Sandy Chung, MD, FAAP, FACHE, has held over 35 state and national leadership positions, including national President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), President of the Virginia Chapter of the AAP, Founder and Medical Director of the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP), Board Member of the National Association for Education of Young Children, and Medical Director of Informatics for Children’s National Hospital’s Pediatric Health Network.
She is the CEO of Trusted Doctors, a pediatric practice of over 300 clinicians in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. As an avid educator of the next generation of pediatricians, her publications include articles on youth mental health, telemedicine, virtual learning, and health information technology.
How did you get started in healthcare? Have you always been passionate about this area, or did it happen by chance?
My parents were first-generation immigrants to this country and faced challenges getting professional jobs despite having college educations. I remember helping to count out food stamps to buy groceries and being proud of how good I was at it (or at least that is what my mother told me!).
When I was in the fourth grade, I had to do a project on what I wanted to be when I grew up. A neighbor of ours said to me, “Sandy, you could become a doctor!” As it turned out, she was an operating room nurse, and she gave me a set of disposable shoe and head covers, scrubs, and even let me borrow a stethoscope to wear to school.
My neighbor believed in me, and so I believed in myself. And that changed the course of my life. It only takes one person to inspire someone to choose a career path, and I urge all of us to be that person for as many others as possible.
You’re a strong advocate for and educator of child health. What’s one change in pediatric practice you’re most proud to have helped advance?
Youth mental health has been in crisis for more than a decade. I’ll never forget one of my patients, a 14-year-old with bipolar disorder. His psychiatrist had retired, and despite our help in reducing the wait for a new appointment, he ran out of his complex psychiatric medications. In that time, he had an exacerbation of his disease and got into a fight, tragically shooting and killing someone. That moment changed me. I knew our system had failed.
That’s why I founded the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP), which equips primary care clinicians to manage more complex mental health needs, connects them to specialists through a consult line, and helps families find therapists, psychiatrists, and support groups through statewide care navigators.
When I served as President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, I helped to advocate for more federal funding to expand programs like VMAP. Today, they exist in every state, most territories, and some tribes — helping families everywhere find care when they need it most.
You found a board role through WBL – congratulations! Can you tell us more about how that came about? What tips do you have for those interested in serving?
WBL provides such amazing opportunities for networking and learning about board opportunities. In 2023, I had the honor of being able to speak at the WBL Summit with Phoebe Yang. About a month later, the CEO of the national nonprofit CaringBridge reached out to me to see if I would be interested in interviewing to be on their board. She had heard me speak at the Summit! This was a wonderful opportunity that I accepted.
I have served on boards for the last twenty years. Early on, I learned about board opportunities that the state offered for those who wish to serve as citizens or subject matter experts. I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in service — typically, there is an online application process on your state’s website, so it is accessible to anyone.
Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you?
I’m very much an introvert, and had to learn to overcome imposter syndrome and become comfortable speaking in groups and to large audiences.
To others who’ve felt similar, remember that if people cannot hear your voice, they will fill in your voice. If you are the one being asked to do something or are the one doing the work, then you deserve to be there. Just say yes to opportunities — you never know where it will lead you!
