Daniel E. Dawes J.D.

Senior Vice President, Global Health & Founding Dean of the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College; Health Equity & Policy Expert & Best Selling Author

Daniel E. Dawes J.D.

Senior Vice President, Global Health & Founding Dean of the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College; Health Equity & Policy Expert & Best Selling Author

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Biography

“Daniel Dawes keynote address was superb and well received by our audience of health care provider advocates. Our chat/comments room were flooded with very, very positive comments. We are still getting positive comments on his keynote. His topic was very timely and relevant to today’s new calls for greater health equity and social justice overall. He’s terrific!” -National Association of Community Health Centers

"Daniel was AMAZING. Everything went swimmingly! Logistics went smoothly and Daniel was engaging with everyone before and after the event. There were thoughtful questions for him during the Q&A, and attendees spoke very highly of him last night. In fact, we’re in the second day of the Summit (consisting of presentations and panel discussions) and nearly everyone who has spoken has mentioned him in their remarks. He made a BIG impact! The books were distributed and well received, particularly that he took the time to sign them all! I had multiple people reach out to me asking how they can engage with Daniel with their organizations, from possible consultancy to speaking opportunities. All in all? WONDERFUL. Thanks so very much for all your attentiveness in making this event not only successful but special." -American College of Cardiology

Daniel E. Dawes, J.D., is a widely respected healthcare and public health leader, health equity & policy expert, educator, and researcher who currently serves as Senior Vice President, Global Health and is the founding Dean of the School of Global Health at Meharry Medical College, which is the first school of its kind in the United States. Prior to that he served as executive director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine and is a professor of health law, policy and management. A trailblazer and nationally respected voice in the health equity movement, his scholarship and leadership, particularly the innovative political determinants of health framework that he pioneered, have resulted in increased policies and laws prioritizing health equity. By tackling upstream determinants of health, he has ventured into such uncharted territory as the intersection between equity and the social and political determinants of health to change the course of domestic and global policies for the better.

His groundbreaking works, 150 Years of ObamaCare, which document the health equity movement in America and elevates the health equity-focused provisions of the Affordable Care Act that he led in negotiations and formulation, and The Political Determinants of Health, which provides an in-depth lens on the root causes of inequities, both published by Johns Hopkins Press are now nationally and internationally recognized and used as top health policy books. Dean Dawes is also co-editor of Health Equity, published by the American Public Health Association Press. His passion for addressing health inequities is exemplified in his unyielding commitment to building collaboratives, including the HHS grant-funded National COVID-19 Resiliency Network and the Health Equity Leadership & Exchange Network, both exist to leverage evidence-based research and develop actionable solutions to advance health equity. Dean Dawes has sat on panels for the United Nations General Assembly, to discuss advancing health equity in cities through AI and technology.

Dean Dawes’ work focuses on health reform, health equity, mental/behavioral health inequities, social and political determinants of health, poverty, and health system transformation. His work bridges research, technology, healthcare, population health and public health – the translation of research discoveries into all communities, including under-resourced, vulnerable, and marginalized communities. Dean Dawes brings a forward-thinking, inclusive, and multidisciplinary approach to address issues impacting diverse populations in urban and rural communities in our progressively complex health system, including a national study examining the health and economic impact of mental health inequities in the United States and a major research project which created the nation’s first health equity tracker. Among his many achievements, he was an instrumental figure in developing and negotiating the Mental Health Parity Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, and an architect of the Affordable Care Act’s health equity-focused provisions, among other landmark federal policies.

Dean Dawes is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and an elected fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. He serves as an advisor to The White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, an appointed member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee to the Director and co-chair of the CDC’s Health Equity Working Group, as well as an appointed member of the NIH’s National Advisory Council for Nursing Research. Highly respected for his ability to achieve sound policy changes in a nonpartisan manner; Dean Dawes serves or has served on several boards, commissions and councils focused on improving health outcomes and elevating health equity in the United States and around the world, including the board of trustees for Loma Linda University Health, University of Nebraska Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Subcommittee on Health Disparities, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights - Health and Human Rights Institute Advisory Committee, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Policies for Action National Advisory Committee, the National Football League/National Football League Players Association’s National Committee on the Racial Disparities of COVID-19, the National Medical Fellowships Primary Care Leadership Program’s National Advisory Committee, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health National Advisory Council, the Healthcare Georgia Foundation Board of Directors, the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities Board of Directors, the National League of Cities National Advisory Board, the CDC Foundation’s Community COVID Coalition Advisory Group, and the Children’s Mental Health Network National Advisory Council. He is an advisor to international, national, regional, state, and municipal policymakers as well as think tanks, foundations, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. Daniel has also joined the Yale School of Nursing (YSN) as a Presidential Visiting Fellow for the 2024-25 academic year.

Dean Dawes is passionate in harnessing the power of collaboration to actualize and operationalize health equity for all communities. Having pioneered a framework that has increased policies and laws prioritizing health equity, Dean Dawes works to improve the health of those who have been systemically undervalued. Without creating a deeper divide, he shares how we can develop and implement actionable solutions to close the health gap and provides a playbook for becoming a healthy nation.

Speaker Videos

The Political Determinants of Health: Jessica's Story

Within Our Reach: How We Can Actualize Health Equity for All (1/2)

Q&A: Political Determinants of Health: How policy and politics influence health (2/2)

150 Years of ObamaCare

Mind the Gap - The Cost of Mental Health Disparities

There Is No Health Without Mental Health

Policy, Health Reform, and Health Disparities

Daniel Dawes | Centering Health Equity in Times of Crisis and Beyond | Talks at Google

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Speech Topics

Within Our Reach: How We Can Repair the Past, Transform Healthcare & Achieve Health Justice for All!

