The EMJ Podcast | Episode 216
Jean Wright shares insights into her transition to leading a major non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of those with COPD and other lung diseases. From predictive analytics to advocacy and awareness, discover how her visionary leadership is shaping the future of chronic disease management.
Spotify | Apple | Amazon Music | Download MP3 (48:50 mins)
Jean Wright is the CEO of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Foundation. She holds a medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Paediatrics at Emory University, where she later became a faculty member and board-certified in Paediatrics, Paediatric Critical Care, Anaesthesia, and Anaesthesia-Critical Care. In 1994, Wright earned an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School.
With expertise in predictive analytics and innovation, Wright served as Chief Innovation Officer at Atrium Health for 13 years. In December 2022, she became CEO of the COPD Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of those with COPD, bronchiectasis, and nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease by advancing services and treatment innovations. Wright has appeared on major news platforms and published over 50 articles. She is recognised with the American College of Physician Executives’ Physician of Excellence Award (2000) and the Athena Award for Women in Leadership (2017).
She also had a Tiktok account called @horses4copd, where she uses horses to raise awareness for COPD, so make sure to check that out!
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 03:16 – Wright’s journey from paediatrics and anaesthesia to becoming the CEO of the COPD Foundation
- 05:56 – How Wright’s transformative approaches influenced her current role at the COPD foundation
- 09:40 – Wright’s work looking at prevalence of COPD along the gorgeous Appalachians in America
- 21:00 – Diagnosis rates of COPD in the US
- 24:50 – If we diagnose COPD early, what can we do about it?
- 27:51 – The need for investment in research
- 31:00 – The vaping epidemic
- 33:00 – Ways to improve our lung health
- 36:30 – Reasons why women have twice the burden of COPD
- 40:34 – Celebrity awareness campaign for this disease
- 43:03 – Wright’s three magic wishes
