Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, the first woman to lead the $10 billion private foundation, has served in the position for 14 years.
President and Chief Executive Officer Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, the first woman and first African-American to lead the $10 billion Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will leave her 14-year post as soon as a successor can be selected, the organization announced Tuesday.
"Risa's commitment to improving the health of this nation during her tenure as CEO is simply unparalleled, and she has led this foundation with an extraordinary sense of purpose and passion," said Roger Fine, chairman of the RWJF board of trustees.
"It is difficult to see her leave, but we are fortunate that she will remain at the helm until a successor is in place."
Lavizzo-Mourey, 61, has been named eight times to the Forbes list of most powerful women in the world. During her tenure, Lavizzo-Mourey enacted a key program aimed at reversing the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. RWJF committed $500 million to this priority in 2007 and, launched a national movement to raise awareness of the issue and to find solutions through funded research, communications campaigns, and changes to public policy.
Encouraged by progress that includes stalling the growth of the obesity rate of children 2 to 19 at 17%, and reducing the obesity rate of children 2 to 5 from 13.9% to 8.9%, RWJF committed another $500 million to sustain the movement for another decade in 2015.
First Lady Michelle Obama adopted the cause through her Let's Move! campaign.
The Foundation continues to actively work alongside different sectors to address the issue, including schools, industry, cities and local communities, policymakers, and organizations seeking to ensure all children have access to healthy food and opportunities to be active.
A Legacy of Healthcare Access
A daughter of physicians, Lavizzo-Mourey also built upon RWJF's longtime support for programs aimed at helping individuals obtain healthcare coverage, providing relevant research, consumer outreach, and technical assistance to states implementing the Affordable Care Act.
Also under her leadership, RWJF created the Commission to Build a Healthier America, a national independent, nonpartisan group of leaders who examined what factors outside of the medical care arena influence health.
After collecting data and holding listening sessions across the nation, the Commission issued a landmark report in 2009 titled "Beyond Health Care." The report underscored findings that good health depends more on where people live, learn, work, and play rather than medical care alone, and issued a list of national recommendations to improve health at the local, state, and federal levels.
Korn Ferry, an executive search firm, will help the Foundation's board in its search for her successor.
Philip Betbeze is the senior leadership editor at HealthLeaders.