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The Healthcare Innovator's Journey: How Dr. Ekaette Expanded from Patient Care to Population Transformation

What does it take to completely reimagine your career in a new country? Dr. Ekaette Joseph-Isang proves that it's never too late to bloom where you're planted—even when that means leaving medicine behind to become a transformation coach.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Ekaette shares her remarkable journey from practicing internal medicine in Nigeria to becoming a sought-after growth and transformation consultant in the US. Her story challenges every assumption about "safe" career paths and demonstrates how embracing your intersectional identity can become your greatest professional asset.

Meet Our Guest

Dr. Ekaette Joseph-Isang is a healthcare executive and a growth and transformation consultant supporting individuals and organizations that are looking to embrace innovative growth paths. Her expertise in self-improvement and professional development has her curating training programs that are often described as "the most life-changing training" that the participants have had. A physician by training, an entrepreneur by passion, and a teacher by calling, she is highly sought after for her transformation coaching programs.

In her book "No Late Bloomers" coming out this August, she details the story of her midlife pivot when she immigrated to the US, and how she transmuted situations that could have been described as midlife crises to periods of transformation and elevation. Known for her life-changing program, the A.C.T.I.O.N Pathway, she uses the acronym ACTION to teach her clients how 6 bold moves could lead them to live up to their maximum potential.

Dr. Ekaette is also the founder of RiteBridge Consultants, specializing in Clinical Documentation Integrity, Risk Adjustment Solutions, and Value-based Care strategy for healthcare organizations.

The Intersections That Shaped a Leader

Dr. Ekaette's identity spans multiple powerful intersections that inform her approach to transformation:

  • Nigerian immigrant navigating cultural expectations and career rebuilding in America
  • Career woman, mother, wife, and sister balancing multiple roles and responsibilities
  • Accented professional overcoming communication barriers in corporate America
  • Physician by training who refused to be confined to one specialty
  • Entrepreneur by passion who builds and innovates wherever she goes
  • Teacher by calling who cannot help but educate and elevate others

As she puts it: "All of these things come together to make me who I am. In that intersectionality, I have to balance my time, my responsibilities, and make sure no aspect of me gets left behind."

The Nigerian Medical Experience

Dr. Ekaette provides rare insight into practicing medicine in Nigeria, where the doctor-to-patient ratio means physicians wear multiple hats. "As an internal medicine physician, I would be in the emergency room, I would man the emergency room, I would do minor procedures, stabilize patients, and also be the educationist," she explains.

The resource constraints meant developing exceptional diagnostic skills: "We understood signs and symptoms through what we call the IPPA way—inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Half the time, we made diagnoses without the help of equipment. It really sharpened our diagnostic acumen."

The Catalyst for Change

Dr. Ekaette's transition from clinical practice to healthcare policy began with a professor's challenge: "One of you should go do policy, because the reason doctors are suffering is because the policy makers are not clinical people." This sparked her move into healthcare administration and eventually her immigration to the US.

Upon arriving in America, instead of pursuing residency again, she discovered the CDC's Applied Public Health Informatics Fellowship during the transition to electronic health records. This became her entry point into the intersection of healthcare, technology, and policy.

The A.C.T.I.O.N. Pathway: Six Steps to Transformation

Dr. Ekaette's signature framework provides a roadmap for career transitions and personal growth:

A - Analysis: "Analyze where you are in your career. Think of everything you've done—all your degrees, experiences, skills. Put it all down."

C - Clarity: "Gain clarity about who you are, your perspective, your natural inclinations, what you love to do. This is about self-awareness."

T - Transitioning: "Take training. Add technology. You must know the technological tools relevant to your field and in general."

I - Integration: "Bring it all together—your personality, your career, your training—so you can give yourself a name and say 'This is who I am.'"

O - Ownership: "Begin to tell your story through your resume, your pitch, your LinkedIn, your social media. Only you can tell that story."

N - Niching: "Define your unique space. Ten people may have the same degrees, but we're all different. Find what makes you uniquely valuable."

When asked about sharing a cultural dish with coworkers, Dr. Ekaette chose Ukang Ikong—a traditional Ibibio plantain porridge from her native Akwa Ibom State, made with half-ripe plantains and seafood proteins. "It's super unique. No other person cooks it," she says with pride about her tribe's culinary heritage.

Connect with Dr. Ekaette

Website: www.ritebridge.com
LinkedIn: Dr. Ekaette Joseph-Isang
Program Offer: The A.C.T.I.O.N. Pathway coaching program with a worksheet available for podcast listeners (connect with Dr Ekaette for details).

About the Host

Dr. Lola Adeyemo is the CEO of EQImindset, an Employee Resource Group consulting firm, and founder of the 501c3 nonprofit Immigrants Incorporate Inc. She works with organizations to build inclusive workplaces and amplifies the voices of leaders and immigrants in the corporate space.

This Podcast episode is essential listening for anyone feeling stuck in conventional career paths, scientists considering entrepreneurship, or professionals seeking to align their work with authentic purpose.

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