Discover how Rukayat Bojuwon transformed from an uncertain high school student with no clear direction to a nurse practitioner and the inspiring owner of RWA Innovative Providers LLC. Listen to her captivating story on how a nursing internship in Pennsylvania, driven by her mother's influence, set the stage for her impressive healthcare career. Rukayat walks us through her educational milestones, from obtaining her LPN, RN, and BSN, to overcoming fears with her brother's encouragement to establish her own business. Her dedication to wellness screenings and chronic disease management for seniors, paired with continued education and a commitment to preventive care, paints a compelling picture of purpose and passion.
Immerse yourself in Rukayat's heartfelt journey of healthcare outreach and business growth, highlighting the emotional rewards of making a difference in underserved communities. Revel in her experiences organizing medical outreach trips to Lagos, Nigeria, navigating the logistics and fostering local liaisons to identify high-need areas. From growing her company to a robust staff of ten to leveraging social media for impactful marketing, Rukayat's story underscores the power of dedication and community support. Gain valuable insights into preventive care, exercise, diet, and the importance of regular check-ups, while being inspired by her mantra: "Do what you love." Rukayat's unwavering commitment to her patients and her family's support system offers a powerful testament to the honor of serving others.
Discover how Rukayat Bojuwon transformed from an uncertain high school student with no clear direction to a nurse practitioner and the inspiring owner of RWA Innovative Providers LLC. Listen to her captivating story on how a nursing internship in Pennsylvania, driven by her mother's influence, set the stage for her impressive healthcare career. Rukayat walks us through her educational milestones, from obtaining her LPN, RN, and BSN, to overcoming fears with her brother's encouragement to establish her own business. Her dedication to wellness screenings and chronic disease management for seniors, paired with continued education and a commitment to preventive care, paints a compelling picture of purpose and passion.
Immerse yourself in Rukayat's heartfelt journey of healthcare outreach and business growth, highlighting the emotional rewards of making a difference in underserved communities. Revel in her experiences organizing medical outreach trips to Lagos, Nigeria, navigating the logistics and fostering local liaisons to identify high-need areas. From growing her company to a robust staff of ten to leveraging social media for impactful marketing, Rukayat's story underscores the power of dedication and community support. Gain valuable insights into preventive care, exercise, diet, and the importance of regular check-ups, while being inspired by her mantra: "Do what you love." Rukayat's unwavering commitment to her patients and her family's support system offers a powerful testament to the honor of serving others.
Speaker 1:
My name is Rekhiya O Bojuan. I am currently the owner of RWA Innovative Providers LLC. We are located in Washington DC and we serve our clients by prevention and a clinic aspect, and we service 65 to 100 years of age for adults.
Speaker 2:
Okay, and what kind of services are you offering?
Speaker 1:
We offer prevention, we offer wellness screenings and we also offer management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke preventions and, et cetera, heart disease. It goes on, the list goes on and on.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah. So is this a nursing practice on location, or is this that you guys are doing in-home visits? How does it work?
Speaker 1:
We do in-home visits. We also do in-clinic visits for particular cases, but most of it is in-home visits. And then we also have whereby we do medical appointments, assistance, where we have our aides go out and they take them to a medical appointment. That's to relieve, like the seniors whether it's the spouse, and just to help them out a little bit For sure.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, how did you get into this industry?
Speaker 1:
So I started this industry. I would say when I I would always say when I made a decision that this is where I want to be. That started in college. Before college, I never knew what I wanted to be. That started in college. Before college, I never knew what I wanted to be. I always just in high school, just I didn't have focus pretty much.
Speaker 1:
So I came to college in Baltimore. I got a partial scholarship. I didn't get a full ride, you know, I came actually from Jamaica. I'm not from here Originally, I'm from from Nigeria, kogi State to be exact. And so I came here, I got a partial scholarship and I got an internship in Pennsylvania for Geisinger Healthcare System. They internship with me to be a nursing assistant and they were going to train me and I was like, okay, I'm going to give it a try, because my mom is a nurse. So she was like, just try it, you never know if you'll like it. I was like, okay, I'm gonna give it a try. And because my mom is a nurse. So she was like, just try it, you never know if you'll like it. I was like, okay, I'll give it a try. So I accepted.
Speaker 1:
I went to Pennsylvania and it was like Harrisburg around, yeah, and upon starting on my first day, I when I was able to like go to the unit and meet the patients. It was very, very, very traumatic and it was very sad and I was able to like relate to the patients and that was the day I decided that okay, I want to be a nurse. That was the first step. I didn't even know I was going to get to this far, but that was the first. I was like I want to be a nurse, I'm going to work hard. Yeah, that's my first click. Because my mom would say it. I was like, because my mom's specialty is mental health, I was like, nah, I don't want to do that. But that same day, I was like I want to be a nurse.
