My journey as an immigrant from east Africa to the United States of America in the late 80’s shaped the course of my life in beautiful ways. It is a story that took me from Nairobi, Kenya to Lancaster Pennsylvania, through Harrisonburg Virginia, and other small towns in between before settling me in Washington DC . It was a challenging but always exciting journey living in different cities and learning from all the communities I encountered.

After a 25 year career in healthcare and part time in the housing industry rehabilitating multifamily dwellings, I decided to creatively merge the two industries. Working frontline through a global pandemic was a moment of reassessing life goals, gaining clarity through mentorship and fine tuning how to make a bigger impact on communities I have had the pleasure to serve. My vision is to be at the forefront of developing healthy living facilities from the lens of a healthcare professional

I launched Women at Work, LLC because of my firsthand experience serving as a frontline healthcare provider in diverse communities across the nation’s capital. My approach to development is to focus on healthcare as a fundamental ingredient to housing, resulting in healthier living outcomes for all.

Studies have shown that housing is the number one social determinant that impacts population health status, and this real-life experience validated the intersectional nature of housing and healthcare.

I noticed that my patients who moved from dilapidated conditions to their new senior living facilities showed a dramatic improvement in their health status. For instance, patients required fewer medications related to heart disease, anxiety, and respiratory illnesses. Simple features like entering a bright clean lobby while being greeted by a professional concierge rather than an armed guard reduced the patient’s anxiety and restored a sense of dignity. Patients also become less isolated and start having family members and friends visit them in their fresh new environment. Patients with respiratory conditions exhibited fewer symptoms as they moved into homes with clean air, sometimes no longer requiring home oxygen units.

The process of creating a minority, woman-owned business, and entering a male dominated industry presented me with numerous obstacles. But I discovered that if I remained focused and in motion, more resources, guidance and mentoring came from “guardian angels”, men and women who reached out to help me. The angels included a childhood friend who created a map for me to follow, an architect who held me to high standards, a tough professor friend, a patient who pushed me to succeed the same way I did her and many others who witnessed my relentless pursuit to make my vision come to life. I learned that many No’s , if you keep persisting, lead to better yes’s. I Learned how to use my past experiences to fuel my new path. I learned that when you truly believe in yourself, others will help you reach your goal. I learned to embrace the many, many parts that make me who I am.

As a licensed physical therapist and a certified aging in place specialist, I provided rehabilitative care to thousands of elderly folks and people with disabilities. I performed home assessments and provided detailed home modification plans to enable patients to live independently. I have continued to advocate for elderly care and aging in place by advising developers on senior housing projects and recommending universal design concepts for new facilities.

Sosena Desta

President

Women at Work, LLC

ULI Washington Member