Helping People Live Longer Lands Jegede on Great Leader in Healthcare List
The national recognition comes from Becker’s Hospital Review.
Greensboro – Dr. Olu Jegede, Cone Health Chief Health Equity and Community Impact Officer, has been named among the Great Leaders in Healthcare. His name is on a list compiled by Becker’s Hospital Review, a prominent healthcare publication.
In 2023, Cone Health found a 9% gap in the control of high blood pressure between Black and other populations that use Cone Health for care. Jegede led the program that closed that gap. 
The initiative trained medical assistants on blood pressure monitoring and providers on individualized care plans. Then, he and his team created a protocol around patients and medication based on ethnicity, as some medications work well for Black patients while others are less effective.
Cone Health’s community-based pharmacy team helped patients better understand the importance of their blood pressure medication. The team also viewed patient data and even provided medication reminders. These tactics closed not only the gap between Black patients and other groups in controlling high blood pressure but resulted in higher levels of blood pressure control among all populations.
Dr. Olu Jegede
Since joining Cone Health in 2014, Jegede has built partnerships with county and city agencies, churches, community organizations and college nursing programs. He developed the CATCH 5 in 5 (Collaborative Actions Toward Community Health) initiative. It aims to add five years of life expectancy to people who live in certain urban and rural areas where residents die sooner on average than those living elsewhere. CATCH 5 in 5 addresses the various issues that lower life expectancy. Controlling high blood pressure is one of those issues.
“I am truly honored by the recognition from Becker’s Hospital Review. It’s a privilege to be included among such a well-regarded group of healthcare leaders,” Jegede said. “This inspires me to further my partnerships with my colleagues at Cone Health as we strive to deliver equitable and exceptional care for our patients and our communities.”
