From boardrooms to bedside care, Black leaders in healthcare are making waves and driving changes that uplift and empower diverse communities. Their work speaks to the heart of what healthcare travelers like you do every day — show up, adapt, and ensure everyone has access to the care they deserve.

Meet 12 of the extraordinary professionals leading the way in healthcare innovation, health equity, and patient care.

• Greg Adams, Chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente
• Abiola Anyebe, Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of North Texas at ScionHealth
• Dr. Francine Baker-Witt, DNP, RN, President and CEO of Effingham Health System
• Pamela Abner, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer, Mount Sinai Hospital Group
• Dr. Paul Alexander, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Health Equity and Transformation Officer at RWJBarnabas Health
• Chris Allen, Interim CFO of Keck Medicine of USC
• Dr. Selwyn Vickers, MD, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Dr. Patrice Harris, MD, Founder and CEO of eMed
• Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, PhD, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Garth Graham, MD, MPH, FACC, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health at Google/YouTube
• Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, Founding Director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center at Yale School of Medicine
• Dr. Ala Stanford, MD, Founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium

12 Black Changemakers Revolutionizing Healthcare

Note: Black healthcare leaders chosen for this article were sourced from professionals featured in Becker's Healthcare nominations and editorial research. This list is not comprehensive and does not serve as an endorsement of the leaders or organizations mentioned.

Greg Adams

Adams, the chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, isn’t just leading one of the biggest healthcare systems in the country, he’s reshaping how care is delivered. With over three decades of experience, Adams has made it his mission to ensure that affordable, high-quality healthcare is accessible to everyone, no matter where they live.

"I wanted to address the challenging issues facing my community, and I believed nursing would afford me the opportunity to help others," said Adams. "I graduated from nursing school at the age of 18 and went to work in the emergency department (ED) at Crawford Long Hospital, now Emory Midtown in Atlanta. I experienced the power of committed leaders focused on fulfilling the mission of service. It wasn’t just about the care we provided in the ED. We understood the importance of examining the issues of social determinants of health. Early on, I realized this larger context for care, and I understood that as a leader, I could do more."

Under his leadership, Kaiser Permanente launched Risent Health, a game-changing initiative designed to bring community health systems together and expand value-based care nationwide. This kind of forward-thinking doesn’t just benefit patients — it also opens the door for traveling nurses and allied health professionals like you to make an even bigger impact.

Abiola Anyebe

Anyebe, the Market CEO for ScionHealth’s Kindred Hospitals of North Texas, is all about making long-term acute care facilities the best they can be. She leads with a hands-on approach, ensuring that these specialized hospitals run smoothly while building strong partnerships to drive innovation. Her focus is on creating better outcomes for patients who need specialized, extended care and her leadership shows how teamwork combined with creative solutions can improve healthcare for patients, staff, and the communities they serve.

Dr. Francine Baker-Witt

As the President and CEO of Effingham Health Systems, Dr. Baker-Witt is deeply committed to enhancing healthcare in rural communities.

Her leadership has led to significant improvements, including the implementation of the da Vinci robot in surgery technology, making Effingham the first rural critical access hospital in Georgia to offer this advanced surgical option.

Additionally, the expansion of services like the Effingham Cardiology Center and the launch of regional telemedicine programs for children have increased the demand for versatile healthcare travelers who can adapt to diverse clinical environments. Dr. Baker-Witt’s focus on innovation and accessibility not only transforms patient experiences but also creates dynamic opportunities for you to make a difference in rural healthcare.

Pamela Abner

Abner is the Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer at Mount Sinai Health System, and to say she’s dedicated to creating inclusive and equitable healthcare environments would be an understatement.

With over 15 years of experience, Abner collaborates with industry leaders to develop strategic diversity, health equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that break down barriers for both patients and healthcare providers from diverse backgrounds. Her work promotes culturally aware and anti-racist practices, ensuring that perm and traveling healthcare professionals alike enter workplaces that value diversity and inclusivity.

Dr. Paul Alexander, MD

Dr. Alexander is on a mission to tackle the real-life challenges that impact patient health beyond the walls of a hospital. As Chief Health Equity and Transformation Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, he focuses on the social determinants of health, such as access to housing, food security, and financial stability — every day factors that can make or break someone’s ability to stay healthy.

“The connection between financial status and health is a primary factor in improving BIPOC communities," said Dr. Alexander. "The absence of funding leads to poor health, which reduces the ability to get an education and to work, in turn, hindering the ability to be a community contributor. We can now better prepare underrepresented communities for the future by listening to them and addressing their needs through a holistic approach.”

Healthcare is about more than just treating symptoms, and Dr. Alexander’s leadership is proof.

