Fiona He, MD

What is your practice philosophy? My professional philosophy is to provide personalized care plans for my patients based on their needs and my medical expertise. This includes providing approved treatment options including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies, as well as access to clinical trials for promising new treatments. I believe in whole mind-body medicine with integration of physical exercise, meditation, nutrition, and complementary therapies such as massage and acupuncture for supportive care. I enjoy getting to know my patients to hear about their goals, values, and motivations.  

What are you passionate about? And why? I’m passionate about food. I love learning about the science of food and cooking and eating foods from different cultures. I appreciate how food brings people together from all walks of life.  

If I wasn’t a provider, I would be a: Travel photographer. I love traveling with my trusty Fuji XT3 camera and capturing moments that I can enjoy and share with others.

Why did you become a provider? When did you know this was the career for you? I became a provider because I loved biology and science, but I didn’t want to work in a lab for the rest of my life. Learning medicine allowed me to apply science to directly impacting and helping people. Subspecializing in hematology and oncology was a natural choice for me as it’s the most rapidly growing field of medical research, with opportunities to help people through a challenging journey.   

Something I have learned from my patients is: How to live life. My patients teach me that every day is precious. They also teach me about grace and humanity, and that although we cannot always control death and disability, we can always try to live life to the best of our abilities.  

One of the challenges of this career that I enjoy is (and why):  It is hard when bad things happen to good people, which is an unfortunate regular occurrence in the field of oncology. Physicians are people, so this does affect us as well. I process this by allowing myself to be human, and then trying to channel my energy towards improving the field of oncology- by running clinical trials of new innovative treatments, designing research projects to look at outcomes, and sharing knowledge and experience with other experts.  

My personal health goal is: To continue working out 3-4 times per week- I enjoy doing spin class and yoga.  

What is the best thing you’ve done for your health or the best health advice you’ve received? I started meditating and it has had noticeable effects on my personal sense of peace and well-being. Even a few minutes per day goes a long way.  

What are you most proud of? I’m proud of being a classical pianist. I trained and taught lessons through college and medical school, and now play only for fun, but the language of music is truly a gift that I will always be grateful for.  

What are a few of your personal achievements? I ran a few half-marathons (I am now retired from long distance running!). I am a classical pianist. I have published papers and presented at national conferences for hematology.