Leana Wen
Leana Wen
Dr. Leana Wen is a practicing physician, healthcare executive, and one of America’s leading public health experts. She is a columnist for The Washington Post, where she writes a twice-weekly column on medicine and public health. She also anchors the Post newsletter, “The Checkup with Dr. Wen”. Dr. Leana Wen is a clinical associate professor at George Washington University, where she is a distinguished fellow of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity; a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; the host of HLTH’s The Beat Executive Video Series; and a frequently featured on-air commentator, including as a medical analyst for CNN and guest contributor for NPR, PBS and BBC.
Previously, she served as Baltimore’s Health Commissioner, where she led the nation’s oldest continuously operating health department in the U.S. to fight the opioid epidemic, address disparities and mental health access, and improve maternal and child health. She is author of two critically-acclaimed books, When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests and Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.
Dr. Wen obtained her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine and studied health policy at the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She completed her residency training in emergency medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital & Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School.
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Wen has received recognition as one of Governing’s Public Officials of the Year, Modern Healthcare’s Top 50 Physician-Executives, World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders, and TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
Dr. Wen lives with her husband and their two young children in Baltimore. In her free time, she loves cycling, trail running, and open water swimming.
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From medical expert Leana Wen, MD, Lifelines is an insider's account of public health and its crucial role—from opioid addiction to global pandemic—and an inspiring story of her journey from struggling immigrant to being one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People.
“Public health saved your life today—you just don...Read More
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Navigating the Health Policy Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities
One of the foremost experts on public health and health policy, Washington Post columnist Dr. Leana Wen, can speak on major policy issues in today’s ever-changing landscape. From prescription drug reform to the promises of new technology such as artificial intelligence to the threats to vaccine access and renewed focus on mental health, population health, and integrated care, Dr. Wen presents a compelling picture of the current landscape. She then guides the audience to consider opportunities for how to proceed in light of these trends.
The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Hear the perspective of a practicing physician and Washington Post columnist who is an expert on the digital transformation of healthcare. She will delve into the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence in medicine, going through use cases of predictive and generative AI to explain how AI can improve diagnosis, personalize treatment and reduce inefficiencies. She will also present pitfalls, the need for regulatory guardrails, and why digital fluency is so crucial for the healthcare sector. Depending on interest, she can also discuss other aspects of tech and health, such as applications of telemedicine and digital health strategies that have enabled remote patient monitoring and at-home diagnostics and “hospital at home” treatment.
Mental Health and Well-Being
Dr. Wen brings audiences insights from her work as a practicing physician and expert in addressing mental health and addiction policy. She shares personal experiences, strategies to combat isolation and reestablish connection, and best practices for employee health from around the world. She describes the often-hidden epidemic of addiction, including to alcohol and opioids, and the growing need for education and regulation of marijuana and psychedelic usage. Finally, she talks about the future of work, and outlines for audiences a framework for incorporating mental and physical wellness and resiliency practices into the office, home and everyday life.
A Practical Playbook to Focus on Population Health
Dr. Wen is a leading national expert on population health. During the COVID-19 crisis, she was asked to testify four times to the U.S. House of Representatives on the unequal impact of the pandemic on communities of color. While she served as Baltimore’s health commissioner, she reconfigured the agency to specifically focus on population health and health equity. She, upon these lessons, outlined in her book Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health, gives specific examples of successful innovations that reduce disparities and improve health for all.
Women in Leadership
Women, and women leaders, face distinctive challenges in the workplace. Trained in trauma/ER medicine and having been one of many “firsts” as a woman of color, Dr. Wen speaks from first-hand experience and from her professional research about the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership. These include advice for women about the “double bind” and “glass cliff,” such as owning one’s authentic identity and negotiating societal expectations. Dr. Wen also gives talks in crisis leadership and overcoming adversity. These include lessons from innovative leadership locally and nationally, drawing upon her background convening unlikely stakeholders around shared goals; leading collective impact, public-private collaborations in public health; and getting to points of agreement in turbulent and polarizing environments.
