the rightrelationships.
It's not about having thousandsof followers and thousands of
connections.
You need 25 to 50 of the rightconnections, people that really
believe in you.
(22:48):
As you started to start, italluded to earlier about
mentorships and people thatadvocate for you, someone that
says, hey, we've got aparticular issue or a problem.
Who can we bring into thisequation that's going to help
solve it?
Also, you want your name tocome up Dr Alexandria Evans.
Whoa, who is she?
(23:09):
And then you've got your wholeway of telling that story.
That's authentic.
It's about being authentic, andthat's another thing I got from
working with you as we gotthrough this is that we weren't
building a personal brand foryou that was outside of yourself
.
It was just filling in theclarity and the vividness of who
(23:37):
you are as an individual as youmove forward and you can speak
confidently to anyone else?
about what it is that you wantto accomplish.
I really, really like thatabout you and I want you to
continue, continue on thatjourney, for sure, for sure.
What parting words would youleave with our audience that you
(23:59):
feel that you know what I want?
To make sure I tell this partof the story because it means so
much to you.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I would say it's unrelated to maternal health but
always use your voice, be anadvocate.
We're here to make the world abetter place, to leave it better
than what we found it.
And you can't do so if youdon't use your voice and know
yourself, know your core valuesand your core beliefs.
So, really getting in touchwith yourself and using your
(24:29):
voice to go forth and go outinto the world and just make it
so much better than the way youfound it.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I love that Great statement.
Great statement you are on yourway.
Watch out Las Vegas.
We got a new player in town.
She's going to make some major,major changes in what you do.
The audience needs to know howto contact you, so what is the
best way?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
My email or LinkedIn.
My email is alexandriasevans atgmailcom, and then you can also
find me on LinkedIn, alexandriaS Evans at gmailcom, and then
you can also find me on LinkedInAlexandria Evans.
I think it's PhD in PA.
I could, if possible, drop thelink somewhere somehow.
But yeah, that's where you canfind me.
That's where I'm.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Well, we'll definitely have it in the show
notes.
You've done a wonderful job.
Love working with you, Loveyour mission.
Anything I can do going forwardto help you, I would certainly
never hesitate to reach out,especially your fellow rebels.
No, they.
It was like hey, I see where DrAlexandra Evans is of the track
(25:28):
that she's on.
How do I get all that track?
And I say, hey, go to five-starBDM.
That's number five.
That star is B for brand, B fordevelopment.
Infomasterscom.
You can view all the episodesand follow around there.
You'll pick up the goldennuggets of how you can begin to
build up your own personal brandfor career development and
business development goingforward.
(25:49):
So I want to thank you againfor being on the show.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
You're welcome.
Welcome everybody to the Final Brand Podcast.
This is Grant McGaughan.
I'm going to take it all theway out west.
I love Vegas.
Everybody knows things aboutVegas.
They go out there, they do alittle gambling, they get out in
the sun, lots of good shows outthere, plenty to eat.
But there is something elsegoing on in the desert and I
found out a lot of what's goingon from the people who live it,
(00:24):
the people who live there.
We're going to talk to DrAlexandria Evans.
She recently graduated.
She is a phenomenal person andshe brought to my attention
because everyone knows I'm intohealthcare, I love healthcare.
I think it's a challenge for usto really hone in on healthcare
from a human-centricperspective.
For us to really hone in onhealthcare from a human-centric
(00:48):
perspective.
She owns this space.
We're going to have a candidconversation with her about why
she chose this as a professionand what is her goal for her
career as she moves forward.
So, alexandria, would you liketo introduce yourself?
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, hi, thank you for having me.
Hi everyone, I'm Dr AlexandriaEvans.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
No-transcript in my zone of genius right, so you're
starting to share some of yourpersonal journey.
I want to know if you can sharesome of that journey and how
your experiences in theemergency room shaped your
(01:45):
passion for maternal healthequity.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
That was such.
Of all the jobs I've had,working in the ER was probably
the most exciting.
I've always loved healthcare.
Since I was a kid I was like Iwant to be a doctor, but I've
also loved policy, so working inthe ER I saw like a good mix.
One thing that really frustratedme and just brought up a lot of
(02:13):
emotion for myself, working inthe ER is just seeing all of the
people that had no resourcesand then being forced to go to
the ER to receive care, and itwasn't necessarily the best
location or the best option forthem.
For example, if you, because ofEMTALA, that's the only place
you can go if you don't havehealth insurance.
