81. Alex Choi, Anesthesiologist, Politician and Mental Health Advocate
Release Date: 11/27/2023
98. Julie Lin, The Kidneys and Chamber Music
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Julie Lin was a medical student at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons when she met her future husband. It was the first day of medical school and they met while attending a class where they were both serious amateur classical musicians. Julie talks about their shared love of music and how they planned to have a family quartet. The All-state Orchestra Model Julie shares her story of starting an orchestra at medical school, which initially had a traditional weekly rehearsal and concert. However, they found that the show rate was low as exam time approached, leading...
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97. Dennis Crowley, Medical Device M&A Executive
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Dennis Crowley started working for Tyco International in 1996 and spent five years in Europe, spending half his time in Paris and two and a half years in Brussels. This experience was enjoyable as it allowed him to work, sightsee, and travel around Europe. During his time in Europe, he had the opportunity to visit every country in Europe, including Spain, Italy, the UK, and France. He moved back to Florida, then lived in New England for 25 years before settling just south of Boston. Dennis worked in various divisions at Tyco until 2007, where he worked in their healthcare...
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96. Natalia Tsarkova, Media Entrepreneur and Filmmaker
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Title: Media Entrepreneur and Filmmaker Show notes: Natalia Tsarkova, a transfer student from Latvia, was the first student from the former Soviet bloc to apply to an American college. She was thrown into a completely different world and roles, but knew she wanted to create more contexts for others to transform their lives like she didher life. Growing up in Latvia, she watched pirated MTV videos and credits seeing Billy Jean for the first time for inspiring her to work in the media space. In 1993, she met a professor at the MIT Media Lab, who recognized her mixed...
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95. William Cheng, Hospitalist and Singer
The 92 Report
William Cheng has been working in the Silicon Valley area since 2000. He graduated from Harvard as a bio concentrator and later attended UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. He completed residency training in internal medicine at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, a county hospital affiliated with Stanford Hospital System. He then joined the Palo Alto Medical Foundation as a hospitalist, focusing on acutely ill patients. Working as a Hospitalist William's understanding of the world has changed over the two decades as a hospitalist. He now understands the importance of non-hard science...
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94. Jeanne Simpson, Actor/Dancer/Choreographer/Director/Teacher
The 92 Report
Jeanne Simpson moved to New York after graduating. She started doing day jobs in New York City to make ends meet while attending free dance classes, which allowed her to continue her training without having to pay for grad school. She eventually joined the American Isadora Dance Company, a modern company. Beginning a Career in the Performing Arts Jeanne began her acting career at HB Studios, where she was given a scholarship and studied under Austin Pendleton, a talented teacher who taught the advanced Acting Program at HB. She worked with other amazing actors and learned to choreograph scenes...
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93. Joshua Brandon Holden, Math Professor and Author of The Mathematics of Secrets
The 92 Report
Joshua Brandon Holden, the author of The Mathematics of Secrets, Cryptography from Caesar Ciphers to Digital Encryption, graduated with a degree in pure math and went on to teach at the University of Massachusetts and Duke. He discovered that he was spending most of his time on teaching, so he sought jobs where they would reward teaching. He then worked at the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, where he did both teaching and research. Common Misconceptions about Cryptography Joshua discusses common misconceptions about cryptography and its connection to the internet. He explains that...
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92. Mark Jacobstein, Accidental Entrepreneur
The 92 Report
Mark Jacobstein resides in Stanford, California with his wife, two children, and his mother in law. Mark's career has primarily focused on entrepreneurial technology, primarily in health tech, biotech, molecular diagnostics, and digital health arenas. After Cambridge, he worked with Scott Murphy, a close friend and business partner. He moved to California in 2003 to start a technology company and has been there ever since. He lives on the Stanford campus, which allows his children to grow up on a college campus. Founding a Fantasy Sports Business Mark shares his journey from writing...
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91. Andreas Stavropoulos, Entering the Third Act
The 92 Report
Andreas Stavropoulos, a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, came to the United States from Greece at 18 and has been in the United States ever since. His big moves include marrying his high school sweetheart, arranging their lives around graduate school, medical school, business school, and moving to California. He is now 55-years-old and is excited about the third act of his life, where he can choose where to spend his time more than he used to. A Career as a Venture Capitalist Andreas started his career as a venture capitalist in 1999 and has been doing so for over two and a half years. He...
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90. Shannon Frison, Marine and Judge
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Shannon Frison joined the United States Marine Corps during her time in law school. She spent her second year at officer candidate school and became commissioned as an officer. After law school, she returned to Massachusetts, worked for a year at the TAs office, took the bar, and went on active duty with the Marine Corps. After serving at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, North Carolina, she worked for a litigation firm called Dwyer and Clora before opening a law firm. In 2009, she applied for the bench in Massachusetts and was appointed to the Boston Municipal Court. She then...
