Sections
  • News & Politics
  • Food
  • Things to Do
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Health
  • Longreads
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Weddings
Reader Favorites
  • 100 Very Best Restaurants
  • DC-Area Events Calendar
  • Brunch
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
© 2023 Washingtonian Media Inc.
Privacy Policy
All Rights Reserved
 Rss
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
Washingtonian.com
  • Subscribe
Reader Favorites
  • 100 Very Best Restaurants
  • DC-Area Events Calendar
  • Brunch
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
Sections
  • News & Politics
  • Food
  • Things to Do
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Health
  • Longreads
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Travel
  • Weddings
  • News & Politics
  • Things to Do
  • Food
  • Health
  • Shopping
  • Home & Style
  • Real Estate
  • Weddings
  • Travel

  • 100 Very Best Restaurants
  • DC-Area Events Calendar
  • Brunch
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Washingtonian Events
  • Trending Now in Health
  • Best and Worst
  • First Person
  • Getaway
  • Dr. Tanzi
  • Health
Health

Meet the Doctor Who’s Roasting Coffee to Fund Surgeries in Developing Countries

Written by Kim Olsen
| Published on November 13, 2018
Tweet Share
All photos courtesy of Larry Istrail.

In the summer of 2017, when Larry Istrail was a resident on rotation at Inova Fairfax, he met a patient suffering from a rare tumor called a pheochromocytoma. Usually noncancerous and treatable with surgery, a pheochromocytoma causes the adrenal glands to pump out too much adrenaline, leading to high blood pressure, sweating, or anxiety. Basically, he says, the symptoms are similar to drinking too much coffee.

Now, Istrail, an internist at Inova Fairfax who lives in Arlington, has launched an online-only coffee company, Pheo Coffee, named after the condition. The 32-year-old says he jokingly ran the name by his friends. They thought it was a good idea.

The only problem with starting a coffee company? Istrail didn’t have any experience roasting coffee. He began buying wholesale coffee from Ethiopia and Mexico and roasting it in an iron skillet in his kitchen. After around 100 unsuccessful attempts and a lot of burned beans, he turned to Lone Oak Coffee Company in Winchester, Va., for roasting. Istrail now offers four kinds of coffee that can be purchased online here. 

nurse
dulci-table-front-coffee-gift-for-doctor
wilhelm
img-4908_1

Each roast honors a significant moment or person in medicine: the Butterfly blend is a nod to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing; Wilhelm Rontgen’s X is a breakfast blend that celebrates the discoverer of X-rays; Dr. Morton’s Dulci Vitrioli is a single origin Mexican Chiapas that tells the story of the first use of anesthesia; and Dr. Oliver’s Norepi is a single-origin Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, reminiscent of tea, that honors the discovery of adrenaline.

Istrail had dabbled in technology-focused healthcare, but wanted to create a business with a stronger social mission.  He partnered with Watsi, which he likens to a “Kickstarter for healthcare.” A portion of the proceeds from the coffee and other merchandise—medically themed shirts, mugs, and glassware—ultimately go toward surgeries in developing countries around the world. When you buy coffee or any other item, you receive a photo of the person your purchase is directly impacting. To date, Istrail has helped to fund ten surgeries, with ten more currently in the works.

One of Istrail’s most memorable patient stories is that of a 17-year-old Burmese girl named Khin, who was born with a rare heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. Without early intervention, most individuals experience severe complications that can lead to death in early adulthood. With just $1,500, Khin was able to undergo life-saving heart surgery in April, and is now healthy, hoping one day to become a teacher. In the “after” photo online, she has a huge smile on her face.

“I thought that was really powerful,” says Istrail. “That was really nice to see.”

More: Inova Fairfax HospitalPheo CoffeeSocial ImpactWatsi
Join the conversation!
Share Tweet
Kim Olsen
Kim Olsen

Kim Olsen ([email protected]) is a freelance writer in Alexandria.

Most Popular in Health

1

Our 23 Favorite Day Spas in Washington

2

The Best and Worst Things to Order at Cava Grill If You Want a Healthy Meal

3

The 14 Questions You Should Ask a Therapist Before Your First Appointment

4

Nicole Heidbreder, an “End-of-Life Doula,” Explains How She Helps the Dying and Their Loved Ones Let Go

5

3 Self-Care Getaways to Escape the DC Area

Washingtonian Magazine

January 2023: 23 Things We’re Excited About in 2023

January 2023: 23 Things We're Excited About in 2023

View Issue
Subscribe

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Follow Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

“They Fall Off a Cliff:” A DC-Area ICU Nurse on the Overflow of Covid-19 Patients She’s Seeing

What It’s Like to Be an ICU Nurse in DC Right Now

8 Local Gifts for That Healthy Person in Your Life

Photograph by April Greer. Lettering by Todd Detwiler. Hair and makeup by Rachel Lane Makeup Artistry.

These Twenty-Somethings Got Heart Transplants on the Very Same Day. And Then They Fell in Love.

More from Health

Nicole Heidbreder, an “End-of-Life Doula,” Explains How She Helps the Dying and Their Loved Ones Let Go

3 Meditation Apps to Help You Sleep Better

How to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions: DC Life Coaches Share Tips

Curious About CBD as a Sleep Aid? Here’s Where to Start.

5 Tips for How to Sleep Better at Night

3 Relaxing Places Around the DC Area

3 Self-Care Getaways to Escape the DC Area

“Skinimalism” Is the Latest Beauty Trend

© 2023 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs