Hibiku Kotoba

In this episode of Hibiku Kotoba, Dr. Jeffrey Velotta joins Kathleen as they talk about his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon and his current research in the rise of lung cancer cases among non-smoking Asian women and men. Dr. Velotta shares how his years in residency helped his career expertise, but moving back to the Bay Area in 2014 he realized the importance of representation in the medical field and currently advocates for patients' health and well-being, specifically those in the Asian diaspora. His mission to reframe how both doctors and patients approach healthcare specifically for lung cancer patients is a remarkable feat that is gradually making an impact, and why community outreach is just one step of the process to help one another through an unfamiliar and emotional journey.

You can read the journey of one of his patients' journey here: https://go2.org/blog/get-rid-of-the-mothership-and-why-surgery-still-matters-in-stage-4-iv-lung-cancer-glens-story/