RISE Award Honoree N. Ewen Wang, MD

Why It Matters

Dr. Wang’s innovations in pediatric and social emergency medicine redefine equitable care delivery, while her mentorship pipeline ensures sustained impact across academia and underserved communities.

Key Takeaways

• Dr. Wong pioneered Stanford’s pediatric emergency medicine program.
• She founded the first social emergency medicine fellowship.
• Mentorship is central: dozens of mentees now leaders.
• Research focuses on health‑care disparities, locally and globally.
• She integrates equity, education, and community service daily.

Summary

The video celebrates Dr. N. Ewan Wang’s receipt of Stanford Medicine’s 2026 RISE Award, honoring her lifelong dedication to pediatric emergency care, health‑equity research, and mentorship. RISE—Reach, Inspire, Serve, Engage—captures the values she embodies through pioneering program development, innovative fellowship creation, and relentless advocacy for underserved children.

Key highlights include her establishment of Stanford’s pediatric emergency medicine department, the first social emergency medicine fellowship, and a research agenda targeting disparities in access to quality care. Dr. Wang’s work spans bedside care, local community outreach, and global health initiatives, illustrating a seamless blend of clinical excellence and systemic change.

Colleagues and former mentees recount personal anecdotes—ranging from her generosity in providing plane tickets to students, to her unwavering support during personal crises—underscoring her reputation as a mentor who “pays it forward.” Notable quotes emphasize her belief that “global is local, local is global,” and that true impact requires proactive, equity‑focused action.

The award signals Stanford’s recognition of a leader whose influence reshapes emergency medicine curricula, informs policy on social determinants of health, and cultivates the next generation of physician‑advocates. Her model of integrating clinical care with community engagement sets a benchmark for academic medicine worldwide.

Original Description

N. Ewen Wang, MD ’93, Resident ’96, Fellow ’99

Professor Emerita of Emergency Medicine–Pediatrics

The RISE (Reach, Inspire, Serve, Engage) Award was presented to N. Ewen Wang, MD ’93, Resident ’96, Fellow ’99, Professor Emerita of Emergency Medicine–Pediatrics, in recognition of her exceptional dedication to the Stanford School of Medicine and its alumni through acts of leadership, mentoring, and teaching.

For nearly 20 years, Dr. Wang served as the associate director of Stanford Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She founded the Social Emergency Medicine section at Stanford to identify patients’ social determinants of health that contribute to disease and to develop solutions to reduce health disparities. Dr. Wang was the inaugural director of the Social Emergency Medicine Advanced Fellowship program and served as medical director of the Stanford Health Advocacy and Research in the Emergency Department program. She presently serves as the faculty director of the Stanford Medicine MD/Masters Program in Health Equity.

Dr. Wang earned her medical degree and completed an emergency medicine residency at Stanford. She completed a joint pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (formerly Children’s Hospital Oakland).

Part of Stanford Medicine Alumni Day 2026.