In her public SoMeDocs profile, Athena Hall, MD got to choose three titles to display about herself. She chose: Network Founder, Speaker, Healthcare Changemaker.
Dr. Hall’s passionate about creating a community-centered, humanized, and accessible healthcare system that prioritizes mental health and health equity. She founded ZNA Health Network, a platform for healthcare leaders and supporters to network and share ideas and resources and to create rapid, intentional, and sustainable change.
Our curiosity was piqued, and so we invited this entrepreneur in for an entrepreneur’sinterview, to dissect further.
Take a read.
What is your business? Explain it briefly, for context on the rest of this interview.
ZNA Health Network is an online platform to bring healthcare workers and community members who are passionate about being part of the change in healthcare together so we can shift the foundation of the healthcare system. It is both a learning and action network geared toward a shared vision of a community-centered healthcare system that looks at the whole health of people.
Was there a defining moment when you realized you wanted to start your own business?
During a global health fellowship, I saw major problems in our healthcare system that resulted in division and mistrust between communities and healthcare institutions. I saw how we were pushing a one-size-fits-all model on the communities and not involving them in the decisions about the care they received. Once I was working in the US within the system, I felt isolated and unable to make any changes on my own. I eventually became burned out and felt trapped in a system that was not aligned with my values. I created the platform so we can work together to make meaningful change happen. I know when passionate humans come together and collaborate toward a shared vision, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.
How has your medical or healthcare background influenced your approach to business?
My background in global health has allowed me to see systems as a whole and be able to understand what makes a system healthy and sustainable. This has helped me in my business to build a healthy foundation that will allow for our work to be impactful and mission-driven. I see the importance of building bridges to other networks and organizations so we can support each other to work towards our missions. In my work as a physician and in global health, I’ve gained a lot of understanding on how to build mutually beneficial partnerships, how to deeply listen, and the importance of empowering others to share their unique gifts, knowledge, and perspectives.
My background in global health has allowed me to see systems as a whole and be able to understand what makes a system healthy and sustainable.
What’s one thing you naively believed about starting a business that turned out to be completely wrong?
That I can do most of it on my own. I had a lone wolf, hyper-independent attitude for much of my life that got me far, but it does not lend itself well to starting my own business. I am shifting out of that and now have a core team and partners that support ZNA to be successful. I know now that it will take many of us with different backgrounds, perspectives, and skill sets working together to create real change.
Who has been a major influence or mentor in your entrepreneurship journey, and what’s the best advice they’ve given you?
A major influence has been my former business coach, Andrea Sampson. I worked with her in the Thought Leader Academy to understand my core message, my audience, and to get out there and start talking about my vision and mission. The best advice she gave me was that people need to hear my unique perspective, and the best thing I can do is to be able to communicate that clearly and effectively.
What strategies do you use to empower and mentor the next generation of healthcare entrepreneurs?
I challenge medical students and residents to think outside of the box about what’s possible in healthcare. Many young people in medicine feel overwhelmed with our current challenges and like they have to run with the status quo. I like to start discussions to get them thinking about what a healthy system could look like.
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What’s been the biggest challenge you faced as a healthcare entrepreneur?
The biggest challenge so far has been funding everything on my own and ending up in debt. I’ve struggled to know where and how to obtain funding and support. I’ve applied for grants with no success so far and feel ill-equipped to navigate the realm of finances. However, I am learning and hoping to find more support along the way.
What’s one mistake you made early on that became a valuable lesson?
Early on, I made the mistake of starting the business too early when I wasn’t ready. I felt a sense of urgency and jumped in before my business concept was fully formed. It resulted in loss of members and credibility, but after taking some time to regroup, I relaunched later when I truly felt ready. I learned that it is a balance. While I will never be 100% ready, its important to take time to build a solid foundation and a good base of support.
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How do you think events like #SoMeDocsEntrepreneurship contribute to shaping the future of healthcare entrepreneurship?
We can all learn so much from each other. Having a diverse set of voices from difference backgrounds of experience is so valuable.
What would you really like to see covered in our next #SoMeDocsEntrepreneurship conference/virtual event?
Creating mission-driven businesses: how to structure them and how to make them successful and sustainable.
If your startup or entrepreneur venture could fix one frustrating thing in healthcare overnight, what would it be?
If my startup could fix one frustrating thing in healthcare overnight, it would be to shift the power dynamics so that patients were equal partners in the system. I would love to see patients feeling empowered to advocate for what they need and the leaders within the system listening and responding to their needs. When patients have the education to understand their bodies and their health as well as the power to have their needs be addressed directly, we will see healthy communities and a more equitable system.
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What’s the next big challenge you’re tackling in your work?
I’m launching my speaking career to talk about reimagining healthcare. I aim to shift perspectives in my speeches as well as bring people who are ready for change into the network.
What’s one outdated practice in healthcare you’d love to change?
I’d love to see the practice of shunning other modalities of health change. As a group, western practitioners need to humble ourselves that we don’t have all the answers and open doors for patients to seek out the care that they feel would benefit them. We often get too wrapped up in evidence-based medicine, but much of our research is narrowly scoped and isn’t perfect. We can offer our services while also creating opportunities for people to discover what might work for them.
How did you fund your business—bootstrapping, investors, or another route?
I funded my business with money I had after selling my home. Its been 100% bootstrapping so far and I’m ready for that to change!
Where do you see your business in the next five years?
In the next 5 years, I’d love to see us running multiple projects from across the U.S. that are shifting the health in those communities. I’d like to see us with generative funding flowing through the network and into our projects.
I challenge medical students and residents to think outside of the box about what's possible in healthcare.
