Speakers

Julie Wood
Dr. Julie Wood
She, Her, Hers
Optum
Behavioral Medical Director
Dr. Julie Wood is a senior behavioral medical director for Optum Idaho. She provides medical oversight to Optum Idaho’s internal programs and committees as well as quality reviews related to member safety. Dr. Wood is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with medicine as a second career. Prior to attending medical school at Ross University School of Medicine, she worked as a basic and clinical scientist in pharma and biotech for over 15 years.

Dr. Wood completed her internship in adult psychiatry at the University of Chicago and her post-graduate residency years two through four in Dallas, Texas at UT Southwestern. Prior to joining Optum Idaho in July 2020, she worked for a residential care facility specializing in eating disorder and substance use disorders. She also worked as an outpatient psychiatrist for Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, California and a community mental health center in Indiana.

Dr. Wood has been married for 32 years and has six adult children, a grandson, two dogs and two chickens.
Medication Management for Mental Health and the Importance of Care Coordination
Medication Management for Mental Health and the Importance of Care Coordination (Virtual)


Patrick Zhao
Dr. Patrick Zhao
He, Him, His
Optum
Behavioral medical director
My name is Patrick Zhao MD, MS. I have served as a behavioral health medical director since I joined Optum in 2016. I am board-certified in general, child and adolescent psychiatry and addiction medicine.

In private practice, I am medical director of a substance use treatment program specialized in LGBTQIA+ clients. Since 2014, I have worked with hundreds of transgender clients, and that number increases every week. I have presented transgender-related studies and have participated on trans-related committees for both Optum and the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

It is not modest to say my trans client have taught me more than I taught them. I appreciate all the opportunities to learn, share and teach LGBTQIA+-related mental health and substance use issues.
LGBTQIA+ Panel Serving Adults & Youth
LGBTQIA+ Panel Serving Adults & Youth (Virtual)