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Some of Alexandra Epee-Bounya’s fondest memories growing up in the West African nation of the Ivory Coast are playing outside until sundown. Yet some of her most heartbreaking memories are witnessing the dismal living conditions, economic hardship and health care ills afflicting the country. "It was a great place to grow up because we had a privileged life," the Martha Eliot Health Center (MEHC) pediatrician says. "My family had a nice home and we went to great schools. But our quality of life wasn’t representative of most people."
Epee-Bounya recalls seeing impoverished children, some of whom were paraplegic and suffering from polio, dragging themselves around in makeshift carts because they didn’t have wheelchairs. When the child of a person who worked for the Epee-Bounya family died, it didn’t come as a shock, as death was a constant reminder of the country’s dismal health care situation. "Our parents didn’t shelter us from the realities around us," she says. "My own grandmother can’t read or write, so we were well aware of what we had and what those around us did not. We learned to appreciate everything." It’s this awareness that compelled her to become the first doctor in her family and help children have a better quality of life.
Epee-Bounya was born in France and lived there until she was 3, when her family moved to Madagascar before settling in the Ivory Coast. After graduating from high school, her family sent her to the United States to go to college. She earned a degree in biology from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, then a medical degree from George Washington University. After completing her residency, she joined Children’s Hospital Boston’s Emergency Department in 2001.
"As my family grew, I found the overnight and weekend shifts to be tough, so I went back to what I was trained for, which is primary care," she says. "But I didn’t want to leave Children’s. Then I found out about a position at Martha Eliot." There, Epee-Bounya found a diverse staff and the ideal venue to serve immigrants from around the world, including many from Somalia, Nigeria and Ethiopia. "I feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in treating them," she says. "When we see each other, I feel a connection. Even though Africa is a huge continent, and even though we come from different countries and cultures, we know where each other are from and how far we’ve come. They left a country and made it here, like I did."
Today, Epee-Bounya lives in Cambridge with her husband of 12 years, Sam, and their three children. Since joining MEHC, she’s earned the utmost respect from her peers and patients. Her philosophy is to always respect their cultures and establish a partnership built on trust and open communication. "We never belittle people," she says. "It’s good to have an open mind."
Though she’s hesitant to admit it, Epee-Bounya has become a role model for other immigrants aspiring to achieve careers in health care. Ever modest, she points to the achievements of her patients, particularly those who have overcome obstacles. She talks of a Puerto Rican mother of two who once lived in a shelter and spoke very little English but now attends school to gain new skills. She also cites a 3-year-old Ethiopian patient and her parents with whom she’s formed a lasting bond. The girl’s father was a doctor when they lived in Ethiopia, yet was having a difficult time making ends meet in the United States, and the family had to live in a shelter. During their routine doctor visits, Epee-Bounya advised him on how he could pursue a health care career in this country; she recently learned that he’s employed and pursuing a new medical degree. "I hope I’m a role model," she says. "I hope kids see me and say, Here’s a woman who’s black and has an accent and she’s a doctor. I can make it too."
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