Dr. Debbie Salas-Lopez is the senior vice president of community wellness and population health at Northwell Health, where she leads initiatives to enhance community health and equity across multiple markets. Her leadership, in partnership with community and faith-based leaders, resulted in the establishment of Northwell’s health equity taskforce, which comprises over 100 leaders and focuses on tackling health disparities and improving care coordination. In the past year, she expanded the taskforce’s efforts to include initiatives like the clergy advisory council and the Faith Leaders Network, which facilitate interfaith dialogues on mental health issues. Dr. Salas-Lopez also launched the system’s community scholars program to provide academic and career opportunities for students in underserved communities. She has been instrumental in the development of the upcoming Northwell School of Health Sciences. Additionally, she spearheads partnerships aimed at addressing social determinants of health, such as food access and employment challenges.
