Dr. Leana Wen

Dr. Leana Wen

Keynote Speaker: Leading Authority on Healthcare, Washington Post Columnist, CNN Medical Analyst, Physician, Professor & Author

Dr. Leana Wen Biography

Dr. Leana Wen is an emergency physician, CNN medical analyst, and op-ed columnist for "The Washington Post," where she writes a twice-weekly column and anchors the Post newsletter, "The Checkup with Dr. Wen." She is also a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and 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."

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, treat violence and racism as public health issues, and improve maternal and child health. During her tenure, she declared racism as a public health crisis and focused on health equity initiatives.

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 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.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dr. Leana Wen and other top speakers and celebrities.

Dr. Leana Wen Speaking Topics

Lessons from COVID-19 and Implications for the Future of Healthcare

CNN medical analyst Dr. Wen has been one of the nation’s leading experts during the COVID-19 pandemic, called upon for her expertise by Congress, state and local governments, businesses, schools/universities, and scientific organizations. She can speak to the learnings from COVID-19 and what it has revealed about the need to focus on social determinants of health, public health preparedness, and care for the most vulnerable. She can then look forward to the future. What are major trends in payment reform, health workforce, and medical technology, and how will they, in the recovery from the pandemic, shape the future of public policy and healthcare delivery?

Mental Health and Well-Being

The stress that employees have endured during the pandemic will not vanish after the immediate crisis passes. Employees have been coping with isolation, dealing with loss, acting as caregivers, and struggling with childcare. Dr. Wen brings audiences a world of insights and understanding from her work as a practicing physician, former Health Commissioner of Baltimore, and chairwoman of a nonprofit addressing mental health and addiction. She shares personal experiences (including her own battle with postpartum depression and her experience as caregiver to her ailing mother), best practices on employee health and well-being, and strategies for developing resiliency. And she outlines for audiences a framework for incorporating mental and physical wellness practices into the office, home, and everyday life.

Reducing health disparities and striving for health equity

Dr. Wen is a leading national expert on health disparities. 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 health equity and was among the first leaders to declare racism as a public health crisis. She can speak from the lens of current events on how COVID-19 has unmasked existing disparities and specifically focus on innovative solutions that reduce disparities and improve health in the short-term, as well as long-term efforts to address structural inequities. Here, she draws upon lessons in her new book, Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health, and gives specific examples of successful innovations that reduce disparities and improve equity.

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, innovative 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 political environments.

Dr. Leana Wen Videos

Perspectives from the Frontline of the Fight for Public Health: Leana Wen
U.S. News Live Presents: A Conversation With Dr. Leana Wen
P&P Live! Dr. Leana Wen | LIFELINES with Nicholas Kristof

How do I book Dr. Leana Wen to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dr. Leana Wen for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dr. Leana Wen, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dr. Leana Wen or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Dr. Leana Wen for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Dr. Leana Wen, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. Leana Wen, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Dr. Leana Wen speak about?

Dr. Leana Wen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Cancer, Authors, Family & Parenting, Women's Health, TED, Health, Healthcare, Non-Profit, Leadership, Obesity Awareness Month, Public Health, World Affairs, Virtual, Female Leadership, Women, Literary, Nutrition, Generational Issues, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Motivational, Thought Leadership and Addiction & Recovery.

Where does Dr. Leana Wen travel from?

Dr. Leana Wen generally travels from Baltimore, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Dr. Leana Wen?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dr. Leana Wen for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dr. Leana Wen for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dr. Leana Wen or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Dr. Leana Wen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Cancer, Authors and Family & Parenting. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Dr. Leana Wen generally travels from Baltimore, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Patrice A. Harris, Dr. Joel Selanikio and Toby Cosgrove. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dr. Leana Wen for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 04/11/2024.

Dr. Leana Wen Speaking Topics

  • Lessons from COVID-19 and Implications for the Future of Healthcare

    CNN medical analyst Dr. Wen has been one of the nation’s leading experts during the COVID-19 pandemic, called upon for her expertise by Congress, state and local governments, businesses, schools/universities, and scientific organizations. She can speak to the learnings from COVID-19 and what it has revealed about the need to focus on social determinants of health, public health preparedness, and care for the most vulnerable. She can then look forward to the future. What are major trends in payment reform, health workforce, and medical technology, and how will they, in the recovery from the pandemic, shape the future of public policy and healthcare delivery?

