Esther Choo

Esther Choo is a distinguished emergency physician and Professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), where she has worked since 2016. A dedicated advocate for racial and gender equality in medicine, her lived experiences as a woman of colour in healthcare have profoundly shaped her work as a public speaker and leader. Through her dual roles in clinical care and academia, she addresses systemic inequities and works to dismantle barriers in healthcare delivery and workplace culture. Esther is also the co-founder of Equity Quotient, an organisation committed to assessing equity culture in healthcare institutions, and a founding member of TIME’S UP Healthcare, pushing for accountability and safety in medical environments. Her keynote topics include Building Organisational Cultures of Excellence, Creating a Culture of Equity, Safety & Respect: Your Roadmap to Better Patient Outcomes, Racism as a Public Health Crisis, and Doctors at the Brink: The Toll of COVID-19 on Healthcare Workers.

Her journey began with a degree in English from Yale College in 1994, followed by work as a journalism intern at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. She then returned to Yale to complete her medical degree in 2001, before undertaking her emergency medicine residency at Boston Medical Center. Esther pursued a fellowship in health services research at OHSU, where she later earned a Master’s in Public Health in 2009. She went on to become an associate professor at the Alpert Medical School, where she also led the Division of Women’s Health in Emergency Care. These formative experiences cultivated her deep interest in the intersection of healthcare, gender, and racial justice.

Esther’s recent accolades reflect both her professional excellence and advocacy. She has been honoured with the Outstanding Physician Award from the University Emergency Medicine Foundation, the SAEM Young Investigator Award, and the OHSU Emerging Leader Award. As a TEDx speaker, she presented How Healthcare Workers Are Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and she regularly appears on CNN and MSNBC to discuss public health issues, including disparities in care. A popular science communicator, she is known for using social media to shed light on racism, sexism, and inequity in medicine.

Organisations seek out Esther because of her expertise in creating inclusive, respectful, and safe environments in healthcare. Her speaking topics address urgent issues such as the emotional toll of the pandemic, systemic racism in health systems, and strategies for equity-led organisational change. With an evidence-based and engaging approach, Esther empowers institutions to recognise racism as a public health crisis and motivates leaders to transform their cultures. Her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and respect makes her a sought-after speaker for institutions aiming to achieve meaningful change.