Dr. Julie Freischlag: Vascular Surgeon, CAO and Executive VP Advocate Health, CEO and CAO Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Executive VP Health Affairs at Wake Forest University (#25)

Episode Title: Breaking Barriers in Surgery & Leadership with Dr. Julie Freischlag

Guest: Dr. Julie Freischlag, Vascular Surgeon & CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Podcast: The DIEP End

Episode Summary:

In this inspiring episode of The DIEP End, we’re joined by trailblazing vascular surgeon and healthcare leader Dr. Julie Freischlag. From growing up in a working-class family in Illinois to becoming the first female chief of vascular surgery at UCLA and eventually the CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Dr. Freischlag shares a powerful story of grit, leadership, and innovation.

She reflects on the mentors who shaped her, the barriers she broke through as a woman in surgery, and how she’s shaped institutions like Johns Hopkins and Wake Forest. With humor and heart, Dr. Freischlag gives listeners a masterclass in resilience, authenticity, and leading with purpose in academic medicine.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How early encouragement from family fueled her confidence and career
• The pivotal moments that led her to vascular surgery
• Behind-the-scenes stories of becoming chair of surgery at Johns Hopkins
• Advice for navigating leadership as a woman in medicine
• The power of mentorship and opening doors for others
• How she’s transformed academic institutions through inclusion and innovation
• What it means to build a legacy beyond the operating room

Quotable Moments:

• "When a door closes, you’re not supposed to beat it down. Just find another door."
• "You can’t do any of it unless you’re a good surgeon first."
• "It doesn’t take much to make someone feel seen—and that can change everything."

Keywords (SEO-Driven): surgical leadership podcast, Dr. Julie Freischlag, women in surgery, vascular surgeon CEO, Wake Forest Baptist, Johns Hopkins surgery, academic medicine trailblazer, mentorship in medicine, female medical leaders, surgical innovation, the DIEP End podcast, DEI in surgery, American College of Surgeons president, National Academy of Medicine, thoracic outlet syndrome expert

Follow Dr. Freischlag:

• Wake Forest Baptist Profile: www.wakehealth.edu

Follow The DIEP End:

• Instagram & YouTube: @thediependpodcast
• Spotify & Apple Podcasts: The DIEP End

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(Recorded on February 26, 2025)