In this episode, Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun speaks with Dr. Alen Voskanian, a physician-leader whose career spans HIV care, palliative medicine, operations leadership, and system transformation. Dr. Voskanian shares the personal experiences that shaped why he entered health care and why he now focuses on fixing what he calls the “pebbles in the shoe”: workflow frictions, broken processes, and system barriers that drain joy from clinicians, public health professionals, and patients alike.
Together, they explore the global lessons he’s learned from health systems in Japan, India, Spain, and South Korea; the connections between built environments, isolation, and chronic disease; and why high-functioning operations and humanity must coexist.
Dr. Voskanian also reveals his framework for reclaiming joy—heart, head, and body—and offers practical guidance for future physicians, public health leaders, and anyone working to strengthen the health of their communities.
