Authenticity in Healthcare: The Path Forward

9th Annual Top Blacks in Healthcare Awards Gala and Thought Leadership Symposium

April 18, 2024 – The Ritz Carlton, Washington, DC

About Top Blacks in Healthcare

The list of noteworthy honorees is selected from over 250 of the most accomplished Black healthcare professionals in America by a panel that includes BlackDoctor.org editors and key individuals from partner organizations such as the National Medical Association and The George Washington University.

2024 Honorees

Rose Blackburne MD, MBA
VP, Global Head General Medicine, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Dr. Rose Blackburne is Vice President and Global Therapeutic Area Head of General Medicine Clinical Research at PPD, a Thermo Fisher Scientific company. In her role, she has strategic input and oversight for a portfolio of pharmaceutical and medical device product development opportunities across therapeutic areas, including Women’s Health, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Dermatology, Urology, Cardiovascular and Metabolic diseases.

Rashad Burgess
VP Advancing Health & Black Equity, Gilead Sciences

Rashad Burgess is the Vice President for Advancing Health and Black Equity, leading Gilead Science’s strategy to tackle Health Equity and systemic issues of structural racism around the world, with a particular focus on Black communities in the United States. As a key member of Gilead’s leadership team, he contributes to overall strategy for the business unit and is a strategic and trusted partner in helping community and sales professionals, as well as those in the larger healthcare industry, make their vision a reality.

Dr. David Carlisle MD, PhD
President and CEO, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine (CDU)

Dr. David M. Carlisle has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in the Watts-Willowbrook area of Los Angeles County since 2011. Dr. Carlisle is a published author in health policy, quality of care, medical education diversity and eliminating health disparities. A board-certified Internal Medicine specialist, President Carlisle received his BA from Wesleyan University, his MD from Brown University and his MPH and PhD in Health Services from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Mike Edmondson
VP Performance Optimization, Amgen
Darrell M. Gray II MD, MPH, FACG
President & CEO, Wellpoint Maryland

Darrell M. Gray II, MD, MPH is President and CEO of Wellpoint Maryland, one of the largest Medicaid managed care organizations in Maryland and wholly owned subsidiary of Elevance Health. In this role, Dr. Gray works to ensure Wellpoint’s over 300,000 members have access to high-quality care and achieve equitable, whole health outcomes through partnerships with a network of more than 30,000 care providers, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem.

Chirfi Guindo
Chief Marketing Officer & Member of the Executive Team, Merck

Chirfi Guindo is chief marketing officer for Merck. He is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the company’s long-term strategy for the Human Health portfolio spanning oncology, vaccines, pharmaceutical and pipeline products. Prior to this role, Chirfi was executive vice president and head of global product strategy and commercialization at Biogen.

Charles Henderson
CEO, American Diabetes Association (ADA)

Charles D. “Chuck” Henderson is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Diabetes Association® (ADA). Chuck joined the ADA in January 2020 after spending 24-plus years in for-profit sectors and volunteering in the non-profit sector. Philanthropy and Sales/Fundraising are threaded through the fabric of his DNA. Chuck comes to the ADA from Champion Life Safety Solutions where he was CEO and President. Chuck is skilled in building trusted and collegial working relationships, relationship selling/fundraising, driving productivity, leading, and supporting change management initiatives.

James Earl King Hildreth MD, PhD
President, Meharry Medical College

James E.K. Hildreth Sr., Ph.D., M.D., has transformed institutions and lives through a unique combination of skills, expertise and passionate drive. He seeks to achieve organizational success by nurturing passion and developing confidence in others. Hildreth’s enthusiasm and love for the work he does inspires others and draws them into bold visions and new directions.

Yolanda Lawson MD
President, National Medical Association (NMA)

Yolanda Lawson M.D, Board Certified Obstetrician- Gynecologist, is the founder of MadeWell OBGYN in Dallas, Texas, and an Associate Attending at Baylor University Medical Center. She is the medical director of Abounding Prosperity, a community-based organization that addresses HIV disparities in target, Black communities. Dr. Lawson is also principal investigator of one of twenty-one sites for the EBONI study which is investigating Black women interested in reducing HIV by using PREP.

