Brenda Battle, MBA, BSN

Brenda Battle, MBA, BSN, joined the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences Division in 2012 as Vice President for Care Delivery Innovations, Urban Health Initiative and Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Officer. In her role Battle is responsible for collaborating with medical and administrative leadership to foster innovation in the University of Chicago Medicine’s care delivery system, assist in the implementation of new models of care and facilitate integration of care between the hospital and community. Battle’s role entails assisting the UChicago Medicine in developing a thoughtful, coordinated response to a changing health care environment. Battle is the lead administrator of UChicago Medicine’s Urban Health Initiative the community and public health division focused on eliminating health disparities, promoting health equity, and improving health and access to quality care for persons living on the South Side of Chicago. As Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Officer, Battle is responsible for crafting strategies and programs to create an environment that promotes diversity, inclusion and culturally sensitive care delivery models.
Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Battle was the director of the Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Battle oversaw programs to eliminate health disparities and to promote diversity, cultural competence and health literacy within Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

Battle served as Vice President of Operations and later Vice President, Government and Community Affairs for Medical Transportation Management, Inc., a national contractor for non-emergent transportation benefits. She has more than 38 years of health-care experience beginning with a nursing career, and including managed care, long-term care and home care.

Battle has authored a several academic book chapters on the impact of cultural competence on eliminating health disparities. She has become a national speaker on topics related to health disparities, health equity and population health management.

Battle serves on the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, Community Health and Ingalls Memorial Hospital Foundation. She has held several past Board of Directors and Advisory Board roles including the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH), the National Conference for Community and Justice, St. Louis, the Program to Eliminate Cancer Disparities (PeCAD) at Siteman Cancer Center, the African American Advisory Board for the Alzheimers Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine, and Gateway Homeless Services and more.