Whitney Perkins Witt

Whitney Perkins Witt, PhD, MPH, has distinguished herself as a senior leader and scholar in population health, health equity, and health innovation. With over 30 years of experience, she has led diverse teams to develop strategic health initiatives, conduct pivotal research, and implement innovative community health and technical assistance programs. Her career is marked by enhancing healthcare delivery and financing, achieving notable improvements in cost, quality, and patient outcomes, securing significant federal and foundation funding, and occupying influential leadership positions.

Dedicated Research and Impactful Contributions

Dr. Witt is committed to research on equity and social determinants of health (SDOH). She has held the roles of Principal Investigator and Program Director on several multimillion-dollar federally funded research studies and technical assistance projects, partnering with institutions like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Her research collaborations have also involved the Veterans Administration (VA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), with additional support from the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation and the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Career Spanning Multiple Sectors

Dr. Witt has engaged significantly across academia, private industry, nonprofit, and governmental sectors. Her business development, strategy, and operations expertise has been particularly evident during her roles at IBM Watson Health, Truven Health Analytics, and other notable entities. As the inaugural Dean of the College of Health at Lehigh University, she spearheaded the launch of the university's first educational programs focused on population health and health innovation.

Strategic Partnerships and Leadership

Whitney Perkins Witt excels in building and sustaining strategic partnerships, developing collaborative decision-making frameworks, and fostering a culture of teamwork and transparency. She has nurtured relationships with key stakeholders across US-based and global academic institutions, corporations, non-governmental organizations, foundations, and non-federal governmental organizations, significantly enhancing her strategic initiatives and fundraising efforts.

Leadership in Health Equity

Dr. Witt is the President and CEO of the Health Equity Consulting (HEC) Group, where she leads initiatives to address health equity through innovative solutions. She is Vice President of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) at Highmark Health, directing comprehensive community health initiatives and SDOH strategies that enhance public health outcomes.

Educational Achievements and Early Roles

Before her current executive roles, Dr. Witt's career included significant positions such as vice president at AmeriSpeak and Dean at the College of Health at Lehigh University. Her academic career has featured roles at prestigious institutions like Harvard Medical School and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She completed her PhD and MPH in Health Policy and Management and Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and holds a bachelor's degree in Law and Women's Studies from Hampshire College.

Through her visionary leadership and strategic initiatives, Whitney Perkins Witt continues to make significant strides in shaping the global public health landscape, promoting advancements in health equity, and fostering innovative health policies.

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Path to Prioritizing SDoH in Whole Person Chronic Care: Q&A Series Featuring Whitney Perkins Witt, PhD, MPH