Symposium Speaker

garth walker headshot

Dr. Garth Walker

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF VALUE-BASED CARE, RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Dr. Walker is an Healthcare executive and academic board certified Emergency Physician with senior level state, federal, and private sector experience. A recognized healthcare and public health thought leader, Interviewed and quoted by major local and national news networks such as MSNBC, Chicago Suntimes, and ABC. Dr. Walker contributes insights and expertise centered at the intersection of public health and healthcare delivery.

 

Dr. Walker the Chief Medical Officer for Rush Health, RUSH University Medical Center’s clinically integrated network. Dr. Walker also leads Digital Health Solution and practices clinically as a board certified Assistant Professor in Emergency Department at RUSH University Medical System for Health. As CMO, Dr. Walker is responsible for clinical strategy, growth, and care management and clinical integration for the RUSH CIN and leads innovative strategic partnerships for the health system.

 

Prior, Dr. Walker served as a senior level executive for the Illinois Department of Public Health at the height of COVID-19. While with IDPH, Dr. Walker operated internal and external public health strategies during COVID-19 to enhance vaccination rates, advise vaccine operations across state departments, and improve men's health and opioid strategies across Illinois. Dr. Walker was then appointed by President Biden to serve as a White House fellow with the department of Health and Human Services at the Office of the Surgeon General under Dr. Vivek Murthy.

 

Dr. Walker's academic accomplishments include first-author peer-reviewed scientific articles focused on social determinants of health, firearm injury, and communication, receiving runner-up honors for top paper with the Journal of Healthcare Management. In addition, Dr. Walker reviews for several major scientific journals such as JAMA, Annals of Emergency Medicine, and Public Health reports. Dr. Walker has also advised healthcare companies on value-based care strategies.

 

Committed to civic leadership, Dr. Walker has been appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to Chicago's equity advisory board, appointed by Gov Pritzker to the Illinois Board of Higher ED and serves locally as a board member for mHUB, Thresholds and the Chicago Urban League. Lastly, Dr. Walker is an alumnus of the Urban League IMPACT program, Leadership Greater Chicago, and a member of Chicago's Economic Club.