(02:34):
So oftentimes I would see, youknow, families, women, young
children in there simply becausethey couldn't get an
appointment with theirpediatrician or they had a quick
question and because our healthsystem is so complicated, the
quickest way that they could getcare or to get an answer or to
resolve whatever issue was to goto the ER, and, while they
deserve to have their needs met,it was the inappropriate place,
(02:56):
and so at that time I was likeyou know, I don't know if the ER
and like being in medical,going to medical school is the
best route for me.
I became more interested inpolicy and the systems that kind
of force people intouncomfortable and unequitable
situations, and so that's reallywhat shifted my lens from ER to
(03:21):
looking at policy and systemicchange.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And seeing what's taking place, like what's
causing that to happen.
I understand that Now we'regetting to your zone of genius
about what inspired you topursue a PhD in public health.
You've had this experience.
Now you're telling us hey, youpursued this PhD, you want to
make a difference in healthcarepolicy and systemic reform.
(03:45):
Can you talk to us more aroundthose particular pursuits?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, ultimately I decided to get a PhD because I
don't think that change canreally happen unless you have
policies and systems that reallyuphold institutions and make
them implement certain practices, and so I got my PhD.
Because I wanted to work in athink tank and there you get to
use your brain in whatever wayand come up with innovative and
(04:10):
creative solutions to addressand meet the needs of the people
in a real way.
I also really enjoy communitybuilding and talking with people
, and so I felt that was abetter way for me to really
touch people, meet their needsand come up with just ways that
they can live just better lives,have better access.
No one should have to struggleto just have their basic needs
(04:33):
met.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
This is important.
I just want to double down onthat just a little bit, because
there are some alarmingstatistics when it comes to
maternal health and outcomes andwith you know, specifically
women that are giving birth andspecifically women of color that
are getting birth, that thenumbers just aren't very good.
(04:55):
You know African Americans makeup maybe 13, 14% of the
population, but there's somestats out there that kind of
alarm.
Can you just tell us a littlebit more about what?
What you see is the bigchallenge in maternal health
that you want to champion?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah, so 80% of maternal deaths are actually
preventable.
So I think that's like the mostalarming thing, like these
deaths should not be happening.
People should not be havingdisparities in maternal health
and maternal and child healthoutcomes.
So, first, that's the mainpoint that I like to drive home.
But the real root and the realcause is systemic inequities,
(05:35):
racism.
It really distributes andimpacts the flow of resources.
So, for example, communitiesthat have less resources, they
are more likely to go to urbanhospitals and urban facilities
that perform worse on thematernal and child health
indicators.
They have higher C-sections,they have higher infant
(05:56):
mortality rates.
What else?
Just the complications areinsane.
I mean, it doesn't have to bethat way.
I think also it's important totap into implicit bias and
knowing that not a lot ofproviders look like us.
And so there's tons of storiesyou can talk about Beyonce,
(06:18):
serena Williams, shalon IrvingTori Bowie, vaughn Irving Tori
Bowie.
They've all passed away or havehad issues while giving birth
to their child because theydidn't feel heard or respected
by their care team.
And so those are the realinequities, just on the surface
level, when you're actually inlabor and delivery and trying to
access prenatal care.
But deeper than that, the worldthat we live in right now is
(06:41):
very interesting.
Reproductive rights, women'shealth, is under attack.
Abortions are no longer legalin a lot of different places,
and tied up and wrapped up inthat is just reproductive health
in general, and abortion andreproductive health is essential
(07:02):
for a woman to be able to livea healthy life.
Not only is it helpful for thewoman, but they also have
families, and so the family isalso impacted.
And so, just looking at thosesystemic inequities, disparities
and access to care, those aremajor, major flaws in our system
that can be addressed if wereally put our heads together
and work more closely and notoperate in silos and start from
(07:24):
the top to bottom, from policy,working with community-based
organizations, repping inpractitioners, whether it's a
pediatrician, an OBGYN, highmaternal, what is it Shoot, high
risk health centers there'sthere's just tons of there's
(07:46):
tons of opportunity, and so justbridging and bringing everyone
together is the goal.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
That is a great goal.
You identified some of theproblems in the health equity
landscape.
I want to know this because nowyou've done your dissertation,
you've gotten your academicaccomplishments, you know you've
got your graduate.
If you were in a position ofpower, someone that could make
(08:12):
change, what changes do youthink would be practical that
you would take on and you wouldmake a change in the community?
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Ooh, I actually really love that question.
