COLLABORATION | with caregivers and patients to create healthier lives
He became determined to pursue
higher education in the United States.
With the help of family and friends,
he arrived in California in 1992 and
worked as a busboy to improve his
English. He eventually received a full
scholarship to Amherst University.
After graduating magna cum laude
with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience,
Dr. Huang spent a year doing research
at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a
teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical
School, in Boston. His desire to
pursue research and patient care led
to give back to the country that had
welcomed him so generously, so he
joined the United States Army Reserve.
“I really appreciated the opportunities
this country had given me,” he says. “I
was very honored to be an American.”
Dr. Huang was deployed to Iraq
in 2008 to support Operation Iraqi
Freedom. He served as a physician
for five months, saving the lives of
countless U.S. soldiers as well as those of
Iraqi citizens. No stranger to violence,
he treated many battlefield wounds,
including traumatic brain injuries and
“ really appreciated the opportunities this
I
country has given me. I was very honored
to be an American.”
—Jason H. Huang, MD
him to the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine, in Baltimore,
Maryland. After his graduation
Dr. Huang then attended the University
of Pennsylvania for seven years of
postgraduate neurosurgical residency.
He became a naturalized United States
citizen in 2000.
Called to serve
It was during his time as a resident
that the United States was shaken
by the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001. Dr. Huang felt the need
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THE CATALYST August 14 | sw.org
spinal cord injuries. “It was a very
unique experience,” says Dr. Huang.
“And I also got to serve in my area of
interest—neurosurgery.” Dr. Huang
returned to the United States and to his
position at the University of Rochester
Medical Center, in Rochester, New
York, as chief of neurosurgery at
Highland Hospital.
Serving Central Texas
However, it wasn’t long before Scott
& White Healthcare identified his
potential. “He had very impressive
credentials and accomplishments,” says
Glen Couchman, M