The 2017 MedTech Boston 40 Under 40 Healthcare Innovators

19. Khin-Kyemon Aung
MD/MBA Candidate at Harvard University
Ms. Khin-Kyemon Aung, MD/MBA candidate at Harvard Medical School, has always wanted to be a physician. Very early on, she made up her mind to pursue this goal with hopes that it would give her “the opportunity to tangibly improve the lives of patients and families during some of their most difficult times.”

While interning for the Massachusetts Health Department as an undergraduate, she came across “too many people [who] cannot afford their care, too many [who] aren’t receiving the high-quality services they deserve, and too many [who] are lost in the shuffle of the chaotic, complex system.” Aung quickly realized she wanted to be a part of the innovations changing the healthcare industry and the way care is delivered.

After college, she worked as a fellow for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and as a Managing Editor of Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation. At the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, she “helped design and implement new accountable care organization models for low income and complex patients.” While in school and until last year, she continued to write for Healthcare, “evaluating and editing submissions on some of the most innovative ideas about reforming payment systems, improving quality, and delivering more patient-centered care.”

Additionaly, she interned with Iora Health during the first year of medical school. The start-up’s noble mission, “to revolutionize the ways in which primary care is financed and furnished,” allowed her to get a better look at the “operational inefficiencies of Medicare” policies. Most recently, she has become interested in bridging the “gap between historically disparate sectors of healthcare.”

When she is not spending quality time with patients, Aung enjoys cooking and watching basketball and tennis. Aung credits her great success to her parents and mentors who have helped her along the way!