Kimberley Darey, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Elmhurst Hospital and Lakshmi Halasyamani, MD, System Chief Clinical Officer of NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health, have been recognized among Crain's Chicago Business' 2022 Most Notable Executives of Color in Healthcare.
A special section in Crain's highlights these leaders for their success and accomplishments during the past 18 months, including overseeing the delivery of safe care for patients during the pandemic and for leading health equity initiatives to improve patient access and outcomes.
While serving as Medical Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology (prior to her promotion in February 2021), Dr. Darey led initiatives to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns affected by opioids, enhanced recovery after surgery, improved outcomes for mothers with preeclampsia and hypertension and safely reduced the overall rate of C-sections. She also led initiatives to educate physicians and staff regarding unconscious bias and the impact of racism on health.
Dr. Halasyamani advocated for and implemented protective equipment requirements that exceeded mandated guidelines to keep healthcare workers safe and build trust with patients. She was a friendly and trusted name and face associated with providing up-to-date and accurate COVID-19 information to the community and spearheaded partnerships with local educators, church groups and others likely to impact minority groups at particular risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.