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“Everyone needs a strong cardiovascular system, after all,” Dr. Chang says. “And it’s a field that lets me help not only people who seek treatment, but also my family and friends.”
After receiving his medical degree from National Yang-Ming University in his native Taiwan, Dr. Chang came to the U.S. for residency at the University of Minnesota, and a fellowship at Mayo Clinic of Rochester. He credits his cardiology mentors for steering him to the subspecialty of imaging cardiology, with a special focus on caring for patients with all forms of cancer and hematologic conditions.
Taking a Team Approach to Patient Care
Dr. Chang characterizes non-invasive technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography (CT), and echocardiography as “gateway tools” that he uses in collaboration with hematologists and oncologists to gather information and make decisions.
“We may be initiating a course of treatment, or making adjustments, particularly if the patient has other medical needs that need to be considered,” he says.
Dr. Chang came to MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center as an attending cardiologist, specialist in cardiac imaging, and cardio-oncology specialist late last year. Although he and his wife had to leave family behind, the opportunity to join a team of leaders in imaging cardiology and cardio-oncology was too good to pass up.
“This is an exciting time at the Hospital Center, as we’re at work building a new imaging platform that will vastly expand our diagnostic and treatment capabilities,” he says. “And my wife and I have family here as well, so it made our move much smoother.”
Outside the Hospital
Although metropolitan Washington doesn’t offer the volume of snow for cross-country skiing and other winter sports that Dr. Chang and his wife enjoyed in the north country, the couple and their 11-month-old son are taking advantage of the area’s own signature outdoor attractions.
“We love Rock Creek Park and the C&O Canal, and of course the National Zoo,” he says. “We enjoy going anywhere we can relax, and have life be less complicated and stressful, at least for a little while.”
