CVS Health has named Joneigh Khaldun, M.D., as its new vice president and chief health equity officer.
Khaldun will report to Kyu Rhee, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer at Aetna. In her new role, Khaldun will lead CVS' efforts to drive health equity across the healthcare giant's enterprise.
She and her team will focus on more effectively integrating culturally competent care into the design and development of new population health initiatives, products, services and communications, CVS said. She will also work with partners in the healthcare industry to advance health equity and better reach underserved communities.
(CVS Health)
“As a health care innovation company committed to health equity and breaking down barriers that perpetuate health disparities, Dr. Khaldun joins our team as Chief Health Equity Officer at a critically important time,” said Rhee in a statement. “Her expertise in creating solutions to help improve health outcomes will help us continue addressing health inequities for the customers and communities we serve.”
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Before joining CVS, Khaldun served as the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan and was the chief deputy director for health in the state's Department of Health and Human Services. In this position, she led the state's response to COVID-19.
Earlier this year, Khaldun joined the Biden administration's COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.
In addition to her new role at CVS, Khaldun practices emergency medicine part time at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. She also serves on the national advisory board for the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan, on the board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit and on the health and medicine committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
Khaldun is also an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health.