Congratulations and thank you to these physicians for their commitment to impactful health care.
*FUNDED*
WOMEN'S HEALTH INSTITUTE Project: Practice Makes Precision: The Power of Simulation Education and Patient Safety
Funding Request: $500,000
ALISON WU, MD
Medical Director of OB/GYN Hospitalist Program, Hoag
Dr. Alison Wu is the department chair of obstetrics & gynecology at Hoag, where she oversees multidisciplinary teams and spearheads strategic initiatives that elevate maternal health outcomes and access. As the director of Hoag’s OB/GYN Irvine Hospitalist Program, she developed a robust hospitalist program that spans both Irvine and Newport campuses. She has implemented simulation-based training to enhance emergency preparedness. Additionally, she supervises and collaborates with Hoag’s midwifery program at the Fudge Family Birthing Suites to offer a midwifery model of care. Dr. Wu has held faculty roles at the University of California, Irvine and Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. She is a California Health Care Foundation Leadership Fellow and active member of national and regional OB/GYN organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), where she serves as vice chair elect for her district.
*FUNDED*
WOMEN’S HEALTH INSTITUTE Project: Breast CT: A New Lens on Cancer Detection
Funding Request: $500,000
JANUARY LOPEZ, MD
Medical Director of Breast Imaging, Hoag Breast Center
Dr. January Lopez is the medical director of breast imaging at the Sue J. Gross Comprehensive Breast Center, specializing in imaging and biopsy. Dr. Lopez graduated from UC Berkeley and received her medical degree from UCLA Medical School, where she served as president of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, as well as president of the UCLA student chapter of the American Medical Association. She subsequently completed her internship in internal medicine at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. Dr. Lopez then returned to UCLA to complete her residency, during which time she served as chief resident. She has been dedicated to the field of breast imaging since 2003 with her involvement in the landmark American College of Radiology’s Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial. Outside of Hoag, she gives back to the community in her role as a board member on the Susan G. Komen Orange County Board of Directors.
DEPARTMENT OF ANESTHESIOLOGY Project: Ultrasound Is the New Stethoscope
Funding Request: $230,000
SHWETA PEARLSTEIN, MD
Anesthesiology, Hoag
Dr. Shweta Pearlstein serves as the chairman of the department of anesthesiology at Hoag. She is deeply involved in hospital quality improvement, preoperative screening, physician wellness programs, and operating room management. Dr. Pearlstein has held leadership positions throughout her career, including heading the Preoperative Anesthesia Clinic at Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center–Walworth and serving as the medical director at the Hoag Outpatient Surgery Center. She earned her MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and a BA in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. Her post-doctoral training included residency in anesthesiology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, where she served as chief resident.