I have done some likefundraising and philanthropic
work, so I think, connectingfunders to legislators in a real
way, in a meaningful way, notjust brief interactions like
brief meetings, but reallygetting them to understand the
community and then training upactual community members so that
(08:44):
way we have providers that looklike us, serving those that are
, you know, in need of maternalhealth care, developing like
community-based interventionslike that is something that I'm
very, very, very much interestedin.
Whether it is increasingfunding so that way we can have
doulas assist and be present,they do improve like maternal
(09:06):
and child health outcomes.
So, whether it's having doulasmore present and having them
increasing their funding andreimbursement rates for Medicare
, that is something that I woulddo.
Having more lactationconsultants, just increasing the
diversity in the workforce Ithink it's extremely important
and then finding funding thatsupports those goals and then
(09:29):
kind of like making them afamily.
I feel like, again, a lot oftimes things operate in silos
and everyone's competing for thesame amount of money, but the
goal is the same, so justbuilding better relationships.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That's so important building better relationships.
I like how you just said thatyou shared with me a couple of
different people you look up toin the industry and you said
that's who I want to be in thenext five and 10 years, so that
you have a platform that you canmake change happen, so you're
(10:04):
not just talking about thesethings.
First of all, share with us whoare your mentors and why do you
look up to them, and secondly,can you then elaborate on the
role of policy and legislation,like the Momnibus Act, in
driving systemic health reform,if you were in one of these
(10:26):
positions of authority?
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah.
So one of my, a person that Ilook up to quite a bit, is
Monica McLemore.
She is a brilliant researcher.
She's also a nurse.
She was in the Bay Area and forsome reason, I want to say
she's in Washington right now.
I'm not 100% for sure, but I'vebeen following her work for a
very, very long time.
Dr Jory Creary as well I citedher in my dissertation and
(10:54):
there's also tons of legislatorslike Lauren Underwood.
She was part of the MomnibusAct and essentially what that
did it recognized the maternalhealth crisis as being an actual
crisis.
The United States has one ofthe worst maternal health crisis
in the world and we are anindustrialized country, so
that's very, very alarming, andwhat that did really is increase
(11:18):
awareness, but also providedfunding opportunities.
So back to your previousquestion where you asked about
what I would do one of thethings it did was open up
funding for community-basedinterventions to really dig deep
into the root of the issue andprovide specific communities
communities that experience themost disparities more resources
(11:40):
to combat poor maternal healthoutcomes.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
You see that as a big problem now, given the current
political landscape?
Do you feel?
This is how I feel it's justnot enough awareness and that
people just don't know where,how monies are allocated.
And then the effect what is theultimate outcome?
Or the root cause analysis, asyou would do, like on a
community, so you know, why arethese people ending up in er,
(12:06):
let's just say, or why are thesematernal deaths happening at
such an alarming rate in acountry like ours?
Are we misappropriating ourresources in a way?
Because, no matter how you wantto look at it, it affects the
whole community, right?
No matter how you look at that,because that the most expensive
(12:29):
care you can get is in the ERyeah, it's, then it's not.
It's the most expensive andthen it's the less effective.
You know, because you could bethere for things that aren't
what you call critical.
They're not urgent care,they're just care, you know, and
that's it.
So my question to you is around, because you just graduated,
(12:52):
you probably are, and they knowon a lot of these things, what
advice would you give to otheremerging leaders that are
seeking this niche in healthcareadvocacy?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Get connected with your community.
They can tell you better thananything what it is that they
need, and I think that's acommon misconception and bad
practice in most cases inresearch and the medical space.
We tend to often assume and putwhat we want on people and the
solutions that we want.
But part of my dissertationactually was really doing a
(13:23):
community-based approach tounderstanding how people utilize
perinatal care, and theresponses were interesting.
So I did a survey, but myfavorite part was doing
interviews, and so I reallyspent about an hour with 10
different moms from a specificarea here in West Las Vegas and
(13:43):
they shared with me what theirexperiences were, and a lot of
times it was the basic socialdeterminants of health that
prevented them from being ableto access resources.
So maybe they didn't have a car.
They were struggling to evenput food on the table.
So they have to pick betweengoing to work and not getting
paid for that day.
To go to a doctor's appointmentwhere they're sitting in the
waiting room for three, fourhours to have a 10 minute visit,
(14:06):
you know they're not going.
Or if they have to take theirchild to a pediatric visit, they
have to take the bus, and thatin itself takes a long time.
Now their child's dysregulatedbecause they missed nap time,
and it's a plethora of things.
