A Smile is Sometimes the Best Medicine
Jesse Huang is always smiling.
“I’m not a doctor. I’m not a radiologist. Those are the miracle workers,” he says with humble ease, as if he’s not aware how much his radiant smile and positive energy boosts patient’s wellbeing. “I’m just trying to make your day a little better,” he says.
Huang greets patients with a warm smile and welcoming vibes from behind the registration desk. As a Practice Coordinator at UCSF Health, he rotates between the UC Imaging Center (UCIC) and ultrasound at 400 Parnassus, and the third floor of the medical center at Parnassus Heights. Patients check-in with him before their MRI, CT, or ultrasound exams and he explains the process to them.
“It’s really hard not to be smiling all the time,” says Huang, who loves interacting with people. In response to his kindness, patients express an outpouring of appreciation. Once a patient returned to the clinic a day after their appointment to bring a wooden box full of chocolates as a thank you.
Recently, a patient emailed a glowing review:
For Huang, it comes naturally. “Sometimes they don’t want to be here,” he says, empathizing with patients who he knows may be scared or stressed to have an imaging appointment. “It’s my job is to make sure they are being seen and heard.”
From Pain Comes Positivity
Huang wasn’t always this positive. The devastating loss of his best friend shaped his unwavering spirit of positivity today.
“I see the good in people, appreciate and value this life, and make every day as good as I can,” he says, sharing the lessons taught to him by his best friend.
Born and raised in San Francisco’s Sunset district, Huang was thrilled to join the UCSF team. Shortly after graduating from UC San Diego during the COVID Pandemic in 2021, he knew he wanted to work in healthcare to help people. Although he was skeptical at first, he turned to a temporary employment agency and was pleasantly surprised when he secured a position at UCSF. Like most of us, he got lost on his first day, but quickly learned the ropes and grew to love his colleagues, whom he now considers like family.
“I love what I’m doing and wouldn’t change it for the world,” he told his supervisor when he transitioned to a full-time, permanent position two years ago. He credits his success to his supportive teammates who taught him all about Epic (UCSF’s electronic medical record) and the details of each radiology exam, ensuring he could confidently answer questions at the front desk.
In his free time, Huang enjoys playing video games where his love of light over darkness flows into a virtual world. In his favorite game, Kingdom Hearts, he overcomes darkness with the power of light and friendship and is reminded to follow his heart by the game’s theme, "May your heart be your guiding key."
An adventurer at heart, he travels to a new destination each year. This spring he chose Japan. In Tokyo, he immersed himself in the beauty of the cherry blossom festival and snagged a coveted seat at the Kirby Cafe, experiencing food and ambiance inspired by the popular video game character Kirby.
Huang hopes to continue to working miracles at UCSF, someday possibly in a different role. He aims to become a radiology technologist or a nurse at UCSF in the future.