"A Day in Rare” is a series that highlights the rare strengths that make up the Sobi North America team. Our colleagues bring unique qualities to their individual roles and come together to deliver on our mission to transform the lives of people living with rare and debilitating diseases. Through our stories, we show how our shared values of care, ambition, urgency, ownership and partnership guide us as we strive to make meaningful change in our communities.
It takes resilience and passion to work in the medical field. In pediatric rare disease, the stakes can feel even more complex. For Executive Medical Science Liaison (EMSL) Heather Bodenstab, it’s a calling. A clinical pharmacist by training, Heather worked in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), in Philadelphia, for 14 years. Caring for pediatric patients with rare diseases was her normal. Then came a nine-month sabbatical that illuminated her need for a career change, one less emotionally demanding, where she could impact patients and nurture her own life. She transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry, eventually joining Sobi on the Medical Affairs team. Heather knew it was the right move: a role in pediatric rare disease with a company that values work-life balance.
As an EMSL, Heather educates providers on therapies and disease states, helping ensure they can get their patients appropriate treatment. Ultimately, her insights into patient unmet needs help inform future efforts at Sobi. Here’s what her typical day looks like.
Getting the family ready
I live outside of Philadelphia with my husband and nine-year-old daughter. We also have two dogs and two cats who always want everyone’s attention, so mornings can be quite busy! I start by packing my daughter’s lunch and backpack so she’s ready for school.
My favorite job is being a mom. One of the main reasons I decided to transition to the pharmaceutical industry was to spend as much time as possible with her. I wanted a place to build new skills and develop my career but be a mom at the same time. You can’t find that everywhere, but that’s what I’ve experienced at Sobi. The company respects the whole picture of a team member’s life.
Taking on the day’s puzzles
Once I’m settled, I work on a math or word puzzle to get my brain fired up. I also check if any colleagues have emailed with therapeutic questions from healthcare providers. I received one since I logged off last night, but it’s not very straightforward. These product information questions are their own kind of puzzle.
After some background research, I’ll ask my colleague for additional pertinent details so I can better understand the physician’s question and its urgency. Then it’s time to call the provider and figure out their true informational need. I look into disease-state and pathophysiology data that I can relay to the provider. The science really excites me.
Updating internal training materials
In addition to my role as an EMSL, I’m also the medical team’s lead trainer. Throughout my career, I was a preceptor, a mentor and an adjunct professor. At first, that education element was the one thing missing for me at Sobi. My manager sensed it and came to me with the opportunity to be a trainer. Her initiative and commitment to my career development have been incredible. It helps me recognize the interests of my team members and find ways to help them grow, too.
When I left my position at the children's hospital, I took a nine-month sabbatical. My husband and I moved into a camper with our daughter, and we traveled the country. We ended up staying in this town in the middle of nowhere for like two and a half months. During that time, there was something that was lined up for me back in Philly, but I had already decided that I wasn't going to take it. The reason? The reason was that I was looking for a job where it wasn't just a job. It was a career.
I knew the type of company that I was looking for: Great culture and work life balance that would give me the ability to build more skill sets and have career development, but also be a mom at the same time. And that's not something that you find everywhere you go. It's just not. At Sobi, I have all that—and the ability to utilize the skill sets I currently have to bring value to the organization, but particularly to our patients.
Driving into Philadelphia
I’m on my way to meet in-person with several providers. The car ride always feels nostalgic. I think about where I’ve been since I worked at the NICU, how it led to my current job and how far medicine has come. I’m reminded of all the possibilities that exist. It’s what Sobi works toward every day.
Meeting with a variety of healthcare providers
Today, I present data to pharmacists and providers in oncology, immunology, and rheumatology. As I answer their questions, I take note of what’s most important to the providers in different subspecialties. I bring those insights back to Sobi to help us figure out more about the unmet needs in the patient population or where data gaps appear with providers.
Having an exciting post-meeting conversation
After the meeting, one of the providers sidebars me. They want to run an investigator-sponsored study (ISS) for an extremely rare condition, which is one of the priorities for a therapy in our portfolio. Through this program, Sobi can supply medicines, funding, and materials for research studies. We talk about the ISS process and schedule a follow-up meeting to get more details.
Following up on a product information question
Driving home, I get a call from my colleague. He’s following up about the question I answered this morning. The therapy the physician prescribed would be delivered the next day and the pharmacy has never used it before. They can meet later today, so we schedule a training with pharmacy, nursing, and informatics staff.
Finding time for movement
I get back in time to make my personal trainer appointment. I’m so thankful for the flexibility during the day. It’s amazing to work for a company that encourages us to be mentally present and healthy and gives us the autonomy to do so—even if that means a midday workout.
Educating on our medicines
Refreshed and reenergized, it’s time to meet with the pharmacy staff using our medicine for the first time. This is my bread and butter. I talk about the package insert, how the treatment is prepared and administered, and what it’s compatible with. We had a great meeting and the patient received the medicine the next day.
Clocking in for mom duty
That’s my last meeting of the day, so I go and pick my daughter up from school and shut off for a bit. I never got to do that when I worked in the hospital. I prepare dinner and drive her to swim practice. She swims five days a week, so I often get to throw on the team sweatshirt and watch her meets.
Tying up loose ends
I make sure I’ve made all the follow-ups needed for that day. I do housekeeping things, like booking a flight or confirming an appointment. I have to finish my documentation, noting every time I interacted with a provider, what we interacted about and any important insights. Finally, it’s off to bed with a good book.
Heather Bodenstab’s Rare Strength
Having actually taken care of these patients is a big part of it. Knowing what these rare diseases look like from the bedside drives me to do more for these patients, or as much as I possibly can.