Webinar: Building Diverse Boards and C-Suites in Healthcare
Wednesday, February 3, 2021 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST
About the webinar
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacting African-Americans, followed by the rapidly shifting attitudes on racism and structural inequities, the U.S. healthcare ecosystem is at a unique point in history. As organizations commit to creating diverse and inclusive cultures, as well as supporting social justice initiatives, many are still struggling with internal inclusivity. Faced with internal and external pressures to join a growing movement committed to diversity in the workforce, there is increasing desire to address diversity in an area that is particularly alarming: Boardrooms and c-suites. In fact, a recent Urban Institute report indicated that 47% of all nonprofit hospital governing boards have zero racial or ethnic minorities, in spite of the fact that oft-cited studies such as the McKinsey Diversity Database directly point to a strong correlation between more diverse teams and overall financial performance. Moreover, demographics are shifting rapidly and profoundly in the U.S., and there is a widening gap between what leadership looks like at healthcare organizations and the patients they serve. This webinar is an in-depth discussion about why diversity at the top leadership levels of organizations is particularly important, as well as how to build diverse and inclusive boardrooms and c-suites that are more representative of the U.S. patients.
Distinguished Speakers
Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, MD
CHI Board of Directors
Chief Diversity Officer at American Medical Women’s Association Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center
Dr. Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD, is the Chief Diversity Officer at American Medical Women’s Association and Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. She is a cognitive neurologist, clinical trialist and researcher in the field of population health and aging. She is the Senior Neurologist for the federally funded Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC) Clinical Core in Chicago; Director of Research at the Rush Heart Center for Women, and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Neurological Sciences and Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. A graduate of the Academy of Neurology - Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, Dr. Aggarwal is a long-standing voice for community based research, clinical trial participation, public health initiatives, both locally and nationally. She has served in numerous leadership roles throughout her career. She is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), member of the Governing Council of the American Medical Association- Women's Physician Section, a Fellow of the Institute of Medicine Chicago, and was recently awarded the 2016 Woman in Science award from the American Medical Women's Association. Her role as a Chicago Innovation Mentor (CIM) in addition to serving as the National Chair for the Women in Bio (WIB) Mentoring, Advisors and Peers Committee places her in a unique position to work with a diverse group of colleagues and mentor women in the medical, life sciences and STEM sectors. She completed her medical degree from the Rosalind Franklin University - Chicago Medical School, completed her neurology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and completed an aging and neurodegenerative disorders fellowship at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, MD CHI Board of Directors Chief Diversity Officer at American Medical Women’s Association Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center.
Moderator: Julius Pryor III
Chair of CHI Board of Directors
Senior Director, Cerner Government Services
Julius Pryor helps companies leverage Diversity & Inclusion to accelerate innovation and drive business results. He’s held executive roles at Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), Russell Athletic, Abbott Labs and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. He was Vice President of Global Diversity at both J&J and Coke. Most recently, Julius served as Head of Innovation, Diversity & Inclusion at biotech leader Genentech. Julius combines a unique vision for the future of D&I, a strong grounding in sales and management, and insights into what works across different industries and sectors. Julius saw the power of diversity to accomplish results during his 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy. He is a U.S. Navy Captain, Surface Warfare Officer and Instructor for the Navy Officer Leadership Development Program. He’s held numerous Navy leadership roles including, Unit Commanding Officer and Fleet Staff Officer. He had the honor of serving on the re-commissioning crew of the historic USS Missouri (BB-63). Julius graduated from Morehouse College and The Williston Northampton School (Easthampton, MA). He sits on the boards of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership and the Center for Healthcare Innovation. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, having pledged at the legendary Psi Chapter at Morehouse College. Julius is the author of Thriving in a Disruptive World: 6 Critical Concepts for Navigating the 21st Century.
Ms. Carolynn L. Johnson, MBA
CEO at DiversityInc
Carolynn Johnson was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of DiversityInc Media LLC in May 2019.
She previously served as the company’s COO and Chief Revenue Officer for the past 16 years during which she was responsible for operations, all major corporate partnerships, web properties, and events. She was also responsible for sales management, information technology, circulation, business development and the development and execution of the annual DiversityInc Top 50 competition.
Prior to joining DiversityInc in 2003, Ms. Johnson was the marketing coordinator of pharmaceutical and science groups, for Advanstar Communications. Prior to Advanstar, she was an account manager at Correct Communications, a full-service marketing and communications agency.
Carolynn completed an executive management program at the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College and earned an MBA from Rutgers Business School.
She has been the director of the DiversityInc Foundation for the past 10 years and is on the National Board of Directors at INROADS. Additionally, Carolynn is a Founding Board Member of the Rutgers Business School Center for Women in Business. While completing her MBA, Carolynn was an elected class officer and was a recipient of the Ted Marousas Award for Expanding the footprint of the Rutgers EMBA.