So the social determinants ofhealth and really understanding
the social determinants ofhealth and understanding the
communities and what uniquethings impact them specifically
(14:30):
A lot of times I would saynonprofits and organizations
it's blanket funding and theways that people are able to
utilize those resources are veryspecific and it doesn't
maximize the impact for theindividual.
And so, for one example, Iinterviewed a lady and she was
(14:55):
actually from Jamaica and shenever got her driver's license
out here and so she had to takethe bus.
But one thing is, this is veryunique, but she said I just need
to learn how to drive.
Like I can afford a car, I justneed to learn how to drive.
And so those little things buspasses are here, for example are
something that are very helpful.
If you have a driver's license,you can get a bus pass for 45
(15:19):
days, and it was just moreconvenient than going to just
other nonprofit organizations toget just very like bandaid type
solutions.
So, really, speaking with thepeople that have done the work,
that live it every day, theyknow what they need, and so
touching base with them and thenalso I would tell them to know
your community so you know whatresources are available.
(15:41):
It should be a one-stop shop.
People shouldn't have to gohunt and pick and scavenger to
find what they need.
They shouldn't have.
It shouldn't be that much work.
If we're a community and wewant the best for everyone, we
should make our resources andthings known and available.
I think that's a part ofcapacity building.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
I like that capacity building.
You have a unique leadershipstyle and we have worked
together, you know, for the lastthree or four weeks just
building out and really focusingon what you want to accomplish,
which has been phenomenal.
I would like for you to share alittle bit about your
leadership style and how youwant to utilize that style to
(16:25):
position yourself for success.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
That's a good question.
I am very much a.
I like to listen, I like toobserve, I don't like to assume.
One thing I've learned in mylife is that you don't know
everything, so I like to sitback and listen to others.
I don't think that I'm theknow-it-all, and so I like to
surround myself with people thatare able to fill in the gaps
and are able to be the strengthswhere maybe I'm a little bit
(16:51):
weaker.
Um, I think that makes us awell-rounded team.
Um, so I like to surroundmyself with other brilliant,
brilliant minds, um, to helpjust develop and create, have
just meaningful conversations,to challenge me, to push each
other.
There is no one single solution, and so one mind isn't going to
get the job done, and so, yeah,that is how I like to lead, I
(17:19):
like to listen, I like tosupport.
I also like people are notthere's, we're so complex.
We have our own personal livestoo, and this is actually very
challenging work.
I find myself kind of downsometimes because the statistics
aren't the best, and when yousee people struggling, like it
just it doesn't feel good.
So, also just using a lens thatyou also have to take care of
(17:41):
yourself, like you can't ifyou're, if you're not, if your
cup isn't full, you can't helpanybody else.
You can't pour from an emptycup.
So I really like to surroundmyself with other strong
individuals.
I like to surround myself withpeople that know more than me,
that can teach me, that can helpme grow as well.
We're a team, we're a unit, andthat's how I like to lead in a
(18:01):
very balanced space.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Very good, very good, and you are very balanced.
One of the things that we, youknow, I always pride myself when
I'm working with individuals, Iwant to walk in their shoes,
and you allowed me to walk alittle bit in your shoes, and so
take me back in time five yearsago, what you were doing, maybe
even 10 years ago, as you wentacross your academic path and
(18:26):
how your awareness has changedand how you've looked at
different things and you beginto see a world that, at one
point, you have certainviewpoints, everybody has a
certain viewpoint, as youalluded to but as you begin to
go deeper into it, that visionchanges, and it changes over
time with more information andthe more stories about what
(18:49):
you're really trying toaccomplish with your skill set.
So you have a skill set, youhave a tool set, you have a very
good.
Your mindset is what's going tohelp you to traverse forward.
I want you to help and talk tothat student right now who's a
rebel, right?
Maybe this is their first yearand they're coming on campus and
(19:11):
they maybe they've gone throughtheir first semester.
What advice would you give tothem if they were on a similar
coursework as yourself?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Find a mentor.
Literally, look up whatprofessors it doesn't have to be
in your exact school Forexample, I was in the School of
Public Health.
Look at sociology, look atpublic policy, look anywhere but
someone that has similarinterests as you and ask them to
mentor you.
They will.
They're more than happy tobring you on and to help you
(19:44):
learn and to help you grow.
I think it's always importantto have like two to three
mentors one that has doneexactly what it is that you
aspire to accomplish, one thatis has a similar goal but has
taken a bit of a different route, and that way, you're able to
have like-minded peoplesupporting you, but you're able
(20:08):
to have all of your optionsavailable.