  • Mental Health and Well-Being

    The stress that employees have endured during the pandemic will not vanish after the immediate crisis passes. Employees have been coping with isolation, dealing with loss, acting as caregivers, and struggling with childcare. Dr. Wen brings audiences a world of insights and understanding from her work as a practicing physician, former Health Commissioner of Baltimore, and chairwoman of a nonprofit addressing mental health and addiction. She shares personal experiences (including her own battle with postpartum depression and her experience as caregiver to her ailing mother), best practices on employee health and well-being, and strategies for developing resiliency. And she outlines for audiences a framework for incorporating mental and physical wellness practices into the office, home, and everyday life.

  • Reducing health disparities and striving for health equity

    Dr. Wen is a leading national expert on health disparities. 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 health equity and was among the first leaders to declare racism as a public health crisis. She can speak from the lens of current events on how COVID-19 has unmasked existing disparities and specifically focus on innovative solutions that reduce disparities and improve health in the short-term, as well as long-term efforts to address structural inequities. Here, she draws upon lessons in her new book, Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health, and gives specific examples of successful innovations that reduce disparities and improve equity.

  • 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, innovative 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 political environments.

Dr. Leana Wen Videos

Perspectives from the Frontline of the Fight for Public Health: Leana Wen
U.S. News Live Presents: A Conversation With Dr. Leana Wen
P&P Live! Dr. Leana Wen | LIFELINES with Nicholas Kristof
Dr. Leana Wen with Dr. Peter Slavin
Dr. Wen - Bloomberg School of Public Health Commencement 2018

Dr. Leana Wen Reviews

  • Oklahoma State Department of Health - May 19 2022

  • Dr. Wen is a powerful and charismatic speaker who seems to naturally connect to her audience with a warm, relaxed, informative and enjoyable style of speech. My students were enlightened and entertained. Dr. Wen is a smart, conversational treat for the senses.
    Unknown - Sep 19 2014

  • As a pre-medical student, I have often been told that my desire to make a difference in my community and help change the system to better patient care and outcomes is naive thinking and that I will change once I finish medical school. Dr. Wen is the first physician to tell me that I can make a different if I strive to do so and maintain my goals and ideologies. Not only is she a true inspiration for pre-medical students, but a model of how a physician should treat and interact with their patients. Her ability to speak and explain her various viewpoints is outstanding and left a deep impression on me. She not only dispelled a great deal of healthcare issue myths, but provided incite on the true issues pertaining to healthcare and ways to make a difference in the healthcare community, as a physician and as a patient.
    Unknown - Sep 19 2014

  • Dr. Wen is a very captivating speaker. Her stories are really interesting and make her message more relatable. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to her talk about the importance of patient care and feel motivated to be a better advocate for the patients in the future as a physician.
    Unknown - Sep 19 2014

  • Our Rotary Club really enjoyed meeting and talking with Dr. Wen. As we discussed “When Doctors Don’t Listen” we had some really interesting discussions about our interactions with Doctors and how we can make our time with them more of a partnership (Doctors getting better information from us, us feeling better about how we are being treated). As our organization is active in the Everett community, we also discussed how different backgrounds and language barriers can further complicate interactions between patients and doctors. It was beneficial for our group to meet Dr. Wen, discuss her book and put some more thought into how we can better get doctors to “listen” to us as patients going forward (for us and our loved ones).
    Unknown - Sep 19 2014

Dr. Leana Wen News

  • How do I book Dr. Leana Wen to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dr. Leana Wen for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dr. Leana Wen, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dr. Leana Wen or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Dr. Leana Wen for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Dr. Leana Wen, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. Leana Wen, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Dr. Leana Wen speak about?

  • Where does Dr. Leana Wen travel from?

    Dr. Leana Wen generally travels from Baltimore, MD, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Dr. Leana Wen?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dr. Leana Wen for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dr. Leana Wen for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dr. Leana Wen or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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