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Spotlight on Pediatrician Dr. Vi Thuy Nguyen
Vi Thuy Nguyen, MD, FAAP is a Fellow of Environmental Health as part of the American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3 (AAP-CA3) and serves as Co-Chair of AAP-CA3’s Climate Change and Health Committee and Chair of AAP-California State Government Affairs Expert Committee on Environmental Health and Climate Change. She is a Co-Founder of San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air, a loose coalition of concerned pediatricians who advocate for pediatric asthmatic patients. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Public Health Advisory Council for Climate Actions Campaign in San Diego.
She originally earned her MD at Harvard Medical School and trained in general pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She completed her 5-year-term as Assistant Chief of Pediatrics at Kaiser Permanente San Diego. In her professional life, she managed over 90 outpatient general pediatricians with special oversight on the South County. She was responsible for Pediatric Quality measures with special emphasis on pediatric asthma health and vaccine measures. After a numerically successful but personally grueling time in middle management and experiencing burn-out, Dr. Nguyen has pivoted her extra-curricular physician time to being an advocate for physician wellness and joy and climate work. She is a proud trained Climate Reality Leader and Co-Lead of Kaiser San Diego’s Sustainability/Green Team. She actively blogs and Instagrams as an alternate eco-avatar plogger (jogger and beach cleaner) in the Pacific Beach area. She is currently laser focused on decarbonization and building electrification. She was able to successful orchestrate H3SD San Diego’s Heat and Human Health Summit.
Get to know Dr. Nguyen by reading her pediatrician spotlight!
1. AAP-CA3: What is your current job/professional responsibilities?
Dr. Nguyen: Southern California Permanente Medical Group – Partner Physician. Kaiser San Diego Green Team – Physician Co-Lead. Kaiser Southern California – Regional Asthma Task Force
2. AAP-CA3: How did you first get involved in the AAP?
Dr. Nguyen: To co-chair the AAP-CA3 climate change and health committee back in 2019? It was when Lori Byron from AAP Montana was recruiting co-chairs for each of the chapters to begin to form the National Climate Advocate Program. joining AAP really changed my life.
3. AAP-CA3: Why should pediatricians join the AAP?
Dr. Nguyen: Yes!!! 100% AAP especially our chapter has so many roles and options for all of us. It has been so important in my development as a leader and a physician. There is a place and a need for everyone!
4. AAP-CA3: What is your current role in the AAP-CA3 chapter?
Dr. Nguyen: I am currently serving as the Co-Chair – AAP CA3 Climate Change and Health Committee
5. AAP-CA3: What do you enjoy most about being a chapter member?
Dr. Nguyen: I love the community and camaraderie. And honestly our chapter leadership and our specific climate change and health committee has been instrumental in combating climate change and moving decarbonization forward in our region. I enjoy making a difference and I happen to love all the people I’ve worked with at AAP-CA3.
6. AAP-CA3: How does the chapter support your passion?
Dr. Nguyen: The chapter 100% supports my passions for climate and health. Offering technical support for webinars, and guidance when I’m trying to figure out how to do something. So much of what we’ve done has never been done before (like putting on H3SD San Diego’s Heat and Human Health Summit) and AAP-CA3 staff and members worked with us and helped us figure out so much together.
7. AAP-CA3: Did you have a mentor who influenced you to become the physician you are today?
Dr. Nguyen: The most important mentors I’ve had have been the ones I’ve met mid-career. That would be Lori Byron from AAP Montana and we’ve collaborated on so many projects. I’ve actually never physically met her yet, but virtually she has been there to guide me and our committee. She has been a sounding board for so many of my questions. My other mentor has been Bruce Bekkar who is ob-gyn, and a leader in climate and health nationally.
8. AAP-CA3: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Dr. Nguyen: Mostly spend time with my two kids. My son is a first-year student at UC Berkeley, so anytime with him is precious. And I have a 15-year-old daughter who likes to hang out with me still, so I cherish those moments. I also blog and do a lot of writing, but that usually has to do with climate. I love watching Kdramas partially because my husband is Korean and it helps me understand his family better, and I get to practice my Korean language skills. I love languages. I speak Vietnamese (my native language) and I’m pretty decent at Spanish too. My daughter’s language skills are better than mine in all four and for that I’m pretty proud of her!