2017-up-and-comers-dr-farzana-rashid-hossain

Dr. Farzana Rashid Hossain's career has been all about helping women, both inside and outside the healthcare system. She credits her parents for instilling in her a sense of community outreach and an appreciation for math and medicine. "My mother is a physician and my father was a professor, so math and science were always emphasized in our household, but we also did a lot of volunteering, so when I started thinking about a career I wanted something that incorporated all of that," she said. "I care about patients, I care about the community, I care about individuals, and that is what drives me." As director of the women's gastrointestinal health program at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, she has focused on changing working methods, challenging policy and promoting innovative ideas for sustainability performance. She is a results-oriented leader, whose empathy and vision have helped her to promote innovative ideas for sustainability and performance at Penn Medicine. She has played a key role in delivering high quality of care to patients, increasing patient throughput and helping generate higher satisfaction for all stakeholders. Outside the hospital, she is one of 27 members of the Philadelphia Commission for Women, a group that works with community organizations and social service agencies to advance gender equality, assist with entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, and promote public discussion on issues that impact women and girls. She was recognized in Philadelphia magazine's annual Top Docs issue for 2017 and was awarded the Health Care Heroes Award from Penn Medicine and the Radhika Srinivasan Award for Humanism and Professionalism from Penn Medicine's gastroenterology department. "I care about patients, I care about the community, I care about individuals, and that is what drives me," she said. --Valerie Lapointe