Dr. Ramon Jacobs-Shaw is certified in both pediatrics and internal medicine. However, growing up as a Native American in an impoverished community, he had limited access to healthcare throughout his childhood.

“I distinctly remember our parents telling us that we had to be on death's doorsteps to go see a doctor because we couldn't afford anything like that,” Dr. Jacobs-Shaw shares with Priya and Paul on a recent episode of The Work-Life Equation podcast.

“That was the experience of my family growing up. That was the experience of our fellow tribal members,” he says. “So, I very vividly remember how marginalized we all felt within healthcare. Healthcare felt like something for the wealthy.”

Because of this experience, as well as the fact that he is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, Dr. Jacobs-Shaw has dedicated his life’s work to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

After working as a physician in marginalized communities, he discovered that not only could his clinical perspective make a difference in the c-suite – he could also represent those that don’t have a seat at the table.

Therefore, he decided to pursue an executive masters at NYU with the intention of becoming a “voice for the voiceless.”

“By taking a step back, [I was able] to think about how I could use influence and my voice to help people who need it the most,” Dr. Jacobs-Shaw says. “I needed to think of how to better equip myself for being able to do that.”

While it was always his goal to bring the absolute best care to everybody, regardless of one’s background or belief system, his lessons at NYU eventually led him to value based care work for vulnerable Medicare populations in Southern California.

To hear more about Dr. Ramon Jacobs-Shaw’s path to a purpose driven career, as well as how he balances work with his life as a parent, listen to his full conversation with Priya and Paul on The Work-Life Equation podcast.