UNITY HEALTH CARE APPOINTS DR. JESSICA HENDERSON BOYD AS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

The Unity Health Care (Unity) Board of Directors announced the appointment of Dr. Jessica Henderson Boyd to the position of President and CEO effective January 1, 2022. Dr. Boyd has served as Unity’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for two years and brings an extensive background in primary care, research, public health, and deep knowledge of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to her new role.  

On behalf of the Unity Board of Directors, Chairperson Paul Kealey said, “We are thrilled to have Dr. Jessica Boyd assume the helm as Unity’s next President and CEO. Dr. Boyd has shown exceptional leadership as Unity’s Chief Medical Officer. Now she will use those leadership skills – her strategic vision, keen analytical intelligence, consensus-building style, outstanding communications, listening skills, and deep passion for Unity’s mission – to guide Unity into the future. The Board has the utmost confidence in their selection of Dr. Boyd as the ideal candidate to assume the mantle of Unity Health Care.” 

Dr. Boyd was chosen following a nationwide search that began in May of 2021. She previously served as CMO at Baltimore Medical System and most recently held strategic positions at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and McKinsey & Co.  

“Dr. Boyd assumes the role in the wake of a legend,” Mr. Kealey continued. “Vincent A. Keane led Unity for more than 30 years when it was still the Health Care for the Homeless Project (HCHP). Under Vince’s exceptional leadership, Unity has grown into a network of over 28 health centers, a medical outreach program, and more, bringing whole-person care and wellness to nearly 100,000 patients through roughly half a million visits annually. The impact Vince has had on the health of DC residents, especially people experiencing homelessness and those with low incomes, is immeasurable. Our gratitude is profound, and we wish him the very best in his retirement.”   

“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to continue the legacy of service to the community that Vincent Keane, Dr. Janelle Goetcheus and others have fostered since Unity’s inception,” states Dr. Jessica Henderson Boyd. “Our mission to provide access to comprehensive healthcare for all in our community couldn’t be more timely or urgent, and I believe Unity is well positioned to lead in the fight for health equity and improve health and wellness for our patients and our city.”