Emory Healthcare names LeWanza Harris its new chief quality officer

ATLANTA - After a nationwide search, Emory Healthcare has named LeWanza Harris, MD, chief quality officer for the health care system. She will assume her new role on Sept. 30, 2024.

Known as a transformational physician-leader, Harris will focus on enhancing quality processes by promoting a culture of safety and value in her new role. While driving system-wide efficiencies, Harris will lead cross-functional teams in highly matrixed environments to align operations in risk management and leverage technology to improve patient outcomes. She will work closely with leadership and physicians to set benchmarks and expectations to deliver clinical excellence, ensuring quality is incorporated in system decisions regarding outcomes, care coordination and patient engagement and satisfaction.

"Dr. LeWanza Harris is a change agent with a proven track record of leading impactful patient safety initiatives," says Joon S. Lee, MD, CEO of Emory Healthcare. "Emory Healthcare will benefit from her expertise in clinical quality functions and leadership, as we continue our mission of exceptional, high-quality patient care."

With a wealth of experience in quality management, Harris comes to Emory Healthcare from Mount Sinai Health System in New York, where she served as vice president of quality and regulatory affairs. There, she provided strategic leadership and oversight for all quality functions across the organization. Prior to Mount Sinai, she also served as associate chief quality officer at New York-Presbyterian.

"Emory Healthcare is a preeminent academic leader in clinical research, health care and education," Harris says. "I am truly excited to join a transformational team to leverage collaborations and an engaged ecosystem to continue to drive data-driven innovations that further promote the safest and best quality care for the patients and communities served."

Harris received a bachelor's degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and a medical degree and master's in public health from University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, where she also completed her family medicine residency. She earned an MBA from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and a master's degree in health care leadership from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Harris is board certified in family medicine.

Harris is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Medical Association. She has been honored by Becker's Healthcare for 2024 Black Leaders to Know.