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89. Anastasia Fernands, Patent Litigator
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Anastasia Fernands has been practicing law since graduating from NYU. She started practicing in Boston at Hutchins, Wheeler and Dittmar, which was the oldest continuously running firm in Boston at the time. Anastasia has since moved to New York and now practices at Quinn Emanuel. Anastasia’s career primarily focuses on intellectual property litigation, particularly patent litigation since the mid to late 90s. At that time there were two schools of thought on patent litigation: technical people who understood technology and those who were litigators by trade. There was a...
info_outlineAlex Choi has been involved in various professional pursuits since graduating. He joined a consulting company and worked as a research associate before moving back home to Indiana to pursue medical school. Alex obtained a master's in biology and physiology to secure admission to Indiana University School of Medicine. He met his wife in the second year of med school and they have two children. After medical school, Choi joined a private practice in Indianapolis, where he became the managing partner and president of the Anesthesia Consultants of Indianapolis. Alex also received a master's in public health and policy management, which helped him become more involved in public policy issues. He was the physician leader for the division at IU Health until last year when he stepped down to go into pre-retirement.
Alex left IU Health and joined another surgery center practice and was asked to be the Indiana Medical Director for the organization. He has been involved in various organizations, including the national society and state societies of organized medicine. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder over a decade ago and has since recovered from it. This inspired Alex to partner with people who formed the Zionsville Alliance for Mental Wellness Exam, a nonprofit that helps people navigate the mental health network system. He talks about his experiences in police and has been involved in public policy, working on the transition team for governors and serving on the Zionsville Town Council. However, he decided not to run for reelection to focus on his family and watch his children grow up.
Misconceptions about Bipolar Disorder
Alex discusses the challenges and misconceptions about bipolar disorder, a mental health issue that is a spectrum. He emphasizes the importance of not stigmatizing anyone with bipolar disorder or any mental health issues. Alex shares his own experiences with rapidly cycling episodes of mania and depression, which can last months, weeks, or months. He emphasizes the need for support networks and the importance of understanding that bipolar disorder is a chronic illness that can be overcome with the right therapy, support, and medications. He has been open about his journey and has used his town council status to put messages out about mental health treatment for mental health disorders. His openness has encouraged others to seek help.
A Governor’s Role in Healthcare
Alex has also worked on the healthcare transition team for two different governors and a new mayor. In the governors' case, he helped determine healthcare priorities for the state, discussing data and determining priorities. He had a one-sheet agenda and an open forum for discussing these topics. In the mayor's role, he became involved in the town's finances, overseeing the town's finances and overseeing the city's budget.
The governor oversees the Department of Health and public health systems, which are interconnected and heavily influenced by Medicaid. In Indiana, the Medicaid system is administered by the governor's office through the Family and Social Services Administration, providing a safety net for those suffering from chronic illnesses or those unable to afford health care due to income or special status. As an unpaid lobbyist, Alex was involved in lobbying state representatives and advocating for better health care in Indiana. He ran for a state representative in a caucus election in 2015. Alex talks about why he wanted to be a state legislator and his efforts in that area, including pushing for the licensure of anesthesiologist assistants, a group of advanced providers, and establishing a program that graduates 24 anesthesiologist assistants annually to address shortages and anesthesia in the state. He talks about medical liability insurance in Indiana, and lobbying from the Trial Lawyers Association which led to increased limits on liability insurance costs. Despite these challenges, Alex believes that the state has made progress in improving healthcare policies and addressing the challenges faced by physicians and patients in Indiana.
Expanding the Potential of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
Alex discusses the potential of nurse practitioners and physician assistants to perform additional procedures that current regulations prohibit. He acknowledges that these areas vary from state to state, and medical schools and residencies must adhere to strict guidelines. However, he believes that there is higher variability in what is taught in medical schools and residencies, which can lead to a lack of qualified clinicians. He believes that medical schools and residencies will continue to train physicians to more complex procedures and specialties, leading to a shortage of doctors for certain procedures or patient types. As a result, physicians will need to push towards greater involvement from nurses and physician assistants but also ensure proper oversight.
Running a Political Campaign
Alex talks about what he learned when running a campaign, which involves getting people to believe in oneself and their views. He found it challenging to run for office due to his full-time job and campaigning, but also appreciated the support of his family and friends. During his campaign, he faced opposition from the General Assembly, which passed one of the harshest anti-abortion laws after the DODDS decision. He had to navigate the public reaction and find a balance between advocating for pro-choice and expressing different views within a party.
Influential Harvard Professors and Courses
Alex shares his personal and professional experiences with several courses and professors. He attended a church near his freshman year and was an usher. While there, he found the sermons of Professor Gomes helpful and realized the importance of his involvement in student lives.
Timestamps:
04:46 Bipolar disorder, treatment, and advocacy
12:14 Mental health treatment and government policy
18:52 Healthcare policy and legislation in Indiana
31:34 Medical professional scope of practice and campaign lessons learned
39:03 Mental health, politics, and career with former Indiana state senate candidate
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aschoi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-choi-a4005b47/
CONTACT:
Email:[email protected]