Chris Allen

Chief Financial Officer of Keck Medicine Chris Allen is the kind of leader who keeps healthcare systems running smoothly behind the scenes. With a deep understanding of financial operations, he plays a crucial role in ensuring that academic health systems like Keck Medicine stay sustainable while continuing to deliver top-notch patient care. From managing budgets to overseeing revenue cycles and material management, Allen’s work is all about balancing the books so you can focus on what you do best: caring for patients.

Whether it’s funding innovative health programs, maintaining state-of-the-art facilities, or supporting staffing needs, Allen’s work helps pave the way for a seamless experience for both healthcare providers and the communities served.

Dr. Selwyn Vickers, MD

A trailblazer in the fight against cancer, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Dr. Vickers has a decorated career rooted in groundbreaking research and a passion for patient-centered care.

“What [drives] me [is] the legacy of the challenge that this country’s been dealing with since 1865 when there was an abolition [freeing] three million Black slaves,” Dr. Vickers said. “We’re still struggling with how to integrate them in our society. We had an opportunity, and we created a surrogate slave system and caste system that continually created the second class citizenry for people of color. That’s been pervasive in several areas that we deal with across the landscape of economics, education, and certainly not the least of them, health care.”   

His leadership focuses on combining cutting-edge science with compassionate care, ensuring patients receive the most effective and personalized therapies available.

Dr. Patrice Harris, MD

Dr. Harris is a powerhouse in healthcare, leading the charge in transforming how care is delivered through telehealth and digital diagnostics. As a pioneer in these areas, she’s not just using her medical degree to advance technology, she’s making healthcare more accessible, especially for those in underserved communities who often face barriers to quality care.

"My original reason for wanting to be a physician was based on a television doctor, Dr. Marcus Welby," said Dr. Harris. "As a little girl, I saw that Dr. Welby not only took care of his patients inside the exam room, he cared about families and he cared about the community, all in the service of improving health. That broad vision of what physicians could do appealed to me from the very beginning."

With a vision for a more connected and inclusive healthcare system, Dr. Harris is an icon, showing how technology and human compassion can go hand in hand.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, PhD

Dr. Corbett-Helaire is a shining example of how science can change the world. As one of the key minds behind the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, she played a pivotal role in creating a solution during one of the most difficult public health crises of our time. Not only did her work save countless lives, but it also showed the power of innovation, determination, and collaboration in the face of global adversity.

Thanks to Dr. Corbett-Helaire, we’re reminded of the ripple effect that dedication to science and care can have.

Garth Graham, MD, MPH, FACC

Dr. Graham is all about making healthcare smarter, more accessible, and deeply connected to the community. By combining his expertise in public health with cutting-edge technology, he’s positively changing patient care and education.

From using digital tools to reach under resourced communities to creating new ways to share health information, Dr. Graham’s work is making a real difference in improving patient outcomes across the U.S.  

Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS

A fierce advocate for health equity, Dr. Nunez-Smith uses research and data to tackle health disparities in care and ensure everyone has a fair shot at better health. Focusing on understanding the barriers that communities face — from access to resources to systemic inequities — Dr. Nunez-Smith implements actionable solutions to close those gaps.

Even further, Dr. Nunez-Smith’s leadership emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness and empathy in healthcare. So, as you’re traveling from assignment to assignment, remember Dr. Nunez-Smith and embrace every opportunity to learn from and support the community you’re working with.

Dr. Ala Stanford, MD

Dr. Stanford is a true force for good, proving that when healthcare meets heart, real change happens. During the coronavirus pandemic, she stepped up in an incredible way, founding the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium to bring testing, medical education, and vaccinations directly to under resourced communities.

"You have to acknowledge that bias exists in health care," said Dr. Stanford. "So it's great that the American Medical Association says it exists. But do you believe it? As someone in health care, do you believe that you play a role because of your own lived experience and bias that you bring into the exam room and into the operating room? And I think until the caregivers and educators acknowledge that we all have that bias, that we believe that we do, that we identify ways that we can change it and that we act on those things we identify, and then we share it with others. Until we do that, that's when you see real change."

Her efforts didn’t just save lives — they also built trust and broke down roadblocks in communities that have historically faced health disparities and inequities in healthcare. But her work doesn’t stop there; she’s continuing to champion targeted initiatives to make healthcare available and accessible to all.

These leaders are paving the way for a healthcare system that’s more fair, accessible, and effective for everyone. Through their innovation, advocacy, and leadership, they’re showing us what real progress looks like — and why representation truly matters.

For these Black healthcare leaders, their work isn’t just about big changes, but rather about creating a system where everyone feels seen and cared for. Let their dedication inspire all of us to push for a healthcare system that puts health equity, access, and excellence at the heart of everything we do.