Jamila Stewart

BLACK INTELLECTUALS

MIND

A Beautiful

The PBI interview with Masters of Public Health graduate, Jamila Stewart

I love sharing inspiring stories. Sometimes reading about another’s accomplishments, their drive and passion to reach their goals inspires you to be a better person. Makes you want to hustle harder and stay focused and be that next story that moves someone’s spirit. Jamila Stewart has just met an amazing goal in earning her Master’s Degree in Public Health. Coupled with 14-years’ experience as a Registered Nurse, Jamila has the foundation for the next chapter of her journey. New challenges, new goals and new rewards.

Our conversation generated a whole buffet of emotions with this glimpse into the state of health care in the U.S. but I ultimately came away feeling inspired. I hope you will too.

PBI: Soooo… let’s start with the big M first. A Master’s in Public Health! That’s big!

JS: Well, it’s not quite official yet. School actually wraps Dec. 14th. But yes, it’s been a long road. I’m happy to be done with school.

PBI: So you’re ready for the world huh? With your new papers, what is your immediate goal? To be a Public Health official or executive?

JS: I’m not necessarily angling to be a public health official or work for the government as most of my colleagues do. Going on to pursue my Masters was more of a personal goal for me. My ultimate goals in the public health arena are a lot more personal and related to the Black community. My passion is to address preventable chronic health conditions in our community by developing health education programs and interventions that will have a sustainable impact.

PBI: Something more like a nutritionist?

JS: Not necessarily a nutritionist but addressing chronic diseases rampant in the Black community. I can recall when Krispy Kreme opened on Crenshaw and King. I was upset! Why open it at the epicenter of diabetes and chronic heart disease? Clearly the wrong location. I mean I get the business and money aspect of opening the business, but I felt it a stab in the back to open a donut shop on the corner of King and Crenshaw. Especially from investors who have no interest in our health, well-being, and longevity. Only making money for their own community. I felt some kind of way about that.

PBI: So… militant dietician?

JS: I would be one of the few that would hold my fist up and rep the red, black and green. (Laughs)

It’s funny because I walk around and I see some of us that are just morbidly obese… and I feel that healthy options are just not made readily available. That and some re-education is needed about the traditional African-American diet and Soul Food.

PBI: So you don’t have a food vice of your own?

JS: For sure my vice is fast food. I know it’s bad for me but every once in a while I just want a good burger and fries. A lot of us that have grown up in single parent homes like myself have grown up eating fast food simply because it’s quick and easy for working parents. To this day it’s an active struggle to resist convenient junk.

PBI: On a different note, food isn’t the only thing killing Black folks in the community these days. Real quick, what’s your take on killing Blacks being the new black?

JS: Well, first off, I believe that marching and protesting is going to only do so much. Also, there is a limited impact that we can have if we boycott a few days yet still lack businesses of our own. We are dependent on other people to give us jobs and provide us with food from large grocery store chains. For many of us, if the local Wal-Mart closes, we wouldn’t know how to get our basic necessities. Eventually we have to get to a point where we are self-reliant and independent from the big corporations that are literally feeding us. All of the brutality and such happens because we have limited power and resources to meet our own needs. There has to come a point where we build our own businesses and an economic base and use our economics to truly cause change within our community as a whole.

It’s one thing that the light is being shined on the attacks and killings that are happening. The whole Eric Garner case and many others have been caught on tape and that fact hasn’t changed things. I’m just not one to go out and march. Us holding up signs is only going to do so much. I’m more on the metaphysical side of things – focusing on creating my reality and the world around me. Everything begins first with thought, so in order for any change to happen, our mindset has to change first.

PBI: OK, back to career and education, I suppose you’ve seen it all with 14 years under your belt in nursing. What has your experience been?

JS: Well, I’ve been involved in health care in a few different capacities. Starting with my education, I graduated from Mount St. Mary’s College (now “University”) in 2001 with a Bachelor’s in Nursing. As a new registered nurse, I started my career in the neuro-trauma intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center and at UC San Francisco Medical Center for a total of about 6 years. That was quite the learning experience. From there I moved into nursing management with the American Red Cross and worked in that role for another 6 years.

PBI: Neuro trauma intensive care sounds a little gory. Especially for your first job out of college. What led you to critical care?

JS: It was just an area I kind of landed in. I was a new grad fresh out of college. A few of my colleagues went on to work at UCLA Medical Center and it seemed like a natural next move for me. I remember my interview with UCLA and them giving me a list of different departments that I could choose from. I just picked neuro trauma during the interview and that’s where I ended up. Sounds a bit cavalier to start but it was an awesome learning experience. And you’re right, I saw my share of aneurysms, gunshot wounds, strokes, brain tumors, etc.

