Dr. Kenisha Campbell has taken the helm as the chief medical officer of the Seattle Children’s Care Network (SCCN), where she is focused on reducing healthcare inequities for families. SCCN oversees 15 community pediatric clinics that collectively serve over 137,000 children in the Seattle area. Her appointment comes as part of a broader mission to ensure that accessing essential healthcare services is not a privilege for just a few families.
Dr. Campbell, who is also a professor of clinical practice in the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Washington, has a strong track record in addressing disparities in healthcare. She was awarded a 2024 Population Health Initiative Tier 1 pilot grant, underscoring her commitment to improving health outcomes. Reflecting on her goals, she stated, “I’m motivated by the power of preventative care and early intervention. The foundations for a healthy life are built in childhood and adolescence.”
Healthcare Journey and Community Impact
Dr. Campbell’s dedication to child and adolescent health began during her medical training at Washington University in St. Louis. Her experience working with adolescents inspired her to pursue a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Rochester’s Golisano Children’s Hospital. Following her residency, Dr. Campbell completed a fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, specializing in adolescent medicine while earning a master’s degree in public health at the University of Cincinnati.
After starting her career at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she moved to Seattle, drawn by the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. As its medical director, she was impressed by the clinic’s longstanding commitment to community health. “Working at the intersection of pediatric care and community health requires you to understand the unique challenges families face outside the clinic walls,” she explained.
At SCCN, Dr. Campbell is spearheading the network’s quality improvement initiatives. Her efforts focus on critical areas such as immunizations, preventative visits, antibiotic stewardship, and chronic disease management for conditions like asthma and ADHD. Bridging communication gaps between various healthcare sectors has been crucial to the success of these initiatives.
Innovative Strategies for Health Equity
“Building effective population health programs isn’t easy because you have to collaborate through interdisciplinary teams,” Dr. Campbell noted. This team-based approach has facilitated comprehensive screening efforts across the SCCN network. In the past year, the network screened over 50,000 patients for behavioral health needs, enabling early identification and connection to appropriate resources before issues escalate.
Dr. Campbell’s commitment to health equity ensures that all SCCN practices accept Medicaid insurance and implement standardized assessments to identify disparities in health outcomes. She attributes her equity-focused healthcare philosophy to the communities she has served and her mentors throughout her career. “Every initiative we launch has an equity lens built into its foundation,” she emphasized.
Her approach transcends the implementation of evidence-based practices in primary care clinics. It is about creating comprehensive systems that support providers in delivering consistent, high-quality care. She believes that for community pediatricians managing busy practices, SCCN provides the essential data infrastructure and quality improvement expertise needed to transform care delivery.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to bring together 135 providers who care for children and adolescents across the region,” Dr. Campbell reflected, highlighting her commitment to fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals. Her leadership at SCCN signals a significant step forward in the mission to ensure equitable healthcare access for all children in the community.
