Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Gail Bray, PhD.
Hi Patricia Gail, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a wife, mom, g-mom, dog-mom, public health executive and entrepreneur who is passionate about turning ideas into actions to make our world better. I love working in the intersections between the sciences and the arts. My entire career has been focused in the sciences, translating ideas into action to make our disadvantaged communities healthier. Thanks to my parents and since I was a little girl, I’ve had a strong interest and lots of training in music, writing and photography. During the pandemic, and in order to stay connected, my dear friend and I exchanged photos daily that represented “sharing beauty” despite all of the challenges we faced with the isolation. We know that sadness and joy can co-exist and that finding beauty intentionally helps with coping and resilience when things are out of our control. Mental health issues have increased exponentially during the pandemic. Recent studies indicate that adolescents are having a difficult time recovering their social and emotional skills. Since one of my specialty areas is designing and developing ways to help our adolescents improve their mental health, I thought it would be transformative to help our teens learn how to improve their emotional health and create stronger relationships. So, let’s teach them to intentionally find and share beauty daily through photography! That’s my newest start-up and one way to work in the arts and sciences to make an impact on our community.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I guess you could say that my life has not taken a linear path. I dropped out of college to become an entrepreneur in computer science and health care, working in the Texas Medical Center. Sitting in the lunchroom at the office of one of my clients, someone walked in with an Igloo cooler. I asked what was in there and they said, much to my surprise, that it was a human liver that was going to be flown to Dr. Thomas Starzl at the University of Pittsburgh for a liver transplant, which was still pretty new and innovative at that time. That day changed the course of my life. Inspiration and curiosity in innovation, science and technology then led me to return to college and obtain a PhD in Public Health.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
With executive leadership and consulting experience, my career is focused in the areas of public health, philanthropy, mental health, research and education. I am the Founder and President of Westlake Health Consulting, LLC; the Founding Director of multiple Texas Medical Center hospital-based centers with the mission to improve the health, mental health and well-being of marginalized populations; and most recently, the Founder of Sharing Beauty Daily, a start-up focused on teaching adolescents about finding and sharing beauty daily through photography to help improve their emotional, social and mental health. The mission of Sharing Beauty Daily is to help adolescents achieve a sustained sense of belonging, connectedness and wellbeing, leading to overall improved health. The vision is that through a school-based curriculum, teens will learn the joy of photography and the satisfaction of sharing their photos with others. My hope is that they will learn lifelong skills such as coping and empathy through finding and sharing their photography.
I am known as a passionate, servant leader motivated by a commitment to social change, equity and justice for underserved communities. It has been a privilege to work intentionally and strategically with communities and schools to design, fund and implement innovative interventions that create measurable impacts. Together with my leadership teams, we have given approximately $100 million to enhance health in disadvantaged Texas communities. Some of that investment has proven to be truly life-saving for individuals who lacked access or resources to healthcare.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Spending time with my husband and our large family, including five children and eight grandchildren, brings us great joy. Visiting and traveling with extended family and friends is so fulfilling, especially after the pandemic isolation. My husband is the love of my life and we are fortunate to share deep values regarding a purpose-driven life through our work in public health, our shared interests in the arts, literature and general curiosity about how to make the world better. I am happy enjoying great meals with my friends, visiting libraries, playing the cello, gardening, serving on meaningful nonprofit and for-profit boards and knowing that I can and do make a difference to others. I love the motto: Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.westlakehealthconsulting.com
- Instagram: #sharingbeautydaily
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pgbray
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Braypg
- Other: www.sharingbeautydaily.com