PBI: Critical care implies exposure to an increased ratio of patients lost. That has to be emotionally draining to connect with a patient and they pass on during their stay.

JS: Yes, that was always challenging. Nurses and doctors are expected to be professional and disconnected from personal feelings but it’s hard to do that. You’re not only managing the patient’s ailment, you’re managing every organ in their body, the family and their concerns, as well as mourning and psychosocial needs. As nurses we are the eyes and ears for the doctors and we are available to our patients 24 hours a day. We tend to have a good grasp of what the person needs or what they are going through. Many times we bond with the patient and their families so when we lose a patient, it doesn’t go unfelt. We’re taught to just move on with your work and shift. That takes a certain type of personality to navigate those emotions and divorce yourself from that connection. At times, I dealt with those issues very personally and that’s why I eventually left critical care. It was a bittersweet experience.

In 2007, I landed my job as a collection supervisor for the American Red Cross. I worked in the Collection Department managing on-site blood collection at blood drives with a team of approximately 7-8 RNs, LVNs, and medical assistants. In that job I was responsible for making sure all policies and procedures were followed as well as handling day-to-day issues with employees, and of course all the standard management stuff… performance evaluations, schedules, etc. That job was great experience and showed me a different side of nursing and the medical field.

PBI: Is that’s when your quest for your Masters began?

JS: Yes, after about five years with Red Cross, and I decided to go back to school and it’s taken me about 2.5 years to complete the MPH program at Cal State Northridge. I was working full time at the start and it was challenging trying to juggle a full time work and school schedule. I was recently talking to someone I work with and I noted to her that when you’re working on your undergraduate degree it’s completely different from getting your graduate degree. With undergrad work, all you’re doing is going to school. You focus only on your studies and usually you don’t have a lifestyle to maintain with rent, bills, and all the trappings. When you start graduate work, most likely you’ve already established a lifestyle and a means to support it. I actually had to leave my job at the Red Cross to go back to school. When I had to quit, of course, that’s where my financial struggle came in. I did entrepreneurial things to generate money like Beach Body coaching and also worked as an independent nurse contractor. This let me have the flexibility to go to school and make money to keep the lights on.

PBI: So you had to find a grind to keep things moving huh?

JS: Several. It wasn’t particularly EASY but I’m no stranger to making things happen when I need to meet a goal, even if that goal is just to maintain. In particularly tough times, I’ve had to work retail jobs like The Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch in the interim between nursing gigs. We do what we have to.

PBI: (Laughing) I can just picture you all slicked down and shiny as an Abercrombie & Fitch employee on your first day. (I crack me up, BTW)

On a serious note, during your Masters studies your mom became seriously ill, correct?
JS: My mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this year. I was working and going to school full time in addition to helping my mom with her day-to-day care, coordinating doctor’s appointments, transportation arrangements, medication, etc. The last 3 months of her illness brought a serious decline in her health. It was a really tough time. I was also completing an internship this last year of school so all these events at once combined to make my schedule pretty crazy. As an only child, I had no real support system to rely on like brothers or sisters. It all fell on me. After a while, when my mom got too sick to take care of her basic needs, and I needed caregivers to work with her. Although my mom was blessed enough to have good insurance from her previous husband, however that

insurance didn’t cover in-home care. My mom was a Jehovah’s Witness and when I needed help, they stepped in and helped tremendously. When I was at school/work/internship, I had a literal schedule of her church members that would come in and be with her everyday while she was at home during her hospice period. They became a great resource and I will forever be grateful for them. Despite whatever religious differences we had, I was able to call on them and they came through.

PBI: It had to be tough to try to be in so many places at once. And to multi-manage several very serious issues at once. I’m really surprised that you didn’t have to suspend your studies indefinitely.

JS: When you’re in graduate school you’re expected to be a working professional... dealing with life in general, dealing with work, dealing with your studies… you’re expected to weather whatever life throws at you and you get no real relief. When life events like this happen we have to find a way to be strong and navigate them. Shortly after she was diagnosed, unfortunately, I lost my mom a few months ago this year.

PBI: You mentioned religious differences a minute ago, are you not a religious person?

JS: I have been a deeply religious person in the past. I have been that person that walks up to you in the mall and offered you literature on Jesus Christ and tried to convince you to come to church. What I’ve learned over the years is whatever faith you are, it all leads to one road. Currently I am not really affiliated with any one religion. At the end of the day, the institution of religion is a business like anything else. When I held leadership positions in the church, I was expected to achieve the goals of that organization, financial or otherwise, which tainted my views on Christianity. I’m more focused on aligning with the God within and being the best person I can be while I’m here on earth. This may be contrary to hardcore Christians out there but in my opinion, what is religion if it feels good 1 day a week but doesn’t result in any personal change in our lives? It just becomes a weekly routine that we do that we’ve convinced ourselves we have to do to have a relationship with God. I used to be a hardcore Christian and was of the mindset that if you don’t believe in X, Y, and Z, you’re going to hell. I’ve come a long way since then and at a certain point you realize that maybe the path you believe isn’t the one and ONLY path to spirituality.

