Leana Wen

Leana Wen
Born	Wen Linyan 27 01, 1983
Birthplace	Shanghai, China
Nationality	American
Occupation	Physician, professor, author, columnist, television commentator
Employer	George Washington University, The Washington Post, Brookings Institution
Known for	Baltimore Health Commissioner, President of Planned Parenthood, COVID-19 public health commentary
Education	California State University, Los Angeles (BS) Washington University in St. Louis (MD) Merton College, Oxford (MSc, MSc)
Children	2
Website	[[drleanawen.com drleanawen.com] Official site]

Leana Sheryle Wen (Template:Zh; born Wen Linyan; January 27, 1983) is an American emergency medicine physician, public health professor, author, columnist, and television medical analyst. Born in Shanghai, China, Wen immigrated to the United States as a child and rose through academic and public service ranks to become one of the most visible public health voices in the country. She served as the Health Commissioner of Baltimore City from 2014 to 2018, a period during which she confronted the city's opioid epidemic and worked to expand access to the overdose-reversal drug naloxone. In November 2018, she was appointed president of Planned Parenthood, a position she held until July 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wen became a prominent public health communicator, serving as a medical analyst for CNN and testifying four times before the United States Congress, including twice before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. She is a professor of public health at George Washington University, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a twice-weekly columnist for The Washington Post, where she writes on medicine and public health.

Early Life

Leana Wen was born on January 27, 1983, in Shanghai, China. She immigrated to the United States as a young child with her family. Details of her early childhood in China and the circumstances of her family's emigration have been discussed in her public speeches and writings, in which she has spoken about the experience of being an immigrant and the challenges her family faced upon arriving in the United States.

Wen grew up in the Los Angeles area, where she attended public schools. Her early experiences navigating the American healthcare system as a child of immigrant parents would later inform her career in medicine and public health, including her advocacy for patient-centered care and transparent communication between doctors and patients.

Education

Wen pursued her undergraduate education at California State University, Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. She subsequently attended Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.

Wen was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford, where she was a member of Merton College. At Oxford, she earned two Master of Science degrees. Her time at Oxford further shaped her interest in the intersection of clinical medicine and public health policy.

Wen completed her residency training in emergency medicine, which equipped her with frontline clinical experience that she would later draw upon in her public health and policy work.

Career

Early Medical Career and Advocacy

Before entering public service, Wen practiced as an emergency physician and became an advocate for transparency in the doctor-patient relationship. She argued that physicians should be more forthcoming about their credentials, potential conflicts of interest, and the reasoning behind their clinical decisions. This advocacy culminated in a body of writing and public speaking on the topic, including contributions to The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

In January 2013, Wen co-authored a book exploring the theme of patient empowerment and the importance of doctors listening to their patients, which received coverage from WBUR's CommonHealth program. The book argued that the modern healthcare system often failed patients through excessive reliance on tests and insufficient attention to patient narratives and histories.

Wen also served on advisory panels related to patient engagement and healthcare workforce development. She was a member of an advisory panel of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which focused on patient engagement in clinical research. Additionally, she contributed to the twentieth report of the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME), an advisory body to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Baltimore City Health Commissioner

On December 5, 2014, Wen was appointed Health Commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department, succeeding Oxiris Barbot. At the time of her appointment, she was one of the youngest big-city health commissioners in the United States. In an interview with NPR upon leaving her emergency medicine practice, Wen described her motivation for transitioning to public health leadership, explaining that she wanted to address the root causes of the health problems she encountered in the emergency room.

One of Wen's signature initiatives as Health Commissioner was her response to Baltimore's opioid epidemic. She declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency and implemented a blanket prescription allowing all Baltimore residents to obtain naloxone, the opioid overdose-reversal medication, without an individual prescription. This approach attracted national attention and was seen as a model for other jurisdictions grappling with rising opioid overdose deaths.

Wen also advocated at the federal level for stronger regulatory action on opioids. She joined other public health officials in pushing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to add black box warnings about the dangers of combining opioids with benzodiazepines, a combination associated with a heightened risk of fatal overdose. She testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the subject of opioid abuse in America.

During her tenure, Wen also oversaw public health responses to other crises affecting Baltimore, including the aftermath of the civil unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015 and the broader challenges of urban public health including lead poisoning, infant mortality, and chronic disease prevention. She served as Baltimore's Health Commissioner until October 12, 2018, when she departed to assume the presidency of Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood Presidency

On November 12, 2018, Wen became president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, succeeding Cecile Richards, who had led the organization for twelve years. Wen was the first physician to lead Planned Parenthood in approximately fifty years.

