Newswise — Catina Latham, PhD, has been named the University of Chicago Medicine’s new Senior Vice President for Community Health Transformation and Chief Equity Officer, effective January 6, 2025.
A leader with extensive public health experience, Latham is returning to UChicago Medicine after serving for four years as director within the healthcare team at the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the independent watchdog and research arm for Congress. She succeeds Brenda Battle, RN, BSN, MBA, who is retiring at the end of this year following 12 years leading UChicago Medicine’s work to advance health equity as head of the Urban Health Initiative, the health system’s community health division.
At the GAO, Latham led multiple evaluation studies, provided strategic guidance to congressional clients, and delivered recommendations to improve Medicaid programs while preventing fraud and abuse.
“Catina brings with her a robust background in public health policy evaluation and management, along with a strong record of leveraging data and community collaboration to identify and address community health needs,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Health System. “We are pleased she is returning to UChicago Medicine to build on Brenda's and the team's work to drive health outcomes in the communities we serve."
Prior to her time at the GAO, Latham served as UChicago Medicine’s Executive Director of Community Benefit Programs and Evaluation, leading the development and implementation of the Urban Health Initiative’s community health evaluation strategy and ensuring its alignment with community health needs. This included conducting the 2018-19 Community Health Needs Assessments for UChicago Medicine’s South Side and south suburban service areas and overseeing the corresponding Strategic Implementation Plans.
Latham’s experience is deepened by her work with UChicago Medicine’s care coordination initiatives, such as the patient advocate and the Liaisons in Care (LinC) community health worker programs, as well as the South Side Pediatric Asthma Center. Her efforts and leadership contributed to improved health outcomes, including reduced hospitalizations for pediatric asthma patients and enhanced access to care for underserved communities.
In addition, Latham developed the evaluation framework contributing to the design of UChicago Medicine’s Violence Recovery Program, a groundbreaking initiative launched in 2018 that provides holistic support for patients and families affected by trauma from intentional violence. Latham also helped to mobilize community health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Having worked with many of UChicago Medicine’s community health programs, I am especially excited and energized to once again collaborate with staff, faculty and community members to grow these programs, as well as identify and advance new opportunities to promote health equity across South Side and south suburban communities,” said Latham.
Before her time at UChicago Medicine, Latham served as a deputy director at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, where she focused on quality improvement initiatives, including those for maternal and child health. For more than four years, she served on the Board of Directors for the community-based organization Girls Like Me Project, as well as participating on local school councils.
Latham earned a PhD in public administration specializing in health policy and evaluation, as well as a master’s in health services administration, from the George Washington University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago. A resident of the Bronzeville neighborhood, Latham has taught as an adjunct lecturer at UChicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and will be an adjunct assistant professor at UChicago’s Booth School of Business next year.
Battle, who participated in the nationwide search for her successor, will retire on December 31, 2024, after a 43-year career in healthcare, including 12 years at UChicago Medicine. She will serve in an advisory role following her retirement.
“Catina brings considerable strengths to this critical leadership and community-facing position,” Battle said. “That includes her experience with public health policy evaluation, data-driven strategies, and community collaboration and partnerships — factors that have contributed to the growth of UChicago Medicine’s community health initiatives.”
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