PITTSBURGH — Highmark Well being introduced a vp of social determinants of well being, operations and technique.
Whitney Perkins Witt will lead interventions, analysis and analysis, superior knowledge analytics, supplier collaboration, well being expertise and innovation, and thought management for the insurance coverage firm.
He earned his Ph.D. and grasp’s levels in public well being and well being coverage and administration from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being, a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric well being companies analysis at Harvard Medical College, and a legislation diploma. and girls’s research at Hampshire School.
“I could not be extra proud to affix the Highmark staff at this thrilling time,” Witt mentioned. “I’m very impressed with and help Highmark’s ‘Dwelling Well being’ give attention to social well being, together with bodily and behavioral well being. The group is on the forefront of implementing and evaluating interventions to handle SDOH and complete individual care. I stay up for collaborating with my new colleagues to handle the social determinants of well being and enhance well being fairness.”
“We’re happy to welcome Dr. Witt and her lengthy historical past of success to Highmark,” mentioned Nebeyou Abebe, senior vp of social determinants of well being at Highmark. “The significance of understanding social determinants and minimizing the boundaries that stand in the way in which of our communities and members is on the core of our work. I’m assured that Dr. Witt’s distinctive talent set and robust expertise will result in constructive advances within the well being and well-being of our members whereas lowering well being disparities.”
The social determinants of well being are the situations wherein folks stay, work, study and play, which might have an effect on as much as 80% of an individual’s well being earlier than the well being system can intervene. By delving into “no well being” associated questions, Highmark is main the way in which in serving to members and sufferers go away medical care behind to focus solely on well being.
Witt brings practically 30 years of expertise to Highmark and has led multidisciplinary groups to develop and implement strategic well being initiatives, conduct analysis, launch progressive technical help applications, and develop and create digital medical instruments utilizing superior knowledge analytics. As well as, she has expertise, notably with SDOH, in bettering value, high quality, and patient-related outcomes.
Previous to becoming a member of Highmark, Witt was Vice President of AmeriSpeak, which is NORC on the College of Chicago’s main multi-client, panel-based analysis platform, the place she oversaw the event and development of the AmeriSpeak-focused enterprise amongst federal funders.
Previous to her expertise at NORC, she was a professor and inaugural dean of the Lehigh College College of Well being. As dean, she established the primary undergraduate, graduate, and certificates applications in inhabitants well being and elevated the range of the college college by recruiting, hiring, and selling expertise from numerous racial, cultural, financial, and ethnic backgrounds.