AAPL Member Spotlight

What led you to pursue a career as a Physician Liaison?

After a decade at Sutter Health selling Community Connect, I discovered my passion for physician engagement while building relationships with community physicians and collaborating with physician liaisons. I saw how vital liaison work is to aligning clinical needs with hospital resources. When I learned of the Stanford opportunity, I jumped at it—ready to apply my relationship-building experience to support physicians and help with the business development strategies and growth at Stanford.

How long have you been in this role?

4 years.

What do you love most about being a liaison?

The relationships and the trust I have with the community physicians, the faculty, and operational leadership.

How has your AAPL membership supported your growth as a liaison and leader?

AAPL has broadened my growth as both a liaison and a leader by connecting me with physician liaisons from health systems of varying sizes. I gain practical, actionable insights at every meeting—whether from the Orthopedic Special Interest Group, the Academic Medical Center SIG, or informal exchanges with other physician liaisons—that I can apply in my day-to-day work. The national conference has been especially valuable for networking, learning from one another and also being able to speak and share insights. The ongoing connections with fellow liaisons have been invaluable for sharing best practices, troubleshooting challenges, and driving continuous improvement across our organization.

What AAPL resource or event has been the most valuable?

The AAPL Annual Conference.

What advice would you give someone new to the Physician Liaison profession?

My advice would be: enjoy building relationships and learning from every interaction. The physician liaison role offers meaningful, long‑term impact, so start by establishing a strong foundation of trust—both externally with physicians and care partners, and internally with your team and leadership. Be patient, listen deeply, follow through on commitments, and align your work with the organization’s goals. Seek mentors, continually expand your knowledge of the organization and the healthcare landscape, and view this as a career with increasing influence over time.

What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?

I’m of Chinese-Burmese heritage. Burmese cuisine is usually spicy, and my family can handle it, but I can’t—I top out at about Sriracha-level heat.