PBI: I find that people from the medical field tend to scrutinize religion a bit more as they understand the concept of evolution almost firsthand. Them and well-read people. You sound like both. Are you a reader?

JS: Definitely. I really try to soak up as much knowledge as I can. A lot of my history and experience in Christianity came from listening to church leaders and their interpretations of the Bible. There is so much we don’t know about the origins of religion and the Bible, the purpose of religion, and how it’s been used to subjugate people. What did we do before religion? Religion is mostly man made so I take whatever universal principles that resonate with me, and go from there.

PBI: So you’re cool on religion. What are you passionate about?

JS: I’d definitely say working in the community. I currently do care coordination and I visit people in their homes working in sometimes rough areas in Los Angeles like Skid Row. There is a tremendous amount of need people have after hospital stays. When they return home from the hospital, they may need follow up care, physical therapy, in home care etc. and without adequate coverage, they may not be able to take care of themselves and may end up back in the hospital.

PBI: Wow, how is that stuff supposed to be paid for?

JS: Basically besides paying out of pocket, the only way in-home support is paid for is through state provided Medicaid. And usually only the elderly and lower income families are eligible for this. If you’re middle class and don’t have the savings (or the wealth) to pay for care out of pocket, you’re stuck. Ultimately, you’re depending on the government to take care of you which is a terrible plan. In my mom’s case I had to apply for Medicaid for her for in-home care which was a whole process to go through. By the time the process started and she qualified for the care, she had already passed. If you’re dependent on aid from the state to cover you and if they decide they won’t cover a certain treatment or procedure, then what can you do? You’re at their mercy and it sucks.

PBI: OK, we have passion in serving the community but what about fun? What do you like or like to do?

JS: I’m a lover of music, for sure. A lover of hip-hop. Anything with a strong beat and a heavy bassline always pulls me in.

PBI: What’s on your playlist right now?
JS: The new Erykah Badu mixtape is on rotation right now. And anything that feels good, I’m drawn to. Jill Scott, Pusha T., I LOVE Pusha T. & Kendrick Lamar. And there’s also a place for some ratchetness in there too… a little Fetty Wap never hurt.

PBI: What does the dream job you’re interested in consist of?

JS: I actually just landed my dream job – something that integrates my nursing background and my education in Public Health. I was just offered the position of Inpatient Nurse Case Manager at a large hospital here in Los Angeles. Case managers are the bridge between the hospital stay and follow up care and are responsible for coordinating after care services for patients after diagnosis and treatment. They also have to be knowledgeable of the resources in the community that helps clients such as Meals On Wheels or other community services for people who are unable to meet their own health needs.

PBI: So this is the target you are aiming for now…

JS: Yes, learning as much as I can about this new role is my latest goal. The more I learn about spirituality I see that we are in control of more than we realize and I encourage myself and everyone to really do those things that they want to do. Go after those things that you’ve always wanted to do but were afraid or reluctant to do. Life is unpredictable and far too short. When my mom received her diagnosis, six weeks later she was gone. We have a certain amount of time to be here so make the most of it because you never know when your time is up.

PBI: Is that what 2016 holds for you?

JS: It holds a lot for me. Endings. New beginnings. Being finished with school. Discovering who I am without the safety net of my mom. I’ll be starting a new gig and owning it. It’s part of a new mindset; as well as an entrepreneurial mindset. Using the skills and work ethic that I’ve developed over time working for someone else to channel into my own goals and do them for myself, not just to grow someone else’s organization. It’s time for me to fulfill my personal goals; my personal objectives.

I’ve always been the ideal employee. One who would come in early, stay late, meet goals, and exceed expectations. I’m a Virgo so I have that perfectionist mentality. I want to use all of that to fuel my own objectives and not solely give it to somebody else.

I want to focus on the health of Black women... starting with myself. I’ve currently lost 25 pounds of my 40 pound goal and I’ll also be focusing on starting my business as a health coach. I’ve already started an additional business venture selling activewear for women and so far it is evolving very well. Also Take Shape For Life is a weight loss program I’m personally using that is working for me. I will add promoting and selling that to my portfolio of investments in myself.

PBI: This all sounds great Jamila. Do you have any last words or parting shot you’d like to close with?

JS: Yes, I want to dedicate this to my mom who has sacrificed everything for me. It is because of her that I have become a nurse and I want her legacy to live through the people's lives that I touch every day.

V. Ray

#positiveblack

#RiseShineRepeat

R.I.P.