Speaker 1:
So, moving forward, you know, I kind of got like off the wagon a little bit because I did have my son, who is now almost 15. But then, yeah, so I started from scratch. I did LPN. I obtained that degree. Then I did my RN, bsn. I obtained my bachelor's degrees in nursing. Then, after that, I opened RWA in 2020 as an RN. Wow, wow, yes. So it goes further. I opened RWA as an RN and that was also encouragement and advice from my brother, who's also a business owner, and he was like you have all these specialties, just open your own business and share your gift with everybody. Like people need this.
Speaker 2:
I was like okay, how did you feel when your brother said that?
Speaker 1:
At first I was scared, but then he moved here to Maryland, so that gave me the boost and I was like, okay, I can do this. And he like walked me through like the process of setting up the LLC and we were able to hire an accountant and it was in full swing and we actually started with medical appointments and then we grew and then when I opened RW in 2020, I enrolled in school as a nurse practitioner in training and then I completed that in 2022 and then how was that going through the nursing program in 2020, in 2020, when there was like such a need for?
Speaker 1:
oh, for me it didn't affect me because I already had my bachelor's in nursing. So for nurse practitioner, it was just like an extra two and a half three year step and it was really nice because I did my clinicals at clinics and I was able to see that clinic. It satisfies the need of prevention care Because as an RN, you're in the hospitals, you can be in clinic too, but most times because of the COVID at prevention care. Okay, because as an RN, you're in the hospitals, you can be in clinic too, but most times because of the COVID at that time there was high need in the hospital. Oh for sure. Yeah, so it was more of the patient is already sick and we're treating them in the hospital and we're managing their care, but with clinic you're doing a lot more prevention care, which I fell in love with, which even encouraged me more to seek more knowledge and further my career as a nurse practitioner. So fast forward. I went to nurse practitioner school. I graduated in 2022. Congratulations.
Speaker 1:
Took my boards and I passed, and then that's when we set up our office on Pennsylvania Avenue. It's a clinic, yes. Wow, oh it gets more.
Speaker 2:
It gets more. Tell me more.
Speaker 1:
It goes more so. After that, I enrolled in my doctorate, which I'm still currently in the process of obtaining that and then that's when I made the decision to start giving back to my community. So in 2023, I do wellness screenings in my neighborhood in DC. I do it for like different nonprofit organizations. And then in 2024, I decided to take it across the waters, which I did. I just completed one medical outreach in Nigeria yeah, tell me about that In Ayegolegbede, kogi State to be exact. So we did a one-day wellness screening, which comprised of wellness, blood pressure management, a1c checks, and we also screened them for like their diet if they were having like diet issues. And when I checked some A1Cs, we had some really high A1Cs and the three chronic management diseases that we noticed in that area was diabetes, stroke and hypertension.
Speaker 2:
Wow, those were the top three.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, those were the top three and I was able to get the results and moving forward. I will be liaisoning with the Department of Health in Abuja, which is the capital of Nigeria, to further see how they can assist and send aid to that village, because they're in dire need of health care and they don't have access. It's an underdeserved population that's.
Speaker 2:
I was just going to ask you, the people that you, that you were serving the people that you were serving there, how did that feel to be? Oh, they were so happy we were serving the people that you were serving there. How did that feel to be able to?
Speaker 1:
Oh, they were so happy. We were only expecting 50 people and we got over like 200 people. It was amazing. It was. It was astounding.
Speaker 2:
I was very surprised. And 200 people that would not typically have access to healthcare.
Speaker 1:
No, absolutely not, and I'm sure there were more, because by the end of the segment we had to turn some people away because we were it was four o'clock and I was like, oh, we have to go and we were like out of like all the screening supplies and everything. So it was, yeah, it was amazing and I felt, I felt I mean the journey doesn't stop here. But I felt good about what happened. I'm sure you did.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it was really nice. The community that you were working in that doesn't otherwise have health care access.
Speaker 1:
No, they don't.
Speaker 2:
Is there a particular person or story that kind of stood out to you while you were there? Well, there was Something that kind of you said that day that you decided you were going to be a nurse. Was there something on this particular trip that you were like I've got to do more, I've got to yes.
Speaker 1:
Well, one of the community members was grateful and said we don't have access to this. We need her to come back and do more of this, because she's our only beacon of hope. And when they said that like I almost cried.
Speaker 2:
I was like oh yeah. I said I have to come back.
