Thomas Jefferson and Main Line Health name officials to oversee health equity, diversity

Thomas Jefferson University and Main Line Health have named executives to positions aimed at promoting diversity and eliminating disparities in health care based on race, where a person lives, or how much they earn.

The appointments come amid increasing attention to health equity and diversity in the health care industry. Jefferson and Main Line are part of an effort announced this month by Independence Blue Cross to phase out the use of race as a factor in guidelines used to make medical treatment decisions. Last week, Jefferson also announced the appointment of the first Black dean of its medical school, a leader with a background in diversity efforts.

At Jefferson, physician Keith Leaphart will start Sept. 11 as the not-for-profit’s chief health equity and community impact officer. He will be an executive vice president with responsibility for Jefferson’s academic, health care, and insurance divisions.

Leaphart, who has a medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, in 2013 became chair of the Lenfest Foundation. In this role, he helped distribute $300 million to Philadelphia-area not-for-profits with a focus on early-childhood education, out-of-school time, and career and technical education.

Leaphart’s “extensive medical training, keen leadership skills, and business acumen will add great value to our organization as we further advance our commitment to promoting health equity, reducing disparities, and cultivating an inclusive workplace,” Jefferson CEO Joseph G. Cacchione said in a news release.

Leaphart is also on the boards of the Lenfest Institute, a separate not-for-profit that owns The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Public Health Management Corp, which provides a diverse array of health care and social services in the Philadelphia region. Last month, he became a member of the commission that oversees the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Leaphart’s job is one of three new positions endowed through a $15 million gift from Humana Inc., a large Medicare Advantage company, to support Jefferson’s population health and health-equity efforts. In April, Jefferson appointed Billy Oglesby as the Humana Dean of the University’s College of Population Health.

The third position is the Humana Professorship of Community Health and Equity. Jefferson is conducting a national search to fill that job.

Main Line Health on Monday announced that it has selected Rosangely Cruz-Rojas as the not-for-profit’s first chief diversity and equity officer. Cruz-Rojas is a 15-year veteran of the health system, most recently in the role of system director for performance measurement, improvement, and analytics.

Cruz-Rojas, who will hold the rank of a vice president, helped start Main Line Health’s Disparities in Care working group and created its equity dashboard.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Rosangely’s caliber to continue the effort toward eliminating disparities. She is a stalwart supporter, leader, educator and advocate,” Main Line CEO Jack Lynch said in a news release.