For Kara Chung, the path to a career at ZS wasn’t a straightforward one—but it was deeply intentional. Originally on a premed track in college, Kara’s passion for healthcare was fueled by her upbringing in an underserved immigrant community. She witnessed the disparities in health education and access that disproportionately affect minority populations, sparking a desire to bridge those gaps.
Yet she quickly realized that the clinical setting wasn’t the best avenue for the kind of systemic change she wanted to make. Kara explains, “I pivoted to nonprofit work and public health to understand healthcare delivery on a broader scale.” This shift led her to explore the healthcare system beyond front-line care, eventually bringing her to ZS, where she saw the opportunity to influence change at a strategic level.
Where passion changes lives
At ZS, Kara immersed herself in health plan and provider work, focusing on projects that addressed chronic disease management, population health and patient services. She sought out projects aligned with her passion, networking with colleagues to find initiatives that tackled systemic healthcare issues.
Most recently, Kara played a pivotal role in ZS’s collaboration with a multinational pharmaceutical company on a project aimed at expanding opportunities in women’s health. “Women are an underserved population in medicine,” she notes. “Our client wanted to understand the current research landscape—what’s being developed, what’s missing and where they could invest to drive real change.”
Kara and her team conducted an extensive landscape assessment, diving into clinical research on conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and menopause-related symptoms. What they found was both illuminating and disheartening—there was a significant lack of research and investment in these areas. “Some of the science was incredible,” Kara says, referencing innovative developments like lab-grown organ replicas that could revolutionize drug testing. “But there’s still a massive gap between research and actual product development.”
The team at ZS worked closely with experts across different domains—ZS’s Women’s Health Expertise Hub, Ph.D.s, M.D.s and business strategists—to synthesize their findings into a compelling, actionable story. “It wasn’t just about collecting data,” Kara explains. “It was about framing it in a way that inspired action.”
Despite the challenges, working with ZS’s client was a rewarding experience. “They genuinely cared,” Kara recalls. “They weren’t just looking at this from a business perspective; they were passionate about making a difference. That energy made all the late nights and fast-paced deadlines worth it.”
Aligning personal and professional passion
For Kara, this project was more than just another engagement—it was a reaffirmation of her mission at ZS. “I joined ZS to understand the entire healthcare system and to find ways to improve it, especially for underserved communities,” she says. “This project perfectly aligned with that goal, connecting pharma, women’s health and actionable strategies to drive change.”
Through her work, Kara continues to push for meaningful change, ensuring that the voices of underserved communities are heard and their healthcare needs are prioritized. And with passionate leaders like her at the forefront, the future of equitable healthcare looks brighter than ever.
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