Leana S. Wen

“Every time I am on air, I will receive actually quite a few messages that specifically tie me to the Chinese Communist Party - which is ludicrous because my family left on political asylum from China - or that will blame me and 'my people' for the coronavirus.”

“Growing up, I always thought of hospitals as having a certain mystique that was impenetrable to the outside world. White-coated figures paraded through long hallways and entered doorways marked 'restricted access,' behind which I imagined miracles happened.”

“My mother was a proud and capable woman. She was among the first class of college graduates after China's Cultural Revolution, then immigrated to the U.S. by herself.”

“We went through substantial periods of being dependent on some type of government service, whether food stamps, WIC, Medicaid, children's health insurance. And I had an acute awareness as a child of what happens when people go without access to health care. I also had an acute awareness that people's lives were not valued the same.”

“We need to stop treating those whose views differ from our own with scorn and suspicion, and instead work together to safeguard our health, our rights and our future.”

“For millions of women, health centers that provide reproductive healthcare are the only place they ever see a doctor or nurse. When abortion politics force health centers to close, women - particularly low-income women and women of color - suffer.”

“People of color face more barriers to health care, as do low-income individuals and those living in underserved rural and urban areas.”

“In college, if anyone asked me - professors or classmates - I said, 'I want to be a lab tech.' Because I was afraid that people would laugh at me if I said I wanted to be a doctor.”

“Public health research has saved countless lives in the past.”

“Every day, I think, by the grace of God, I'm here, blessed to be a U.S. citizen, but I could have just as easily been a Dreamer too.”

“I had this childhood dream that I wanted to be a doctor, but I came from a neighborhood and an environment where nobody around me was a doctor. I literally didn't know how one goes from studying in college to becoming a doctor.”

“In very few situations is there only one test that could work or one protocol that must be followed. If your doctor says you need to do this one set of tests, ask what your other options are. Often, watchful waiting is a perfectly acceptable alternative. Discussing options helps remind your doctor to tailor the treatment to you.”

“I had severe asthma when I was a child and I saw doctors growing up. Seeing someone who could not only help me medically, but also assure me that I was going to be O.K. at this really terrifying time - that's what I wanted to do.”

“Abortions are safe.”

“I don't think that people should have the choice to infect others with a potentially fatal and extremely contagious virus.”

“When I was 16 and I wanted information about birth control, Planned Parenthood was the first and only place that I could think of going for my health care and education.”

“When hospitals close, ambulance times can increase dramatically, and the additional wait often means the difference between life and death.”

“As an emergency physician, I can tell you that the best health insurance in the world means nothing if patients can't reach a hospital in their moment of need.”

“Simple health interventions such as lead paint abatement and home visiting for pregnant women result in not only improved health for children but also higher rates of graduation, reduced crime, and a more robust workforce.”

“If you suspect that the doctor is going through a checklist of yes/no questions, try to get her to focus on you by adding personal elements to your answers.”