In the Health Policy Pipeline: A Q&A with Ramla Hagi.
Ramla Hagi stands in front of the Massachusetts State House. PHOTO: MEGAN JONES
In the Health Policy Pipeline: A Q&A with Ramla Hagi
As a research director at the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health and an on-campus MPH student, Ramla Hagi shares how she balances her work and studies while leveraging her education to advance her career in health policy.
Twice per week, Ramla Hagi plugs in to listen to a podcast and commutes to campus. The trip takes her about half an hour on the Orange Line from the Massachusetts State House, where she works the rest of the week as the research director for the Joint Committee on Public Health. The short commute, bridging her two worlds, gives her a reprieve from the demands of being a working professional and graduate student, to catch up on what is going on in the wider world of health policy.
Over the course of a two-year legislative cycle, Hagi’s role has her juggling a variety of tasks including reading up on public health challenges facing the Commonwealth, redrafting legislation that has come before the committee, organizing committee hearings, taking meetings with different stakeholders and advocates, and generally serving as a resource to other legislative offices on public health topics.
Hagi likes to think of the legislative cycle in seasons. Bill drafting and filing is followed by the referral of bills to committees, which is followed by budget season and hearings. The committee is currently wrapping up hearings to shift focus to finalizing their recommendations regarding the next steps in the legislative process for each of the bills they have considered to date.
The committee had more than 400 bills to review this legislative session, Hagi says. After categorizing the bills based on their content, her and her colleagues divvied them up, each taking on their own portfolio of bills. Hagi’s portfolio contains bills that relate to reproductive and maternal health, health equity, patient safety and quality, oral health, vaccines, health information technology, and disease prevention, screening, and testing.
It was with the committee that Hagi first visited SPH, when the School hosted Massachusetts state senators and representatives from the committee for a briefing in May 2023 and again in April 2025.
“There’s a strong BUSPH pipeline in our office,” says Hagi. “A lot of my predecessors, colleagues, and friends that I look up to have taken this program and speak so highly of it. They’re all incredible people, and it helped them propel into the careers that they have today, so I was inspired to become a part of the [SPH] community as well.”
Hagi says she was also drawn to SPH’s commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of populations worldwide, particularly underserved communities.
“I feel like that really aligns with my career goals of developing and implementing policies that address the needs of marginalized groups and promote health equity,” says Hagi, who, growing up as a low-income, first-generation American, often witnessed her Somali immigrant parents struggle to navigate the healthcare system, access preventive care, and manage their chronic health conditions.
Hagi was raised in Woburn, just outside of Boston, and first visited the State House during high school. An avid participant in her school’s youth and government program, Hagi was thrilled at the opportunity to witness the real-world legislative process in action and ever since, knew she wanted to find her way back to the State House.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in political science from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Hagi returned to Beacon Hill as a research analyst and, before long, research director for the Joint Committee on Public Health, where she has now worked for three years counting under the leadership of House Chair Marjorie Decker. Today, Hagi finds she is in a better position to help support her parents, but still, she wishes she could wave a magic wand to dismantle systemic barriers perpetuating health disparities and lower the high costs of healthcare.
Hagi spoke with SPH about her experience working in public policy and her ambitions in pursuing a degree in public health.
Q&A
With Ramla Hagi, on-campus MPH student and research director for the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health
SPH: Is there an initiative that you have worked on or a specific bill that has come through the committee that you found especially memorable or meaningful?
I would say my greatest achievement was working on a comprehensive maternal health bill under the leadership of Chair Decker. I was proud to have been the staff lead in our office responsible for helping draft [the] comprehensive maternal health omnibus bill that got signed into law last summer. That law makes strides to improve access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options, improve breastfeeding support, update outdated birth center regulations, raise awareness about perinatal mental health, and expand resources to postpartum support. Most importantly, that bill really centers equity. It supports birthing choices and advances racial and economic justice. It’s very exciting to witness the implementation of these initiatives, and the positive impact they will have on maternal health outcomes for birthing people and families in Massachusetts.
SPH: What has your experience been like so far, balancing work at the State House and studying at SPH?
There’s been some late nights, some early mornings, but it’s been manageable, for the most part. I try to plan out each week in advance. When we have a hearing, we know that several weeks in advance, typically, so we’re prepared. Otherwise, during after-work hours, I’m preparing for my classes. I would also say I have a lighter coursework [right now], just given that it is my first semester.
It’s been very interesting to see [how] some of the work that we do at the state level, within the committee, aligns with some of the greater themes in my health policy and law class, especially when we’re thinking about the policymaking process, how interested advocacy groups help shape policy, and how state policies influence federal policy. It’s all been very insightful.
SPH: What do you hope to gain from the MPH program, and what you hope to do with your career after earning your degree?
One skill I’m hoping to refine is data analysis and breaking down complex data sets. It’s not something that we often work on. My role when I was an intern involved working through a lot of bigger quantitative projects, but now a lot of the research that I do is more qualitative. I think diving back into that will be very exciting. Ultimately, I’m hoping to open the door to more opportunities in public health policy and leadership.
SPH: Is there a course that you are particularly looking forward to taking at SPH?
Yes, I saw one on Mental Health Law, Policy & Ethics. I think that will be a very interesting course to take because public health is broad, so [while] we do get a wide range of bills, there’s also other committees that work within the realm of public health, so bills that are related to mental health typically go to the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, as opposed to the public health committee.
SPH: What advice would you give your younger self or perhaps prospective students who are considering a career in public health?
I would say just take that leap of faith to follow your passions. Early on in my undergraduate career, I was worried about uncertainty as I contemplated a career in public health because it’s a field that’s so vast. I wasn’t sure about what a career in this space would or could look like. I found myself often comparing it to more traditional pathways, but then I came to realize that the beauty of public health lies within its multifaceted nature. It encompasses a wide array of fields, from health education, to epidemiology, to healthcare financing, to policymaking, and many more. If I would go back to my younger self, I would encourage her to take that leap early on, pursue that passion, and allow it to be the driving force in her path ahead. I’d also tell her to enjoy the journey. There’s a lot of negativity in the world, so it’s important to find those little moments of joy in life that can help us during these tough times.