Speaker 1:
So, yeah, definitely going back in December, but in the meanwhile, yes, absolutely, and then we're doing one in Lagos, which is a much, much bigger city, but we're gonna hit like the underdeserved areas in Lagos, nigeria.
Speaker 2:
How do you coordinate these trips? How do you find where the need is?
Speaker 1:
Oh, okay. So like I go by geographics and I go by like the chronic management diseases, which you look at the age range, you go to the population, you look at access. So the main, main thing is access, because even in Lagos, as much as it's a big city, there's an access issue and I do liaisons with, like locals who will mention like the areas for me and that's how I go by to determine where I go to and offer my services, and it's all funded by RWA.
Speaker 2:
RWA, and RWA is your company.
Speaker 1:
Yes, absolutely yes.
Speaker 2:
So tell me a little bit about that and what it was like starting that company.
Speaker 1:
So RWA started in 2020, like I mentioned earlier, it comprised of only three staff when we started in 2020, which was myself and my brother, and also Fumi, who's a certified nursing assistant with us, and we started with the medical appointments and then we grew and now we are a staff of 10, whereby it consists of two LPNs, three medical assistants, two CNAs, including myself and most of my nurse practitioners and doctors I contract out with them.
Speaker 2:
Okay, yeah, yeah. And how are you getting? What are you doing for marketing and advertising to get people in the door?
Speaker 1:
So with marketing and advertising, we just started um the door of the social media aspect.
Speaker 1:
I'm not technological as myself but we just we just started that about, I would say, a month ago. Okay, so that's the route we're taking with, like, the Instagram and the Facebook accounts, and also we're incorporating a blog, which I have about five segments filmed to be previewed on Instagram and YouTube, where it is talking about questions that people are not comfortable asking their doctors, and our focus is, like I said, prevention. Health prevention is the key. Do not wait until it happens. Health prevention is the key.
Speaker 2:
I know you said your demographic is kind of 65 and older. Is that correct?
Speaker 1:
Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2:
What would you say? Your top five advice is for aging and for the prevention that you're talking about.
Speaker 1:
Exercise would be the number one, your diet would be the number two, and three, doing your checkups. That's like the one thing I would stress on.
Speaker 2:
Do you think people kind of put those off? People do.
Speaker 1:
And they underestimate it, because it is through your wellness and prevention screenings that you can find out early what's going on with your body, and before it becomes like, oh wow, we're at state. I mean, God forbid, we're at this point already, we can't do anything to fix it. Or then they start fixing it. Yeah so and I would say the fourth one would be. I would say it's only four, let's see.
Speaker 2:
So exercise, diet well, checks, well checks.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I would say actually those three would be the top. Yeah For it, yeah.
Speaker 2:
And what about, like physical therapy to? You know, sometimes the older generation has a hard time getting exercise in. Yeah, but even simple weightlifting and physical therapy, that would come in the segment of the exercising In the segment.
Speaker 1:
Yeah because even when I did my medical outreach I had health coaches there that gave them some examples of exercises and we handed out like papers with sheets that we drew how to do the exercise on there and we handed it out in their language yeah, and that was nice for them to be able to have that reference absolutely yeah, um, you talked about your mom being a nurse.
Speaker 1:
Yes, yeah she's in psychiatric. Yeah, so she, her specialty is different and when I was growing up, I would always look at her how she got dressed. She went to work and I was like, eh, it didn't click then, no, it was. When I went for that internship Because she's like go to school, choose nursing I was like, hmm, but it was that internship that just made it complete for me and I was like, I want to do this?
Speaker 2:
Has she been able to give you good?
Speaker 1:
advice? Oh, absolutely, and actually she took part in the medical outreach as a staff member.
Speaker 2:
Oh, did she? Yes, she did. Did she go with you on the trip? She?
Speaker 1:
did, absolutely, she did and she did. She checked their sugars, their blood pressures, and then she also educated them on mental health, which was a huge help to a lot of the parents with like young children, Sure.
Speaker 2:
So it was a huge help. Yes, oh, that's nice that she was right by your side. Oh yeah, she was right by my side, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and she did the mental health education aspect.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, and your brother being involved in the business as well.
Speaker 1:
Yes, he's involved in like the financial side and stuff, so he was here because they just had a baby, so he didn't go yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's nice like you've got a good support oh yes, I do absolutely, and it sounds like you've grown quite a bit in a short time. Where do you see it going? What are your big goals?
Speaker 1:
I I see myself establishing clinics in different states and even across the shores. That's where I see RWA. Yeah, I mean, we opened in 2020 and this 2024,. I did not expect RWA to grow like this. I didn't, yeah, I didn't. So this is astounding and I'm hoping to be able to provide services like this continuously, and my goal is for us to have different clinics in different states and even across the shores.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, that, yeah, yeah awesome, and you're in the midst of getting your doctorate degree how are? You bouncing running the business. I'm a mom of two. Nothing's stopping you not at all.
