A New Chapter

This letter is for my friends and colleagues. I know recent events and my sudden departure from RS21 have left many of you with questions and concerns. Though the coming weeks will tell how much I can or can’t disclose about my departure, what I can tell you now is that I’m okay. You all know how committed I am about supporting our underserved communities and my dedication to you and that mission remains unchanged, I will just be taking a different route on that path to impact.

Many of you know of my background and some of the obstacles I’ve overcome. Many of you also know that I can find the gift in ANY adverse experience. My experience with adversity is that a better and stronger version of me emerges every time, and I am grateful for that. Those of us in healthcare know what an ACES score is, so when I tell you that my score is an 8, you understand that overcoming adversity isn’t just a big part of who I am but also has formed the biggest part of my “WHY”. Why I do what I do. Why I believe in serving underserved and underrepresented communities. Why I am a champion of health equity. My WHY remains the part of me that can never be taken away. 

Today is March 15th, and I am writing this letter as I sit in Cologne, Germany. I'm in a much different place than I was just two short years ago when I first visited this beautiful city. Two years ago, this was my first trip to Europe. Two years ago, VMA had just been acquired by RS21. Two years ago, I was saying goodbye to VMA and saying hello to the RS21 Health Lab. Two years ago, I was walking along the Rhine River and shed tears of joy over all I’d overcome and accomplished. Today I walked along the Rhine and shed tears of mourning. Today I came to terms with and said goodbye to a chapter that ended sooner than expected. Today I recognized this circumstance for what it is, another lesson and another opportunity to grow. Today I reflected on how much the last two years has given me and it was unreal to see how much growth it has brought. As I learned to strengthen a muscle that I spent years ignoring, a stronger version of me emerged. I learned to speak up about hard truths. Because my upbringing taught me to avoid conflict at all costs, speaking up was unnatural and outright painful. Avoiding conflict was a survival tactic that served me in my childhood but was a handicap in adulthood. For someone as conflict avoidant as I once was, learning to get over my fear of repercussions when speaking up was an incredible feat to overcome. I always shied away from uncomfortable conversations and opted not to speak my truths if they would be met with hurt or anger. That version of me no longer exists today and I am thankful for it. 

Now I embark on a new chapter, undoubtedly full of more lessons and growth opportunities. I believe in the power of manifestation and I choose to manifest a future where I continue to bring innovation to healthcare, where I impact the lives of the underserved, where my voice is valued, where integrity and authenticity are demonstrated values among my team, where diversity is seen through action and where ego is cast aside for the greater good.

 In the coming weeks I’ll unveil my new path as it is only now starting to crystallize. Just know, I remain a dedicated servant to healthcare and will continue to be a champion of doing what’s right, in healthcare and beyond.

 Angelica