Joan Lewis, MD
Personal
I was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1949 and grew up on the fifth floor of a bustling apartment building at 382 E. 199th Street. I was an only child, but I never felt alone—our building was full of life, with people of all ages and backgrounds. My mom was a registered nurse, and my dad sold comics for Dell. It was the perfect place to fall in love with stories, and I did—reading became my happy place.
I went to Catholic school at Mount St. Ursula, where I was the youngest in my class. The nuns were strict, but they gave me a solid education and a strong foundation. I still think back on that time with a smile.
When I was 12, we moved to Alhambra, California. I started high school at Alhambra High and later transferred to San Gabriel High. I was a bit of a geek—definitely not cool back then—but I had a few teachers and counselors, like Mr. Leach and Mr. Todd, who looked out for me and made a difference.
I graduated at 16 and went straight into nursing school at Hope Hospital in downtown LA. Life threw me some curveballs early on—I married and divorced by 17 and was pregnant with my son while taking pre-nursing courses at Pasadena City College. I eventually chose a diploma RN program at East LA College because it allowed me to stay home and focus on raising my son while still pursuing the career I knew I wanted.
Nursing
I began my healthcare journey as a nurse in a small, doctor-owned community hospital, often working the afternoon and night shifts. I eventually became a nursing supervisor while pursuing my medical degree at a local university. To support my education, I worked as a Utilization Review consultant and a registry med/surg nurse across Los Angeles. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in a self-designed Healthcare Science program, which allowed me to integrate my extensive hands-on experience with academic credit.
Doctor
I was accepted to Loyola Medical School in Chicago while raising my son as a single parent. After a year apart, I transferred to Drew/UCLA Medical School to be closer to him and completed my clinical rotations in South Central LA. I pursued a surgical residency and completed a critical care fellowship under Dr. William Shoemaker, whose mentorship shaped my evidence-based approach to medicine.
Drawn to pain management—an often-overlooked field—I launched a private clinic and conducted a 10-year study tracking patient outcomes. My work earned national recognition from the American Association of Pain Management.
Despite facing professional challenges, I continued training and returned to practice, later serving as National Medical Director for Heel USA, exploring integrative medicine. Ultimately, I combined decades of experience in anesthesia, critical care, ENT, pain management, and research to launch Designed Health Options and the Hear 4 Health podcast, with a focus on empowering patients through education and balanced, science-based care.