Wen's tenure at Planned Parenthood was brief and ended amid reported disagreements between Wen and the organization's board over the strategic direction of the organization. On July 16, 2019, after approximately eight months in the role, Wen's presidency concluded. She was succeeded by Alexis McGill Johnson, who initially served in an acting capacity. The circumstances of her departure generated significant media coverage and public discussion about the balance between healthcare service delivery and political advocacy within Planned Parenthood.

COVID-19 Pandemic Commentary

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, Wen became one of the most prominent public health communicators in American media. She served as a medical analyst for CNN, appearing frequently on the network to discuss pandemic developments, public health policy, vaccination strategies, and the evolving scientific understanding of SARS-CoV-2.

Wen was invited to testify before the United States Congress four times during the pandemic, including two appearances before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. Her congressional testimony addressed topics including pandemic preparedness, public health infrastructure, and the federal response to the crisis.

Wen also served as a public health communicator during the 2022 mpox outbreak, providing expert analysis on the emerging health threat. Her commentary during both the COVID-19 pandemic and the mpox outbreak was notable for its focus on translating complex scientific and public health information for a general audience. However, some public health advocates criticized certain of her views on pandemic policy, particularly as her positions evolved over the course of the pandemic.

Academic and Media Career

Following her tenure at Planned Parenthood and concurrent with her pandemic commentary work, Wen assumed academic and institutional positions. She serves as a professor of public health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, where she teaches and conducts work related to health policy and public health practice.

Wen is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, where she contributes to research and policy discussions on health-related topics.

As a columnist for The Washington Post, Wen writes a twice-weekly opinion column covering medicine and public health. Her columns have addressed a wide range of health topics, including vaccine recommendations for adults, personalized breast cancer screening, the risks of psychedelic microdosing, the potential cognitive benefits of coffee consumption, and the social benefits of long-term care facilities.

In addition to her print media work, Wen has continued to appear as a medical analyst and commentator on broadcast media, including on WYPR, Baltimore's NPR affiliate, where she has discussed topics such as CDC policy changes and vaccine policy developments.

Wen has been a sought-after public speaker, delivering lectures and keynote addresses at universities, professional conferences, and other venues on topics related to public health, healthcare policy, and patient advocacy. She has also delivered a TED talk that has been viewed widely.

Personal Life

Wen has two children. She resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, where she is based for her academic, media, and policy work. Wen has spoken publicly about her experiences as a Chinese-American immigrant and has discussed how her family's immigration story shaped her perspective on healthcare access and equity.

Recognition

Wen has received recognition from multiple organizations for her work in medicine and public health. In 2017, she was named to Modern Healthcare's list of the 50 Most Influential People in Healthcare, which recognized her leadership in addressing the opioid crisis in Baltimore and her broader contributions to public health policy.

In 2016, Wen delivered the commencement address at the Notre Dame of Maryland University graduation ceremony, where she spoke about public health leadership and service.

Wen has been featured in the TIME100 Talks series, appearing alongside figures such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Henrietta Fore, and Davido in a program convening leaders from various fields to discuss solutions to global challenges.

Her work has been covered by The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, and numerous other national and international media outlets. She has also received testimonials from colleagues and organizations recognizing her contributions to patient advocacy and public health education.

Her academic and professional affiliations have been documented by the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), reflecting her recognized status as an author and public figure.

Legacy

Wen's career has spanned emergency medicine, municipal public health administration, reproductive health advocacy, and public health communication. Her tenure as Baltimore's Health Commissioner, particularly her aggressive response to the opioid crisis through expanded naloxone access, influenced the approach of other cities and states in addressing opioid overdose deaths. The blanket naloxone prescription she issued in Baltimore became a frequently cited example in national debates about harm reduction strategies.

Her role as a public health communicator during the COVID-19 pandemic placed her at the center of national discussions about pandemic response, vaccination policy, and the tension between public health mandates and individual freedoms. While her commentary reached large audiences through CNN and The Washington Post, it also generated debate, with some public health advocates taking issue with certain of her positions as the pandemic evolved.

As a Chinese-American immigrant who rose to lead major public health institutions, Wen's career trajectory has been noted in discussions about diversity in healthcare leadership. Her continued work as a professor at George Washington University, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a columnist for The Washington Post ensures her ongoing presence in public health discourse in the United States.