Negelle Morris
Senior Vice President, Head of US Cardiometabolic Sales, Novo Nordisk

Negelle leads the field facing commercial business for Novo Nordisk’s diabetes, obesity and CV portfolio. Known for her business impact and deep appreciation for the inherent value of people, Negelle has championed leadership, diversity and inclusion focusing on the development of others and healthcare disparities as a national executive board member in various employee network groups and non-profit boards.

Howard Reid
Global Head, Global Health Equity at Johnson & Johnson

Howard Reid is the Global Head, 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. 

Edrice Simmons
VP of US Oncology, AbbVie

Edrice Simmons is the Vice President of Oncology at AbbVie, a $54B Top 5 Biopharmaceutical company globally. Edrice has held several senior level executive roles at AbbVie, spanning across several large therapeutic and consumer sectors; including Immunology, Aesthetics and most recently Oncology. She is a recognized leader for leading large-scale matrix commercial P&L businesses to top tier performance focused on demand generation, customer focus and building diverse high performing teams.

Julie Spencer Washington
EVP, Chief Marketing, Communications & Customer Experience Officer, Trinity Health

Julie Spencer Washington is Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing, Communications & Customer Experience Officer at Trinity Health, a $21B Catholic health care delivery system in the US.  Mrs. Washington is the strategic leader of marketing, communications, customer experience, and philanthropy.  She is a seasoned leader bringing experience and results in strategic marketing, brand building, demand creation, stakeholder engagement, and developing high performing teams.

Katie Williams
Chief Marketing Officer US, Haleon


Katie Williams is the US Chief Marketing Officer at Haleon. In this role, she works to shape the future of consumer experiences with our iconic portfolio of Haleon brands like Advil, Sensodyne, Tums, and Centrum. She is a leader in CPG marketing with extensive experience and proven success in delivering growth, creative courage, digital transformation, and employee development.

Richard Allen Williams MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP
Founder, Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) Founder, President and CEO, Minority Institute

Our program recognizes distinguished African American healthcare executives for their contributions to the industry and shines the spotlight on them as role models to other minority healthcare leaders and the Black community overall.

Reggie Ware

CEO

Reggie Ware speaking at podium

Thought Leadership Summit

The 8th Annual Thought Leadership Summit consisted of four panels of experts discussing current issues impacting Black health today. The in-person panels were streamed virtually and reached nearly 250,000 viewers, in total.

Hosted by Donnie Simpson

Donnie Simpson

Donnie Simpson has been called an icon, trailblazer and a media legend. He is a Washington D.C. radio icon, as well as an international television and movie personality. Over his career, which has spanned 50 years, he has entertained listeners from WJLB in Detroit to WKYS and WMMJ in Washington, and on television as host of BET’s Video Soul, and TV-One’s Donnie After Dark. He is considered one of the nation’s first video jockeys.

He hosted The Donnie Simpson Morning Show in Morning Drive for over 30 years. In 1988, Donnie was recognized as both the best top radio personality and top program director in the nation by Billboard Magazine, the world’s most influential music industry publication.

He received both Billboard’s prestigious Radio Personality of the Year and Program Director of the Year awards. These two distinguished awards placed Donnie in an elite group of nationally popular and highly respected Radio Personalities and Radio Station Program Directors that very few in the industry have been able to achieve. Certainly not both at the same time. Donnie’s consistent No. 1 ratings success and reputation have earned him “Icon” status among his peers and millions of fans worldwide.

He retired in 2010, but returned to radio and TV in 2015. This time, as the afternoon drive host on WMMJ, Majic 102.3 in Washington D.C., and nationally on TV-One with Donnie After Dark. On October 22, 2017, Donnie Simpson celebrated 40 years on D.C. radio with an All-Star gala at the Warner Theater.

Donnie says the greatest compliment people give him is when they say “I feel like I know you.” He says, “They do know me. I’m the same dude all the time. 24/7, I’m Donnie.”