If you're just starting out,there's no limits.
There's no limits, so justdon't limit yourself.
Be as open, ask questions, talkto people, don't be shy.
That's my, that's my advice.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I love that, don't be shy.
Go ahead and go for it.
You know not, you don't havemuch to lose, uh, except you
don't live your full potential.
That's the thing I want you totalk to the audience a little
bit about, before you met me andwhen you went through the
program, through the brandblueprint strategy and what you
(20:44):
feel you got the most out of atthis point to help others.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Before I met you, I big picture knew what I wanted
to do, but what that actuallylooked like, like the how, I had
no idea and it was a bitoverwhelming.
Especially fresh out ofgraduation.
I'm like I have to have my lifefigured out right now, and so I
just had a lot of pressure onmyself.
But, working with you, youhelped me conceptualize the
(21:14):
things that had been in my headand helped me put it to paper.
So now I feel like I have asolid foundation and a framework
to succeed.
When it was in my head itdidn't feel digestible.
I didn't know the steps, itdidn't feel as doable, and now
I'm like, okay, I can do this.
There's a plan I can moveforward and I can move forward
confidently.
So I helped me understand mycareer goals better.
(21:37):
It helped me articulate mycareer goals better and it also
helped me understand myselfbetter of your career trajectory
so that it's more unified,there's more clarity in
everything.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
And then now, as you stated, you have a physical
(22:07):
blueprint that you can look atand then you can hold yourself
accountable.
Like I said, if I haven'taccomplished a certain task, or
wherever it may be, in a certainperiod of time, I have to only
look at myself, like what did Ido, or what didn't I do, or what
didn't I do, or then what did Ilearn out of this?
As we went through the entireframework and I love the fact
(22:28):
that you really understood thisone particular point was.
That was relationships.
You've got to have the rightrelationships.
It's not about having thousandsof followers and thousands of
connections.
You need 25 to 50 of the rightconnections, people that really
believe in you.
(22:48):
As you started to start, italluded to earlier about
mentorships and people thatadvocate for you, someone that
says, hey, we've got aparticular issue or a problem.
Who can we bring into thisequation that's going to help
solve it?
Also, you want your name tocome up Dr Alexandria Evans.
Whoa, who is she?
(23:09):
And then you've got your wholeway of telling that story.
That's authentic.
It's about being authentic, andthat's another thing I got from
working with you as we gotthrough this is that we weren't
building a personal brand foryou that was outside of yourself
.
It was just filling in theclarity and the vividness of who
(23:37):
you are as an individual as youmove forward and you can speak
confidently to anyone else?
about what it is that you wantto accomplish.
I really, really like thatabout you and I want you to
continue, continue on thatjourney, for sure, for sure.
What parting words would youleave with our audience that you
(23:59):
feel that you know what I want?
To make sure I tell this partof the story because it means so
much to you.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I would say it's unrelated to maternal health but
always use your voice, be anadvocate.
We're here to make the world abetter place, to leave it better
than what we found it.
And you can't do so if youdon't use your voice and know
yourself, know your core valuesand your core beliefs.
So, really getting in touchwith yourself and using your
(24:29):
voice to go forth and go outinto the world and just make it
so much better than the way youfound it.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I love that Great statement.
Great statement you are on yourway.
Watch out Las Vegas.
We got a new player in town.
She's going to make some major,major changes in what you do.
The audience needs to know howto contact you, so what is the
best way?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
My email or LinkedIn.
My email is alexandriasevans atgmailcom, and then you can also
find me on LinkedIn, alexandriaS Evans at gmailcom, and then
you can also find me on LinkedInAlexandria Evans.
I think it's PhD in PA.
I could, if possible, drop thelink somewhere somehow.
But yeah, that's where you canfind me.
That's where I'm.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Well, we'll definitely have it in the show
notes.
You've done a wonderful job.
Love working with you, Loveyour mission.
Anything I can do going forwardto help you, I would certainly
never hesitate to reach out,especially your fellow rebels.
No, they.
It was like hey, I see where DrAlexandra Evans is of the track
(25:28):
that she's on.
How do I get all that track?
And I say, hey, go to five-starBDM.
That's number five.
That star is B for brand, B fordevelopment.
Infomasterscom.
You can view all the episodesand follow around there.
You'll pick up the goldennuggets of how you can begin to
build up your own personal brandfor career development and
business development goingforward.
(25:49):
So I want to thank you againfor being on the show.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
You're welcome.
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