Speaker 1:
I have a 15 year old and a six year old. Yes, but everything is organization, everything's organization. Like right now I am coming to work, I am a leader, I am a nurse. When I'm home, I'm a mom, I'm a driver, I'm a cook, yes, you name it. I'm a support person on the playground. Then, when I'm back at work, I flip the hat off, I put another one back on. Move on to the next segment.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and just get right after it again. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
And I have a good support system though. Yeah, oh yeah, Because even with the medical outreach, some of my staff was there, but, honestly, it was all volunteering. They came together and they were like no, we want to do this with you, Katia. And yeah, the student union in that village came up to from the university and they assisted me. Oh, that's great oh yeah, and they did the coordination and getting everybody to sit down and handing out forms. It's just a little thing that matters, honestly.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, absolutely, and that you're doing this on your own time and on your own budget Absolutely Amazing. Yes, yeah, tell me a little bit about I know we talked about where you think it might be going and trying to build business, bring on more people, more specialties.
Speaker 1:
Well, I would say to try to bring on more advertising. I would say because we want to get the word out there of prevention, because I feel there's not enough information being out there for prevention in health care. We always wait till it's too late. And we could solve a lot if we push prevention right.
Speaker 2:
So that's, that's my goal. That's the huge. That's my goal. Yeah, big key for success with the demographic that you're treating. Is there someone that had an effect on you?
Speaker 1:
So he's I can't say the name, but that was actually my first, first RWA client, which was the medical appointment. It was such a relief for the spouse I mean she would send us Christmas cards every year because we really did make a difference. We took her spouse to his doctor's appointment and she was scheduled with us like months in advance and we're like we got you and it was such a relief for her because it was weighing her down.
Speaker 2:
Also To be able to get him to the appointment.
Speaker 1:
And the thing is, even as we were taking him to the medical appointment, he got weaker and we were still able to handle and manage him. So it was really really like she was so grateful. She was like I don't, I don't know where I would be without you guys, because they just made a difference yeah, it's huge.
Speaker 2:
I know my mom's 80, about to turn 83 and she gave up driving a few years ago, so she's very dependent on some of these services to get her to her appointments and to rent some air and their appointment is like a whole calendar.
Speaker 1:
Yes, like a lot of people don't realize it is. It's a whole calendar. It's actually two jobs in one, because you not only have to take them to their medical appointments, but you also have to watch them, like if they're dehydrated or have any health issues or should their blood pressure be high at the doctor's appointment. You have to be able to know when to call 911 for them. So you're not only just taking them to the doctor's appointment, you're also managing them health-wise.
Speaker 2:
Right, yeah, so you're checking them through that entire process. Absolutely, yes, yeah. Where do you find your passion from? Absolutely the entire process.
Speaker 1:
Yes, yeah, where do you find your passion from my passion. I find it because I care and I want to give back to society and I would say I'm a very caring person. That's my aura, that's my cleanse, my go-to. I'm very caring, you are, I can't see somebody and I care, right, and that's where it starts caring.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean, your face just lights up when you talk about your patients and your business.
Speaker 1:
I love what I do I would not give it up for the world.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I would not. As we wrap up, is there any last parting words you'd like to leave us with Any business advice, maybe a mantra that you live by?
Speaker 1:
words you'd like to leave us with any business advice, maybe a mantra that you live by. I would say do what you love, because what you, what you love, ultimately is. I said I think I said that backwards it's more of if you don't love your job, then then please don't do it. But when you love something, it doesn't become a job anymore, it becomes a calling. And this, for me, is not a job, it's a calling, and I'm ready to follow it through.
Speaker 2:
It's a calling yeah, what's that other expression? If you do what you love, you never work a day, a day, exactly.
Speaker 1:
And that's how I feel like I have job offers from like the CDC and unity health care, which is like a big health care chain in DC. I have turned them down because I I can't leave RWA.
Speaker 2:
No, I cannot well, it's your baby exactly right.
Speaker 1:
And your third child, a job. It's a calling. It is a calling Because I know if I leave RW I'll be disappointing all my patients and I will not do that.
Speaker 2:
Well, your patients are lucky to have you, yes, your children are lucky to have them.
Speaker 1:
I'm lucky to have them. It's a privilege.
Speaker 2:
It is a privilege To serve them and your kids are lucky to have you setting such a great example for them.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
Well, thank you for coming in today, thank you, thank you for sharing your.