Post-Pandemic Lessons, Trends and Implications for the Future of Healthcare
Dr. Leana Wen has been one of the nation’s most prominent experts during the COVID-19 pandemic, called upon for her expertise by Congress, state and local governments, and featured daily on CNN, NPR, and PBS. She can speak to what the pandemic revealed about social determinants of health, mental health access, and health preparedness, then cover what major trends are ahead. What does the future look like for digital health and telemedicine? What innovations has the pandemic spurred, from AI to payment reform to behavioral health treatment? And what can be done to address rampant burnout among health professionals?
Dr. Wen’s articles and op-eds at The Washington Post
“Speaking with CNN’s Fareed Zakariah on threats to science”
“CNN’s Leana Wen: ‘Public health is now under attack in a way that it has not been before’”
“Physician Leana Wen Is a Public-Health Pragmatist”
“Leana Wen Discusses Patients’ Different Priorities, Bad COVID Policies”
“We Still Aren’t Doing Nearly Enough Testing for Coronavirus”
“Coronavirus: What do we know so far?”
Watch Dr. Wen on CNBC speaking on the current epidemic and prevention.
“Dr. Leana Wen: California coronavirus case ‘could be evidence of community spread'”
“We should prioritize the health and safety of doctors fighting the coronavirus outbreak”
“How to get prepared for the spread of coronavirus”
Dr. Wen named as one of the TIME‘s “100 Most Influential People of 2019.”
Listen to Dr. Wen’s guest appearance on The Ezra Klein Show.
“Leana Wen of Planned Parenthood Wants to Tackle the ‘Fundamental Unfairness in Our System’”
“As a Doctor and Mother, Here’s What I Wish People Knew About the Maternal Mortality Crisis”
“Leana Wen Wants to Have a More Nuanced Conversation About Abortion”
“Health Care for the Community”
“Leana Wen, President of Planned Parenthood, on Healthcare”
“Dr. Leana Wen delivered an outstanding keynote for our Board of Trustees and senior leadership, bringing deep expertise, clarity, and passion to critical issues in public health, health equity, and advocacy. Her ability to translate complex challenges into actionable insights was invaluable, and our leaders left the session both inspired and better equipped to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape. Dr. Wen’s authenticity, engaging style, and real-world experience made her message resonate deeply with our audience. It was a privilege to have her with us, and I highly recommend her as a speaker for any health system or leadership forum.”
— CEO of healthcare system
“I would use the word ‘extraordinary’ to describe Dr. Wen. She’s so knowledgeable, so engaging, and such a gifted speaker. And what’s more, she’s an absolute joy to work with.”
— Director of speaker series
“Dr. Wen is an extraordinary speaker. She is passionate about her work and compassionate with the audience she is addressing. Her knowledge and tone earned her some of the highest audience ratings of any of our conference speakers.”
— Healthcare trade association
“Dr. Wen was an exceptional speaker and exceptional to work with. She was so personable and accommodating, and gave a fantastic talk that was well tailored to our audience. A home run all the way around.”
— Executive producer of speaker series
“Dr. Leana Wen’s talk was met with enthusiasm. Her session was refreshing, inspiring, and offered practical advice for navigating public health issues. Attendees commented that they appreciated how she spoke both sincerely and authoritatively. Dr. Wen was the perfect opening keynote for our conference. Her perspective, real life examples, and authenticity were truly a breath of fresh air.”
— Executive at health professional organization
“Dr. Wen’s keynote presentation was spot-on. She was incredibly engaging and addressed the most current issues facing healthcare and hospitals. She customized her content to meet the needs of our audience, delivering the current facts and reality of the healthcare landscape, and left our group with light at the end of the tunnel. She understands technology, and delivered her presentation with passion and energy. It was a pleasure to work with her. We would certainly recommend Dr. Wen to our healthcare colleagues.”
— Regional healthcare association
“Dr. Wen was incredibly engaging and a joy to watch. She was very passionate and sparked similar desire in the listeners. We greatly appreciated how she tailored her content to the needs of our organization and the theme of the forum. It was a great pleasure to work with Dr. Wen and to have her as our keynote of our event.”
