Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola will serve as the Advocate National Center for Health Equity’s new president,
Advocate Health announced Tuesday.
Olayiwola, who previously served as Humana’s chief health equity officer and senior vice president, will be leading the Advocate National Center for Health Equity’s efforts to improve access to quality health care for patients across the country. Olayiwola takes over from president
Cristy Garcia-Thomas effective Aug.19, according to Advocate Health's Tuesday news release.
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and is the parent company of Advocate Aurora Health. AAH and North Carolina-based Atrium Health merged in 2022.
Olayiwola has more than 20 years of experience in “clinical, community and academic medicine, health technology innovation, health services research, public health leadership and health system transformation,” according to the Advocate Health news release.
Olayiwola is excited to be “laying the groundwork for change for all,” she said in the news release.
“By using data and community engagement principles to design and accelerate programs, we will help underserved populations gain equitable access to health care, eliminate care gaps, remove social and environmental barriers to care and build healthier communities,” she said in the news release.
As Humana’s chief health equity officer, Olayiwola worked on strategies to help increase access for patients seeking equitable health care, according to the news release.
Olayiwola will continue that work with the Advocate National Center for Health Equity, which aims to address gaps in life expectancy related to maternal and infant health, chronic diseases, “violence-driven injuries, as well as social drivers like employment, food and housing,” an Advocate Health spokesperson said.
Olayiwola said in the news release that she is confident the Advocate National Center for Health Equity will “positively impact” the role that “racial or ethnic background, socioeconomic status or the ZIP code you come from” can restrict a person’s access to quality health care.
Olayiwola received her master’s degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She earned her bachelor’s degree and doctorate of medicine from the Ohio State University. Olayiwola went on to become chair and a professor at OSU’s Family and Community Medicine Department.
“With the selection of Dr. Olayiwola to lead the Advocate National Center for Health Equity, we believe we can make significant strides to disrupt and eliminate existing barriers and ensure access to high quality health care for underserved populations,” Kinneil Coltman, the executive vice president and chief community and social impact officer for Advocate Health, said in the news release.
