AHN appoints first chief clinical diversity and inclusion officer
Allegheny Health Network has appointed Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, MPPM, FACOG, as the health system’s first chief clinical diversity and inclusion officer.
Larkins-Pettigrew, who will join AHN from University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland beginning Dec. 1, currently serves as professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, chair of clinical diversity and inclusion and assistant dean of students, according to an AHN News release.
Larkins-Pettigrew will work with leaders across AHN to shape an inclusive workplace culture at the health system, further advancing its commitment to workforce diversity, cultural competency and equitable health care delivery and outcomes for all patients and communities served, the release said.
“At AHN, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive, diverse workforce at every level of our organization, and we could not have found a better champion for that cause than Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew,” said Cynthia Hundorfean, AHN chief executive officer. “As one of the nation’s most respected voices and authorities on the value of cultural diversity in healthcare, she shares our belief that one of the best ways to eliminate disparities in medicine is to promote diversity within the ranks of those who lead and staff our clinical and academic programs.”
During her time at University Hospitals, Larkins-Pettigrew worked to improve the health of underserved women across Northeast Ohio, especially those living with HIV, LGBQTIA+ populations and those experiencing food insecurity. She founded and served as CEO of University Hospitals’ Women and Neonates, Diversity, Outreach, Opportunity, Research global health program, the release said.
In 2014, she was named the university’s chair of clinical excellence and diversity, an endowed position established to promote diversity of academic faculty, the release said.
“From her early days working at refugee camps in Ghana and Swaziland, to her experiences as a critical care nurse and her ongoing advocacy for marginalized groups of women, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew has been on the front lines, witnessing and treating immense health disparities,” said Lonie Haynes, Ph.D., Highmark health chief diversity officer. “She has made it her life’s mission to improve health outcomes of her patients, particularly those who are at-risk. We are confident her work, along with our collaborative efforts across Highmark Health, will have a profound and lasting impact on our organization and those we serve.”
Larkins-Pettigrew earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in education from California State University and her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She served in the U.S. Navy for 16 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander and completing an OBGYN internship at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. She returned to Pittsburgh for a residency at Magee Women’s Hospital, and practiced at UPMC for the next 15 years, while also serving as Magee’s Director of Global Health Programs. Larkins-Pettigrew joined University Hospitals in 2010 after receiving a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Pittsburgh.