IHI Board of Directors Elects Four New Members

Appointees bring deep expertise aligned with key IHI priorities

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has added four new members to its Board of Directors. The appointees have a wealth of experience related to current IHI priorities, including advancing equity and confronting institutional racism, improving population health, and closing gaps in the delivery of safe, equitable, and respectful maternal and infant care.

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IHI adds to its Board of Directors four new members who bring a wealth of experience across the areas of health equity, population health, and maternal and infant care. (Photo: Business Wire)

The four new appointees join an impressive slate of Board members who are representative of the diverse community IHI is committed to serving. These appointments come less than a year into Dr. Kedar Mate’s tenure as IHI President and CEO and contribute to the organization’s momentum as a force for change in efforts to improve health and health care worldwide.

“In addition to their expertise and deep knowledge, this group of Board members is passionate, courageous, and deeply committed to tackling complex and systemic issues in health care like racism and inequity,” said Dr. Mate. “IHI’s most important asset is its people, and these individuals will add tremendous value as we continue to work toward a world in which everyone has the best care and health possible.”

The new Board members are:

Tosan Boyo, MPH

Senior Vice President, Hospital Operations, John Muir Health, San Francisco Bay Area, California

“Equity work is quality work. The more we understand and integrate these strategies, the closer we’ll get to affordable high-quality health care for all. IHI and I are aligned on this thinking and I am thrilled to work with the organization to spark meaningful change locally and globally,” said Mr. Boyo.

Tosan Boyo specializes in using Lean principles to advance quality outcomes, operational effectiveness, health equity, and capital allocation. Currently, he is the Senior Vice President, Hospital Operations at John Muir Health. Prior to that, Mr. Boyo was the Chief Operating Officer of Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG), where he founded the Equity Strategy and Council, which received the Best Initiative Award from the Disparities Solutions Center. In addition, last year Mr. Boyo was appointed to serve as the Chief of Operations leading San Francisco’s COVID-19 Command Center. At the height of the pandemic, the City achieved the lowest death rates, lowest new-case rates, and highest testing rates in the nation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Yvonne Coghill, CBE

Special Advisor to the NHS Race and Health Observatory, London, England

“I am delighted to become a Board member at IHI and will work tirelessly to support the organisation to reach its goal of improved equity for patients and staff in the health space globally,” said Ms. Coghill.

Yvonne Coghill has had a distinguished career in nursing and National Health Service (NHS) management in England centered around her commitment to race equality, diversity, and inclusion. Ms. Coghill is a highly regarded strategist and speaker on these topics. She currently serves as the Special Advisor to the NHS Race and Health Observatory. She is also the Director of Excellence in Action and the former Deputy President of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Previously, she was the national Director of Workforce Race Equality in NHS England and NHS London. Ms. Coghill is well known to IHI as a member of the Faculty and a frequent contributor to the IHI Forum. She also helped create the organization’s first inclusion strategy in 2012.

Rebekah Gee, MD

CEO of Health Care Services, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, Louisiana

“As a member of IHI’s Board of Directors I’ll be able to help shape the organization’s strategy on critical issues like maternal and child health. IHI was critical to this work here in Louisiana, where we have changed the landscape of care from a physician-oriented culture to a team-oriented culture and made tangible improvements as a result,” said Dr. Gee.

Dr. Rebekah Gee has been a voice for maternal safety and quality throughout her career. She is an Obstetrician/Gynecologist and the CEO of Health Care Services at LSUHSC, as well as a full Professor at LSUHSC’s School of Public Health. Dr. Gee created the American South's first Office of Health Equity when she served as the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. Previously, Dr. Gee was the Chief Medical Officer for Louisiana Medicaid, and she also served as the director for a statewide birth outcomes initiative which, through a partnership with IHI, led the charge to substantial improvements in infant mortality and prematurity statewide.

Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH, MSHS

Executive Vice President, Chief Population Health Officer, Nemours Children’s Health System, Washington, DC

“I am thrilled to join IHI’s Board to help develop and implement a vision to create the best health care and health possible that is equitable, accessible, and person-centered, no matter a person’s economic status, national origin, or racial/ethnic background,” said Dr. Walker.

Dr. Kara Odom Walker is an expert in population health strategy and an advocate for access to quality health care in minority and underserved populations. She leads Nemours Children’s Health System’s National Office of Policy and Prevention as well as all aspects of population health strategy, research, innovation, and implementation. Previously, she served as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and Deputy Chief Science Officer at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Dr. Walker is a Board-certified practicing family physician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in 2018.

About the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is an independent not-for-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For more than 25 years, IHI has used improvement science to advance and sustain better outcomes in health and health systems across the world. IHI brings awareness of safety and quality to millions, catalyzes learning and the systematic improvement of care, develops solutions to previously intractable challenges, and mobilizes health systems, communities, regions, and nations to reduce harm and deaths. IHI collaborates with a growing community to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. IHI generates optimism, harvests fresh ideas, and supports anyone, anywhere who wants to profoundly change health and health care for the better. Learn more at ihi.org.

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