Billy Oglesby, PhD, Named Humana Dean at Thomas Jefferson University's College of Population Health

PHILADELPHIA, April 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Humana (NYSE: HUM) and Thomas Jefferson University proudly announce the selection of Billy Oglesby, PhD, as the Humana Dean of the University's College of Population Health (JCPH).

The newly endowed position – made possible by a $15 million gift from Humana to advance community health and health equity while supporting Jefferson's population health efforts – is part of an effort to improve health outcomes for populations that have been disenfranchised and marginalized areas like Greater Philadelphia and neighboring regions. Established in 2008 as the country's first college of population health, Jefferson is at the forefront of this work.

Dr. Oglesby joined Thomas Jefferson University in 2016, served as interim dean of the College of Population Health starting in 2019 and was appointed Dean in 2022. In this role, he works with key leaders across the Jefferson enterprise and with external stakeholders locally, nationally, and globally to develop new academic initiatives that promote healthcare quality and patient safety, improve operational effectiveness and efficiency, and advance public and population health.

Mark L. Tykocinski, MD, president of Thomas Jefferson University, spoke of the importance of this effort and Dr. Oglesby's appointment.

"Under Dr. Oglesby's capable leadership, Jefferson will leverage these new resources to drive meaningful change for Jefferson students and residents in the Greater Philadelphia area," Dr. Tykocinski says. "This is a significant move in a field where our College of Population Health is already established as a leader."

J. Nwando Olayiwola, MD, MPH, Chief Health Equity Officer & Senior Vice President at Humana, offered thoughts on the selection for the organization's namesake position.

"Dr. Oglesby has demonstrated a commitment to population health improvement over the course of his career, with a special emphasis on health equity and advocacy for underserved and marginalized populations," said Dr. Olayiwola.

Dr. Oglesby is a population health strategist, scientist, and results-driven leader with more than 20 years of consulting and operational experience improving population health outcomes, leading operational efficiency, and expanding access to prevention and care services. He has worked with a spectrum of health stakeholders to lead meaningful and sustainable population health improvement.

"It is an honor to be named the Humana Dean of Jefferson's College of Population Health," says Dr. Oglesby. "This strategic partnership with Humana should prove to be transformational for the college and the region. Humana is an ideal partner for this initiative as its interests align with ours. We will continue to push the work of population health forward to where it needs to be in the future."

Highlights of his accomplishments at Jefferson include:

• Creating a year-long Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Leadership Program for providers and service line administrators at Jefferson Health, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Wills Eye Hospital and Nemours Children's Health to increase the number of quality and safety leaders across the health systems.
• Launching the Main Line Health Center for Population Health Research to improve outcomes and the experience of care for patients served by the system.
• Leading the development of 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health, a community-based population health center in rural Western Pennsylvania focused on closing healthcare gaps and addressing social determinants of health.

Dr. Oglesby is a thought leader at the national level, as evidenced by his leadership role and membership on a variety of professional committees and boards. These roles include:

• Immediate Past President of the Association for Prevention Teaching & Research.
• Chair of the Healthy People 2030 Curriculum Taskforce which continually updates the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum for health professions schools.
• Ex officio member of the Roundtable on Population Health Improvement at the National Academy of Medicine, where he recently helped plan a national workshop for thought leaders on The Role of Business in Improving Health and Health Equity.
• Appointed public member on the Clinical Guidelines Committee at the American College of Physicians; Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (UK); Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives; and Board Leadership Fellow at the National Association for Corporate Directors.

Also active in the community, Dr. Oglesby is a former Court Appointed Special Advocate and Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/GAL) where he advocated for abused, neglected, and dependent children in the juvenile and family courts and in the foster-care system. He also served as a senior leader of capacity-building programs for historically black colleges and universities, and for frontline HIV prevention organizations, and evaluating a multi-site after-school enrichment program for at-risk youth.

Dr. Oglesby holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of South Carolina, where he also completed a Master of Science in Public Health. He received his MBA from Kent State University and completed the Advanced Finance Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.   

About Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University, founded in 1824 as the Jefferson Medical College, is today a national doctoral research university and a pioneer in transdisciplinary, professional education. Home of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, Jefferson is a preeminent academic institution delivering high-impact education in over 200 undergraduate and graduate programs to 8,400 students across 10 colleges. The University's academic offerings now include architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion, health, medicine, science, social science and textiles. Jefferson is redefining the higher education value proposition with an approach that is collaborative and active; increasingly global; integrated with industry; focused on research across disciplines to foster innovation and discovery; and technology-enhanced. Student-athletes compete as the Jefferson Rams in the NCAA Division II Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

About Humana
Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.

To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources, and tools – such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions – combine to produce a simplified experience that makes health care easier to navigate and more effective.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:

-  Annual reports to stockholders
-  Securities and Exchange Commission filings
-  Most recent investor conference presentations
-  Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls
-  Calendar of events
-  Corporate Governance information

SOURCE Thomas Jefferson University