About

OUR VISION

A society where neither race nor poverty determines health or overall life outcomes. Black Directors Health Equity Agenda (BDHEA) envisions continuous, effective effort and action on eliminating disparities among Black people, where inequities have been the most persistent despite significant efforts by an array of interested parties over many years. We are trusted conveners, educators and translators of the data that represents and impacts Black communities.

OUR MISSION

Comprised mostly of directors from organizations committed to health and wellness, the BDHEA seeks to use our unique platform to advance work in ways that are likely to result in long-term, sustainable reductions in health disparities. To achieve this, we will:

  • Articulate the business case for addressing the health disparities that impact Black people and other communities of color,
  • Foster increased collaboration among top health systems to share best practices and synergies,
  • Ensure equitable access to care (with a focus, most immediately, on vaccine education and delivery), and
  • Address social determinants of health including housing, food insecurity, education and employment, through meaningful, yet practical programs while advocating for policies that can have a long-term, positive impact.

OUR TEAM

Dr. Kelvin Baggett
Founding Member
Managing Director
Posterity Capital Group
Dr. Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA
Founding Member, Board Member
Former U.S. Surgeon General
Dr. David Blackwell
Founding Member
Senior Director
Pfizer, Inc.
Gilbert Bland
Founding Member
President and CEO
Urban League of Hampton Roads
Lynn Crump-Caine
Founding Member
Board Member
Advocate Aurora Health
Rosalyn Carpenter
Founding Member
Chief Diversity Officer
CommonSpirit Health
Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr.
Founding Member
President and CEO
National Newspaper Publishers Association
Alfreda Bradley-Coar
Founding Member, Board Member
CEO & Principal Advisor
The Bradley Coar Group, LLC
Caretha Coleman
Executive Sponsor, Board Member
Chairman
The Leverage Network
Ericajoy Daniels
Founding Member
Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Advocate Aurora Health
John Daniels
Executive Sponsor, Board Member
Chairman Emeritus
Quarles & Brady LLP
Renee DeSilva
Founding Member
CEO
The Health Management Academy
Carlton Highsmith
Founding Member
President and CEO
The Specialized Packaging Group
Michele Hooper
Founding Member
Board Member
UnitedHealth Group
Dr. Ivor Horn
Founding Member
Angel Investor
Rondy Jennings
Founding Member
Managing Director
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Shamika Mazyck
Founding Member
Assistant Secretary for the Board
Attorney
Quarles & Brady LLP
Dr. William Payne
Founding Member
Founder
myowndoctor

Deborah Phillips
Executive Director
Founding Member
Black Director’s Health Equity Agenda (BDHEA)

Senior Advisor
Gray Matter Analytics

Dr. Lauren Powell
Founding Member
Executive Director
Times UP Healthcare
Janet Reid
Founding Member
Board Member
Bon Secours Mercy Health
Michele Baker Richardson
Executive Sponsor, Board Member
Founder and President
Higher Education Advocates, LLC
Dr. Derek J. Robinson
Founding Member
Vice Chairman, Board of Trustees
Xavier University of Louisiana

Michael Robinson
Founding Member, Board Member
Vice President North America, Healthcare
VMware, Inc.

Alfonse Upshaw
Founding Member, Board Member
SVP, Corporate Controller, Chief Accounting Officer
Kaiser Permanente
Joe Wilkins
Founding Member, Board Member
Managing Director
JW Healthcare Insights
Kneeland Yongblood
Kneeland Youngblood
Founding Member
Founding Partner
Pharos Capital Group, LLC

OUR PARTNERS

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BDHEA is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
© 2020 Black Directors Health Equity Agenda.
All rights reserved.

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CONTACT US

Black Directors Health Equity Agenda, Inc.
c/o Lana Hertel, Executive Assistant to the Board of Directors

332 S. Michigan Avenue 9th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
info@bdhea.org

Powering the future of

Health Equity