Experts and leaders come together at Drexel for a conversation on the race to health equity
Experts and leaders come together at Drexel for a conversation on the race to health equity
Experts and leaders come together at Drexel for a conversation on the race to health equity
The College of Arts and Sciences, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Health Professions and Dornsife School of Public Health proudly presented the Arts and Sciences Symposium, an annual event featuring a renowned expert who offers keen insight into contemporary topics, on May 15, 2024. This keynote event convened our vibrant university community in meaningful discussions across disciplines.
Attendees at this year’s symposium on Health Equity and Wellness, one of Drexel’s Areas of Excellence and Opportunity (AEO), were welcomed by Drexel University President John Fry and Provost Paul Jensen. They heard from special guests including Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato, Drexel Alumni and colleagues on how their organization marries passion and purpose to reimagine the future of healthcare.
Johnson & Johnson’s Race to Health Equity was launched with the bold ambition of creating a world where the color of your skin is not a determinant of your access to care, quality of care or health outcomes. In alignment with its Credo, commitment to DEI, and legacy of taking on the toughest health challenges, Johnson & Johnson is working to rebuild healthcare from a diverse perspective by supporting solutions that systemically address racial health equity.
Event Format
The Symposium opened with a faculty experts panel, moderated by Veronica D. Carey, PhD, followed by a leadership experts panel moderated by Drexel President John Fry. Both panels were free and open to the public.
MODERATOR: John Fry
President, Drexel University
After becoming Drexel University’s 14th president in 2010, John Fry set out to transform Drexel into a private research university with a strong public purpose — an institution that harnesses its strengths in cooperative education, translational research, online education and entrepreneurship to serve students, its neighborhood, the city and nation. Under Fry, Drexel has helped lead the continuous revitalization of West Philadelphia, spearheading the designation of this area as a federal Promise Zone. He has championed major neighborhood revitalization initiatives, including the creation of a multi-faceted university extension center in Mantua — the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships — extensive economic development efforts, and significant partnerships to support local neighborhood schools.
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Joaquin Duato
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson
Joaquin Duato is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest, most diversified healthcare products company. Under his leadership, J&J is now exclusively focused on tackling the toughest health challenges by developing innovative medicines and medtech solutions. Mr. Duato brings a unique perspective to the conversation, as he leads a global effort to eradicate racial and social injustice as a public health threat by eliminating health inequities for people of color through Johnson & Johnson’s Our Race to Health Equity initiative. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Spain, Joaquin earned an MBA from ESADE in Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Danielle DeFeo, MBA '02
U.S. Patient Engagement Strategy Leader, Innovative Medicine, Johnson & Johnson
Danielle DeFeo is currently the U.S. Patient Engagement Strategy Leader for J&J's pharmaceutical business. Prior to joining J&J, her career journey included roles in the Financial Services sector as well as Managment Consulting. She has sprent the last 14 years leading Digital anfd Traditional Communications for J&J MedTecvh, and most recently the U.S. Infectious Diseases & Vaccines team. Danielle's focus has always been on empowering the human side of the businesses she's served.
In her current role, Danielle oversees the moments where J&J includes and invites the voices of paitents helping our team's uncover insights on the challenges they are facing and the possibilities they see for change in healthcare. Working closely with patients in the HIV and LGBTQIA+ communities has been an education on the intersectionality of health equity issues and their impact on health care for marginalized communities in the United States.
Danielle earned her BS/MBA from Drexel University's College of Business (1997-2002) and a Master of Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania (2008-2010). She lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband, son, and twin daughters.
Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN
Vice President, Drexel Health and Health Equity; Professor of Nursing;
Drexel College of Nursing and Health Professions
Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, an expert in health promotion research, is one of the nation’s foremost investigators in HIV/AIDS prevention. Dr. Jemmott is an outstanding translational and community-engagement researcher. Jemmott, who grew up in West Philadelphia, is known for disrupting the status quo by raising awareness about existing problems, putting patients’ interests first and demonstrating a commitment to working on solutions. She frequently partners with community-based organizations –from churches and clinics to barbershops, housing developments and schools– transforming her research outcomes for use in real-world settings.
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Michelle Kramer, MD, MPH '07
Vice President, Head of Cross Therapeutic Area Delivery, Innovative Medicine, Johnson & Johnson
Michelle Kramer is currently the Global Head of the Cross Therapeutic Area Delivery Unit. Her career journey of more than two decades with Johnson & Johnson has spanned clinical development phases 1-4, across different locations and continents, and has included programs in neuroscience, immunology, infectious disease, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic therapeutic areas.
Her current role involves delivery of global clinical studies across a variety of rare and prevalent diseases, in her opinion the ideal place to drive a “health equity” mindset into our clinical programs. Combining scientific/medical strategy with the best operational plan provides the cornerstone for addressing unmet needs across communities and around the world.
Michelle is also the sponsor of Our Race to Health Equity across J&J Research & Development, a member of the J&J Bioethics Committee and a sponsor for J&J programs encouraging college women to engage in STEM careers.
Michelle earned her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine, completed her psychiatry residency and psychopharmacology fellowship at Duke, and holds a Master of Public Health from Drexel University (2005-2007), which she completed early on in her career at Johnson & Johnson.
Howard Reid, MBA
Global Head, Global Health Equity, Johnson & Johnson
Howard Reid is the Global Head of Global Health Equity at Johnson & Johnson. With over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he is a visionary leader with broad global experience and a passion for eliminating health inequities, aligned with J&J’s mission to profoundly impact health for humanity.
In his current role, he leads company-wide efforts to advance equitable access to quality care, especially in resource-limited settings and in communities that have been historically marginalized.
He leverages the full capabilities and resources of J&J to close the gap between communities and care by championing a thriving health workforce and enabling human-centered, culturally conscious care.
Also serving as President of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Howard guides the Company’s global philanthropic efforts, including public-private collaborations to support resilient community-based health systems and investing in companies and entrepreneurs innovating to improve health equity around the world.
Howard holds an MBA from the University of Rochester with a concentration in health care management and strategy, and a BA from the Pennsylvania State University.
About Health Equity at Drexel
Drexel University is a thriving hub for discovery, creative fusion and experiential learning, leveraging knowledge to create impact. Since its beginning in 1891, Drexel has been a trailblazer in educating scholars and practitioners to ensure high-quality, culturally competent healthcare through inclusive academics, research and clinical practice in collaboration with civic and community partners.
Event Partners
The College of Arts and Sciences—often described as Drexel’s ‘heart and soul’—works to bring together and amplify the diverse voices and perspectives of our faculty, students, staff, and community partners.