Richard Besser

Richard Besser

Dr. Richard Besser is President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health philanthropy. Under his leadership, the Foundation works to help build a national Culture of Health rooted in equity; a culture that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. RWJF is focused on identifying, illuminating, and addressing the barriers to health caused by structural racism and other forms of discrimination, including sexism, ableism and prejudice based on sexual orientation.

Dr. Besser has been a leader in the national call for equitable COVID-19 response and recovery efforts and is co-chair of the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy.

Before joining the Foundation, Dr. Besser served for eight years as Chief Health and Medical Editor for ABC News, and as a leader at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he worked for 13 years. He served as Acting Director of the CDC during the initial response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Dr. Besser recently retired from pediatric practice after more than 30 years of volunteering in community clinics and he currently sits on the Howard University Board of Trustees. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Besser received his undergraduate degree in economics from Williams College and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a residency and chief residency in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. He and his wife Jeanne, a food writer, have two adult sons, Alex and Jack.

14. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Rich Besser

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