PHI news
Dr. Karen DeSalvo is a global health leader who has committed her career to improving health for everyone, everywhere. In her recent capacity as Google’s Chief Health Officer, DeSalvo spearheaded the team of health professionals dedicated to harnessing Google’s technology and platforms to help everyone, everywhere live a longer, healthier life. She was instrumental in integrating health-focused applications into Google’s diverse product ecosystem and provided medical leadership for employee health and safety initiatives. Before Google, DeSalvo held significant roles in the U.S. government, including National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and acting Assistant Secretary for Health. She was also the Health Commissioner in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, where she led public health recovery efforts. She served as a Professor and Vice Dean for Community Affairs and Health Policy at Tulane School of Medicine. DeSalvo currently sits on the Boards of Directors for Welltower and CityBlock Health and is a member of the Council of the National Academy of Medicine. She co-founded the National Alliance for the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH). Her past roles include serving on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Humana Board of Directors, as well as being President of the Society of General Internal Medicine. She holds an MD and MPH from Tulane University and a master’s in clinical epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health. Her contributions have been recognized by Modern Healthcare, which has repeatedly named her among the “100 most influential people in health,” and by Time Magazine, which included her as a “Titan” on their “Time 100 in Healthcare” list.