Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Welcomes Inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer

June 12, 2024

Ndidi Unaka, MD, MEd

PALO ALTO, Calif.—Stanford Medicine Children’s Health announces the appointment of Ndidi Unaka, MD, MEd, as the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer, effective July 2024. Dr. Unaka will also join the Department of Pediatrics as a Clinical Professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine.

In her new role, Dr. Unaka will focus on embedding health equity into every aspect of the organization. She will lead efforts to enhance care delivery systems through an equity lens, improve patient experiences, and integrate inclusive health practices into operational frameworks.

Dr. Unaka joins Stanford Medicine Children’s Health from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she served as the Medical Director of Quality Improvement and Data Analytics for the Office of Population Health. During her time there, Dr. Unaka led initiatives aimed at improving healthcare delivery quality and efficiency, defining equity and quality benchmarks, and spearheading system-wide quality improvement projects.

Dr. Unaka’s distinguished career includes numerous contributions to medical education, health equity, and quality improvement. She has conducted critical research on improving discharge instructions for patients with limited English proficiency, enhancing interprofessional communication, and ensuring patient and family advisory councils reflect the diversity of the populations they serve. Additionally, her collaboration with the American Board of Pediatrics has highlighted the impact of social determinants on pediatric health and bolstered strategies to address health inequities.

Her accolades include the YWCA Career Woman of Achievement Award, the Pediatric Hospital Medicine DEI Award, and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.

Media Contact

Katie Chen
KatChen@stanfordchildrens.org
(650) 465-4872