PHAB Names Joneigh Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP, As New President and CEO

Renowned Public Health Leader to Drive Transformational Efforts to Strengthen Public Health Infrastructure and Accreditation Nationwide

/EIN News/ -- Alexandria, VA, Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) today announced that Joneigh S. Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP, has been named as the organization's new President and CEO. Dr. Khaldun will assume her new role on January 13, 2025. Dr. Khaldun's appointment follows an extensive national search for a candidate with an exceptional record in public health leadership, strong business acumen, and the ability to drive transformational initiatives. She succeeds Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, CPH, FAAN, who is retiring after five impactful years of service during which PHAB experienced significant growth and expansion.   

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Joneigh Khaldun as the new President and CEO of PHAB,” said Dr. Claude A. Jacob, Chair of the Board of Directors and Public Health Director for the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. “Joneigh brings a wealth of knowledge, visionary leadership, and a deep commitment to advancing public health. The Board is confident in her ability to lead the talented PHAB team into the future.”

Most recently, Dr. Khaldun served as the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer at CVS Health, where she improved demographic data collection and use, implemented disparity reduction programs, expanded access to community health workers, and strengthened accreditation efforts. Prior to her role at CVS Health, Dr. Khaldun served as Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive and Chief Deputy Director for Health, overseeing five state agencies. She was the lead strategist for Michigan’s COVID-19 response and was appointed to the nation’s Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

“PHAB made an exceptional choice in selecting Dr. Joneigh Khaldun as their next leader,” says Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and former health commissioner for Baltimore City and Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health. “Joneigh has extensive public health experience and knows how to effectively work with health departments and build coalitions. I look forward to all she will do in this role to advance public health in the U.S. ”

Dr. Khaldun’s earlier roles include Director of the Detroit Health Department, Chief Medical Officer for the Baltimore City Health Department, and Fellow in the Obama Administration's Office of Health Reform within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is a practicing emergency medicine physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

“This is a critically important time for public health,” said Dr. Khaldun. “It is imperative that we make sure our public health system has a strong workforce and data infrastructure, and every person receives high-quality public health services. I am humbled by the opportunity to lead such an important organization and a great team.” 

“I am thrilled that PHAB has selected Joneigh Khaldun as their next President and CEO,” says Chrissie Juliano, Executive Director of the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC). “I have known and worked with Joneigh for years and PHAB would be hard pressed to find a more committed, competent, and dynamic public health leader. BCHC looks forward to continuing our partnership with PHAB under her leadership.” 

About the Public Health Accreditation Board
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) is a 501(c)(3) organization and is the sole national accrediting body for public health in the U.S. PHAB supports health departments in their work to serve their communities with many tools and resources, and helps strengthen health department infrastructure, workforce, and data modernization efforts to promote public health system transformation. To learn more about PHAB, visit phaboard.org.

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• Joneigh Khaldun, MD, MPH, FACEP

Keith Coleman
                    Public Health Accreditation Board
                    communications@phaboard.org