Maryland’s Leana Wen is headed back to Washington, D.C. – for work that is.
A month after she departed as national president of Planned Parenthood, Wen has accepted a new position as a visiting professor of health policy and management at The George Washington University.
Wen tweeted Tuesday that she was honored to join “exceptional colleagues” at the university and to “train future generations of public health leaders who are dedicated to achieving health equity and fighting for social justice.”
Wen was a panelist at a Tuesday morning forum about childhood trauma in Baltimore hosted by U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D).
He congratulated her for the new position on Twitter.
“I’m sure that her experience and dedication to delivering the best health outcomes to those in need will make her an invaluable resource for the next generation of public health leaders,” Cummings tweeted.
Wen had been the first doctor to lead Planned Parenthood in almost 50 years, but departed amid shifting priorities in the organization’s vision. While Wen focused on reproductive health as general health care and a fundamental human right, the organization’s board wanted to focus on abortion rights advocacy in light of conservative attacks around the country.
Wen will continue to live in Baltimore, where she previously served as the city’s health officer.
One of Wen’s new positions at GW, as a distinguished fellow in the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute, carries some personal significance.
“Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan has been my mentor since I was 18. He exemplifies what it means to be a physician-leader: someone who advocates for health as a human right, who fights against deep-rooted injustices, whose North Star is serving patients and communities most in need,” Wen tweeted.
Danielle E. Gaines
Contributor
Danielle Gaines worked for Maryland Matters from September 2018 to January 2024. She covered government and politics for Maryland Matters for two years before moving into an editing position, ultimately serving as editor-in-chief for nearly three years. Previously, she spent six years at The Frederick News-Post ― as the paper’s principal government and politics reporter for half that time, covering courts and legal affairs before that. She also reported for the now-defunct The Gazette of Politics and Business in Maryland and previously worked as a county government and education reporter at The Merced Sun-Star in California’s Central Valley.
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