— Director of trade organization
“We were delighted to host Dr. Leana Wen as our keynote speaker for our annual customer event this year. Our attendees highly valued her deep expertise, unique perspective, and passionate advocacy for improving the public health system. Dr. Wen was a pleasure to work with, as well—a true professional that made working with her a breeze.”
— Director of technology company
“A great session and very well-received. Dr. Wen was articulate, authentic, and offered great insights. Truly a delight.”
— Head of public health association
Praise for Lifelines
“Remarkable….[Wen] makes a powerful case for high quality, universal, affordable health care.”
— Booklist“A provocative exploration of public health from an immigrant physician and expert’s point of view [and] a moving account of an impressively fruitful life.”
— Kirkus Review“A stirring call for greater investment in public health programs to combat racism, poverty, gun violence, and other social ills . . . Readers will be inspired by Wen’s belief in the power of public health to make America better.”
— Publishers Weekly“Beyond her personal history, Wen explains how crucial public health is, from combating opioid addiction to infant mortality to COVID-19.”
— TIMEPraise for When Doctors Don’t Listen
“The book’s insights and cautionary tales should appeal to medical and lay readers alike: they combine into a superb analysis of how doctors listen and think, and offer detailed suggestions for how they could do both better.”
— The New York Times“Leana Wen and Joshua Kosowsky, emergency physicians at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard University, urge patients to assert their voice. They warn that ‘a health care crisis is not the time to keep your mouth shut,’ but rather a critical time to speak up and be your own advocate.”
— The Wall Street Journal“Doctors Wen and Kosowsky (Pocket Emergency Medicine, co-editor) nudge the medical ‘consumer empowerment movement’ forward with this provocative dialogic guide to help patients get the right diagnosis and treatment while avoiding the pitfalls of formulaic ‘cookbook’ medicine. It all starts with an open conversation, the pair assert–much like the banter between car owner and mechanic on NPR’s popular Car Talk program–and ends with an active M.D.-patient partnership. ‘You are the key to your own health, and you have to help your doctor help you,’ the duo insist. Recounted are hair-raising stories of patients who bore the brunt of doctors leaping to ‘worst-case reasoning’ instead of listening to what their patients were telling them, like Jerry the car mechanic with a pulled muscle who was treated for a heart attack. The team warns consumers that the transformation from passive recipient of medical care to active partner won’t be easy, but provide plenty of how-tos in their ‘8 Pillars’ toward building a patient-doctor partnership. Theirs is an urgent call to action for patients, and a stark heads-up for doctors and the troubled healthcare industry they serve.”
— Publishers Weekly“This is a well-written book on an innovative approach to healthcare reform: it challenges patients to take charge of their health and every medical encounter with their doctor. An important topic and an important book–I encourage my patients to read it.”
— Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer“I have always said that a hospital can kill you as sure as cure you. You must be your own best advocate. Follow the advice of Drs. Wen and Kosowsky…and transform from being a patient to an advocate for your own health.”
— Fran Drescher, actor, producer, activist, and author of Cancer Schmancer“It’s critical for patients to advocate for their own health. This book teaches you how…Read it; it will change radically how you approach your doctors.”
— Melissa Etheridge, Grammy Award-winning musician and host of The Melissa Etheridge Radio Show“This clearly-written, brilliantly and creatively thought-out book, filled with fascinating and horrifying examples of how doctors are now trained to not listen to their patients in order to ‘rule out’ diseases, focuses on ‘ruling in’ diagnoses that not only are accurate, but that will save billions of dollars per year in lawsuit-driven tests. A brave, terrific, essential work.”
— Samuel Shem, M.D., Ph.D., author of The House of God and The Spirit of the Place“Leana Wen and Josh Kosowsky have written an authoritative guide to answer a seemingly simple question: How should you talk to your doctor? Through fascinating examples taken from their own clinical experiences, they show how doctors’ training fails to teach real listening skills. But Drs. Wen and Kosowsky don’t stop there: They also offer up constructive and practical advice that just might save your life.”
— Darshak Sanghavi, MD, Chief of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, health care columnist for Slate, contributing editor at Parents Magazine, and author of A Map of the Child: A Pediatrician’s Tour of the BodyBook This Speaker
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