A Physician and Psychologist Duo
Dr. Susan Eagle is a Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist at a high-volume, high-acuity academic medical center where she serves as Director of Perioperative Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Executive Vice Chair of Anesthesiology and Executive Medical Director of Perioperative Services. With over two decades of experience as a physician, she is also a recognized innovator, having co-invented multiple mHealth technologies. Dr. Eagle has served as both Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer of two medical startup companies, whose devices have earned FDA clearance and national accolades from organizations such as the Southeastern Medical Device Association, the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, NEXT, and Google Entrepreneurs.
Her translational research has been supported by competitive funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01), National Science Foundation, and the American Heart Association. A dedicated mentor and advocate for physician development, Dr. Eagle has received national recognition for her mentorship from the Women in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (WICTA) and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER). In 2023, she earned her Coaching Certification from the International Coaching Federation, further expanding her capacity to support professional growth and resilience in healthcare.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Eagle enjoys life with her two children, two dogs, and a deeply supportive spouse. A lifelong athlete and sports enthusiast, she sees physicians as quarterbacks—making game-winning decisions under pressure—and brings the same intensity, focus, and strategic mindset to her coaching work. She knows firsthand that physician wellbeing is more than a sideline pursuit and must be prioritized for peak performance and career longevity, both in and out of the operating room.
Dr. Gloria Han is a clinical psychologist and faculty member in the Department of Anesthesiology at a leading academic medical center, where she also serves as Director of Professional Wellbeing. In this role, she partners with departmental leadership to implement evidence-based psychological strategies that promote physician wellbeing, reduce burnout, and support sustainable career development for more than 200 physicians. She has designed and facilitated faculty seminars that help physicians navigate difficult interpersonal dynamics, prevent professional stagnation, and build careers aligned with their values and mission.
Dr. Han also serves as core faculty in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, where she conducts clinical research on pediatric chronic pain in collaboration with physician-scientists across medical specialties. Her clinical work focuses on delivering integrated psychological care to patients with chronic pain, in partnership with physicians and rehabilitation specialists. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles and frequently presents on topics related to physician wellbeing and biopsychosocial approaches to pain.
A consistent thread throughout Dr. Han’s career—spanning several top-tier, R01-funded academic medical centers—is her recognition of the paradox at the heart of modern medicine: the same systems that train physicians to care for society’s most vulnerable often neglect the wellbeing of the caregivers themselves. Her work is grounded in the belief that psychology’s tools can and should be used not only to serve patients, but also to heal and empower the healers.
Outside of work, Dr. Han finds balance cultivating an improvised and ever-exploding garden in a not-so-secret attempt at a second career in flower farming. She also finds joy spending time in nature, adventuring with her canine companions, and taking the mic as a stand-up comic, where her most reliable material shares writing credits with her endlessly loving and supportive partner.
Physician's Playbook 