Rita Carreón is Vice President for Health at UnidosUS, national nonpartisan and non-profit Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization based in Washington, DC, Ms. Carreón oversees the organization’s strategic direction in health, including community engagement and programming, addressing social determinants of health, and advancing health equity. She helped lead a cross-component team on the public health response for COVID-19 through UnidosUS Esperanza Hope for All campaign. She works in close partnership with UnidosUS Affiliates, public and private partners, and other stakeholders to advance access to quality and equitable healthcare. Previously, she was Vice President of Clinical Strategies and Health Care Equity at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and led health programming at the National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.
Ms. Carreón’s expertise and interests include improving health and quality of care for diverse communities. She advises and collaborates with organizations to envision where health happens, including advancing health equity and racial justice with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pfizer’s Multicultural Advisory Council and National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN). Ms. Carreón also serves as co-chair of the regional teams steering committee for the National Institutes of Health’s Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) and sits on the Board for the Capital Area Food Bank. As a Carol Emmott Foundation Fellow alumnus, a member of CHIEF and the Women of Impact for Health Care, she is part of a network of female healthcare executives with a shared goal to realign the healthcare system to meet equitable and just needs of all Americans, recognizing that people who need care come from all walks of life. Ms. Carreón is a certified health insurance executive, holds a postgraduate certificate in health care administration and Bachelor of Science degrees in Community and School Health from California State University, Long Beach.