Interview with Devyani Hunt, MD

Devyani Hunt, MD; Professor, Orthopedic Surgery; Chief, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Director, Living Well Center

Christine Gou: Can you talk about your background?

Devyani Hunt: In college, I majored in kinesiology with a minor emphasis in dance and had the intention of going to medical school to do sports medicine and eventually care for dancers longitudinally. The University of Texas in Houston, where I went to medical school, has a strong PM&R department, and as I explored ways to go into sports medicine, I was drawn to the whole person approach of PM&R.  In my second year of medical school, my sister was involved in a car accident and sustained a spinal cord injury. At first, this caused me to distance myself from PM&R because it was a little too close and personal, but as I further understood rehab, I realized that I wanted to be more involved. I completed residency at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab and was encouraged to come to WashU and work with Heidi Prather, given my interest in caring for performing artists and a focus on women’s health. I came to WashU for my Sports Medicine Fellowship, and it turned into much more than that, a place that nurtured my interests and fostered collaboration with talented colleagues in both clinical and research settings. When I finished my fellowship, I was interviewing for jobs and asked what I was looking for in a perfect job, I realized I kept describing WashU. Fortunately, there was a position for me, and that was 20 years ago.

Gou: Can you describe your relationship with your mentor?

Hunt: Dr. Heidi Prather opened doors for me and connected dots for me. She saw a path that I sometimes didn’t see. I remember feeling “you really think I should do that?” It is her gift to see the possibilities in people. She also motivates you to perform at her high level. 

Gou: Do you remember your first day of internship?

Hunt: Oh my gosh, yes. I was at the University of Washington internal medicine program in Boise, Idaho at the VA. The more senior residents had left, leaving only interns and the attendings at the hospital. I was in the ICU that night and we had a code. We brought him back, but everything that could go wrong went wrong! It was a crazy night, and I remember the specific calls that I got, the things I did, I even remember what I ate!  It is very ingrained in my memory, and I learned a lot that night and that year.

Gou: What has been a key moment in your career?

Hunt: Around 10 years into practice, I discovered lifestyle medicine at a conference with my sister who is a dietician. I thought I would go to a few talks as I had a lot of other work to do, but I ended up going to every lecture and took more notes than I’ve had in years at conferences. I was hearing new ways of addressing things that I’d see in my clinic but didn’t have tools to treat. For example, my patients with severe knee arthritis, who was overweight, had diabetes or sleep apnea, I had felt that all I could do was encourage them to lose weight, go to physical therapy and give them an injection every few months until they would eventually need a knee replacement. Learning how lifestyle interventions  could be the solution to better musculoskeletal health and to have tools to actually address them was really exciting. I think that excitement pushed me forward into action. Along with Dr. Prather,  the idea for the Washington University Living Well Center was born. We are still trying to push the boundary of new models of health care delivery, change the dialogue to address health care and not sick care and hopefully move the conversation more broadly toward a focus on health span. 

Gou: The Living Well Center is so innovative, can you impart us some lessons for success?

Hunt: It is important to partner with leadership and show the value of your ideas from all aspects including the patient perspective, the provider perspective and the financial perspective.  Building a team of people with different expertise but the same passion and mission is also critical. Along the way, we have partnered with multiple like-minded individuals, institutions and companies.  I’ve learned so much, especially about the business of medicine, from all of these interactions.  Keeping an open mind to understanding different ways to solve problems has been instrumental in moving this project forward.

Gou: You are a female physician serving as Chief of MSK PM&R in Orthopedics, what drives you in that role and how do you deal with challenges?

Hunt: I think about how I’m communicating and make sure that I am doing it in a way that’s fruitful for all involved. The most important job I see as Chief is to keep the mission of the department in mind while I foster all the amazing talents of my partners and help them do what they do best. Focusing on that, I feel like I don’t have to worry as much about some of the details in between.

Gou: Where can we find you on a Saturday morning?

Hunt: Probably driving all over St. Louis! Right now, my daughter is soon to turn 16, so I am savoring the time I have left to drive her around. I might be running errands, watching my son play soccer or catching up on emails. If I am lucky, maybe I would have gotten up a little later, taken the dogs for a walk, grabbed some coffee, outside if it’s sunny, by the fire if it’s cold. Taking it slow on a Saturday is my favorite option.

Gou: Do you believe in a work-life balance? What does that look like for you?

Hunt: I don’t think there’s ever a perfect balance. Sometimes I feel like I am running around putting out fires and other times I can be intentional about my time, but life is not always predictable. At work, patient care comes first. Administrative tasks follow. At home,  I think the key to my balance is really my husband. He takes up the slack and doesn’t roll his eyes when I have to leave super early in the morning or come home late. He just says, “okay, what can I do?” I feel so grateful. My whole family is my support too. Both sides of the grandparents are here in town. The kids have aunts and uncles that are invested in them and part of their day-to-day life.  I feel like my kids have been raised by the village. My son is applying for college right now. When I see his essays and he’s writing about how his grandparents have influenced him, it’s heartwarming to see.

Gou: Have you felt burnt out and wanted a break?

Hunt: Yes, not until in the last couple of years. I’m unsure if it’s because of age, changing health care or COVID. I don’t want to blame COVID for everything, but it really changed a lot, especially our day-to-day interactions at work. I have moments where I feel, gosh, this is overwhelming; how do I get through today or this week? But then, something happens that reminds me of why I do this and makes it invigorating again. If you feel that you are making a difference in this world in the realms you care about–whether that is family life, patient care, research, helping the division and department reach their goals or teaching residents and students, then the motivation is there to keep moving forward. 

Gou: Are there opportunities you said “no” to?

Hunt: In academics with all the additional responsibilities outside of patient care, I often give the advice that people should say yes to things that really motivate them and align with their professional goals and think critically about the other opportunities given there are only so many hours in a day.  However, that advice is hard to follow and over the years I have developed a better sense of when to say no. 

Gou: What makes you the most proud of yourself?

Hunt: Definitely my kids. I’m so proud of who they have become and all the things they have already accomplished. I’m excited to see what they do in their lives! I’m proud of my husband too; he has his own set of talents that are amazing. Outside of my family, I am proud of the work we are doing at the Living Well Center. There’s still so much we can do to bring about a new model of healthcare to positively affect patients and providers and move toward value based care.  Sometimes it is frustrating because we are tethered to quantitative metrics to show success, but often the individual stories are just as powerful, especially when patients share how their lives have been transformed. 

Gou: If you could give one piece of advice to a young female physician, what would it be?

Hunt: Be authentic and go with your passions because many days we spend more time at work than we do at home. If you can be engaged, excited and passionate about what you are doing, life is going to be great even if it’s hard at the same time. Be curious too, especially when the road isn’t linear. You never know what doors may open around the corner.