Achieving Social Justice in Health

Pat Geraghty is President and Chief Executive Officer of GuideWell, a $20 billion mutual insurance holding company headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. A mission-driven health solutions enterprise, GuideWell is the parent to a family of forward-thinking companies focused on transforming health care. GuideWell comprises Florida Blue, the leading health insurance company in Florida; GuideWell Connect, a consumer engagement and marketing firm that includes Onlife Health; GuideWell Health, a health care delivery company; GuideWell Source, a provider of administrative services to federal and state health care programs, including Medicare; PopHealthCare, a population health management company; and WebTPA, a market leading administrator of self-funded employer health plans. GuideWell serves more than 28 million people across 45 states, including more than 5 million individuals in Florida.Geraghty was the architect of the strategic restructuring that created GuideWell from the foundation of a 75-year-old health insurance company, transforming it into a health solutions organization at the forefront of reimagining the future of health in America. The GuideWell restructuring is considered a model of strategic reinvention and is featured as a capstone business case in the curriculum of Harvard Business School. A dynamic speaker, Geraghty is considered an expert voice on a range of health care topics including health care reform in the U.S., next-generation payment strategies, innovation in health care and the benefits of wellness and prevention programming. He has appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “Fox Business News,” CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Money Beat,” “PBS Nightly Business Report,” MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and Bloomberg TV’s “Street Smart” and “Capitol Gains” programs. Geraghty also has been featured on the front page of The New York Times’ Business Day, in The Wall Street Journal, and in many other media outlets.In addition to serving as an expert source to leading news media, Geraghty is frequently sought after for his insights on important health care policy matters in Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee, Fla. Geraghty is active in leading professional and community organizations. He is Immediate Past Chair of the Florida Council of 100, a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization of Florida business leaders who advise the state’s governor on how to improve the economic growth of the state and the economic well-being of its residents. He also serves as a member of the board of the National Institute of Health Care Management (NIHCM), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of America’s health care system. Additionally, Geraghty serves on the boards of Pardee Rand Graduate School, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and Tampa Electric Co. (TECO). In 2016 Geraghty became a member of the Health Governors Community of the World Economic Forum, the international organization for public private cooperation, and a trustee for its Global Challenge Initiative on The Future of Health. Geraghty holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University and a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, degree from Florida Southern College. He also has completed executive education programs at Harvard University School of Public Health and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH currently serves as the Chief Health Equity Officer and Senior Vice President for the American Medical Association (AMA) where she focuses on embedding health equity across all the work of the AMA and leading the Center for Health Equity. She joined the AMA in April 2019, as their inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer. Dr. Maybank previously served as Founding Director for the Center for Health Equity at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (2014) and the Office of Minority Health in the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (2006). She is a nationally recognized speaker, writer and advisor on issues related to health equity, the future of medicine, and public health impact.

Kim A. Keck is president and chief executive officer of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), a national federation of 35 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. The Blue System is the nation’s largest health insurer covering one-in-three Americans.Keck, a respected leader in the healthcare industry, has built a reputation as an engaged, incisive leader. Prior to joining BCBSA in 2021, she served as president and CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI), the state’s largest health insurer. During her tenure at BCBSRI, she drove strategic initiatives around cost and value stewardship, convenience and comprehensive health, and led policy efforts fortifying elements of the Affordable Care Act to ensure all Rhode Islanders have access to quality care. She also combatted long-standing social issues influencing health outcomes, including childhood obesity, housing insecurity and racial inequities.Keck previously spent 28 years at Aetna, where she held leadership roles spanning from head of enterprise strategy to head of investor relations, treasury, tax, actuary, controllers and planning. She served as president of Aetna’s northeast region and interim president of the southeast region and was responsible for $20 billion in revenue and approximately five million members across the commercial and Medicare segments.Keck graduated with honors from Boston College with a degree in mathematics and earned a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Connecticut. She is a CFA charter holder.Keck serves on the boards of directors of Oak Street Health and Evolent Health. She is a frequent speaker on topics related to healthcare policy and women’s leadership.

James E.K Hildreth, Ph.D., M.D.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.Because of his standing as a world-class infectious disease expert, excellent ability to explain complex science to laypersons and engaging communication style, Hildreth has emerged as a respected national figure in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, he was appointed to the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee that is reviewing COVID-19 vaccine candidates for approval, and in February 2021, Dr. Hildreth was named to President Joseph Biden’s Health Equity Task Force.Currently, as president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, Hildreth is leading the technological, academic and clinical transformation of the nation’s largest private historically Black academic health sciences center. Focusing on the future of an organization with challenges represented by constant changes in higher education and health care, he has positioned the organization for success through innovative programs, strategic partnerships and entrepreneurial culture.Previously, Hildreth served as dean of the College of Biological Sciences at University of California, Davis. In this role he oversaw the education of thousands of undergraduates—the majority of whom had aspirations for health care careers. He totally revamped the college’s student advising system and created novel student learning communities. These visionary changes were adapted by the entire UC Davis campus comprising six undergraduate colleges. He also created a unique research program called “Kingdom Crossing” involving collaborations between scientists who focused on organisms from distinct kingdoms of life (plants, animals). This program resulted in novel discoveries including a plant hormone with significant potential as an antimalarial drug. Hildreth spent 23 years at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as student, postdoc, professor and associate dean. His research on HIV resulted in international recognition for several key discoveries including identifying a critical role of cholesterol in HIV infection. His research resultedin 11 patents and a technology licensed by Genentech which resulted in an FDA-approved drug, Raptiva.Hildreth holds an M.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, a Ph.D. from Oxford University and a B.A. from Harvard University. He is a Rhodes Scholar who has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. He has received numerous awards and recognition, including honorary degrees, for his scientific accomplishments, leadership, service to disadvantaged communities and mentorship of students and junior colleagues. He has served on numerous national scientific councils including current membership on the Advisory Council to the NIH director. Hildreth currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the St Jude’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He also serves on other boards including the Nashville Healthcare Council, Nashville Health, Boy Scouts of America and the General Board of Higher Education of the United Methodist Church.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Arpa Garay leads Moderna’s global commercial organization.  Ms. Garay joined Moderna from Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) where she most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for Merck's Human Health business; she reported to Merck's Chief Executive Officer and was a member of Merck's Executive Committee. In this role, she was responsible for long-term portfolio strategy and global marketing for Merck's in-line and pipeline human health medicines and vaccines, including global market access and pricing strategy, data and analytics, digital marketing, and commercial business development.  During Ms. Garay's 16-year tenure at Merck, she gained broad international enterprise with increasing responsibility across oncology, vaccines, specialty, and chronic care. Prior to her role as Chief Marketing Officer, Ms. Garay served as President of Global Oncology and Digital at MSD. Additionally, she was responsible for data & analytics, digital marketing, and precision medicine worldwide. She also served as President of Global Pharmaceuticals, Analytics, and Digital Marketing; SVP & Head of U.S. Vaccines; and General Manager of Merck & Co. in Norway. Ms. Garay has lived in five countries including Hong Kong, India, Norway, Singapore, and the U.S.  Ms. Garay received her Bachelor of Science in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she focused on medicine, public health and public policy.