The Political Determinants of Health & How We Can Change Them

Now, more than ever, political decisions (on both sides of the aisle) are affecting our social conditions and have become the root cause of our nation’s declining health. Reduced life expectancy, worsening health outcomes, health inequity and declining healthcare options are the direct result of social drivers that include poor environmental conditions, inadequate transportation, unsafe neighborhoods, lack of healthy food options and more. Drawing upon his new book, The Political Determinants of Health and firsthand experience shaping major federal policies including the Affordable Care Act, Daniel Dawes walks audiences through the history of efforts to address these issues and the seemingly inseparable interconnection of politics and health. Daniel looks at health through the political lens so we can begin to partner, build capacity and create change. He also presents a novel non-partisan, multidisciplinary framework for addressing the systemic barriers that prevent the U.S. from becoming what it could be: the healthiest nation in the world.

Leveraging the New Determinants of Health to Improve Patient Outcomes

As a passionate advocate for underserved communities, Daniel Dawes has become a national thought leader on utilizing data on the social determinants of health to identify and eliminate healthcare disparities. But how can we also use data to reduce costs and improve outcomes for every single group and in every community? Dawes looks beyond social determinants to examine how the behavioral, community — even political — determinants of health can decrease the risk factors behind the poor health pandemic. In this dynamic presentation for healthcare and mental healthcare providers, employers, community leaders, policy makers and others, Dawes looks at the multiple factors affecting health and takes audience members further upstream to understand the root causes of disparities and how we can effectively disrupt the silos and engage in strategic partnerships to advance a more healthy, equitable and inclusive health system. It all begins with asking the right questions: Is a patient caring for a loved one and not taking care of herself? Depressed? Obese? Lonely? Are we effectively collecting, utilizing, and prioritizing the comprehensive data to identify these and other issues? Providing real life examples, he challenges audiences to look at both determinants and data in a whole new way. He also provides practical applications that they can immediately put into action.

Mental & Behavioral Health Equity

Testimonials

"Wow!! Wow!! Heartfelt and huge thank you for a brilliant, fantastic, inspirational, and informative Grand rounds presentation. The audience of over 150 colleagues send their thanks and the many comments reflected their appreciation of your outstanding presentation. We are all inspired and so grateful for your leadership in advancing health equity. You gave us hope!"

- Northwell Health

"We were delighted to have Daniel speak and feel as though the crowd thoroughly enjoyed his presentation. He was so friendly and easy to work with and also took the time to speak with a number of our attendees who had questions after his presentation. It was a very nice experience working with you as well as your entire team."

- Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council

"It was an amazing session! Daniel was first class, thoughtful in his presentation, flawless in his delivery and was nothing short of captivating. We had a number of participants asking how to contact him for follow up speaking sessions. I really appreciate you being such a great partner to Haleon and helping to make this event such an incredible success!"

- Haleon

"I did attend Daniel Dawes’ lecture in its entirety and it was magnificent! In 45 minutes, he gave a meticulous and stunning and engaging overview of both structural racism and systemic racism in this country. My faculty colleagues and students were awed and grateful."

- Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons

"Daniel was fantastic and our team really enjoyed his presentation and demeanor. In addition to his slides, he did an excellent job with Q&A and really listened to our community leaders. The exchange was beneficial, will have an impact and was a launching pad to some awesome breakout room discussions! Please extend our team’s gratitude for his engagement and powerful presentation."

- South Carolina Hospital Association

- National Association of Community Health Centers

"Thank you so much for participating in Insure the Uninsured Project’s (ITUP) 25th Annual Conference, Future of Equitable Health: A Time of Crisis. It was a pleasure to have you share your passion for making both our health systems and beyond equitable for our most vulnerable communities. Your keynote set a thoughtful, mindful, and actionable tone for our whole conference. The audience LOVED your discussion. Over 700 attendees from diverse backgrounds around California participated in the 2021 ITUP Conference, including local and state agency staff, academics, providers, health plans, consumer advocates, and community-based organizations. Thank you again for being such an essential part of making ITUP’s 25th Annual Conference meaningful and successful."

- Insure the Uninsured Project

“Daniel Dawes demonstrated a unique ability to capture and maintain the attention of our diverse audience by providing an engaging and enlightening keynote presentation that was the highlight of our symposium! He received rave reviews from our attendees. In fact, months after our event, we still continue to receive compliments on him. He is an absolute pleasure to work with. We look forward to having him back in the near future.”

- John’s Hopkins All Children’s Hospital

"I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you making time to speak to our audience. Your remarks were so well received and energized the participants and me to think about how we can up our game on health equity policy change. Again thank you for speaking to us and all you are doing to make our country a better place for all of us."

- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.

"Great event. Daniel was wonderful. Everything went well and his talk was a high point. Thank you for your facilitation and support."

- Healthy St. Pete

"We cannot thank you enough for your outstanding plenary this morning. It was definitely a hit among attendees and it was as thought provoking as it was true. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you over the last several months."

- Tennessee Public Health Association

"A heartfelt thanks for your excellent and engaging keynote address at our annual Diversity and Health Equity Summit. Your presentation received rave reviews and continues to foster ongoing discussions on strategies to improve our health care delivery. Your astute ability to navigate the energy in the room was impressive and your agility and command of the somewhat polarizing and controversial content was extraordinary."

- Northwell Health

"Daniel Dawes provided a fascinating look at the history of health equity in America for our audience of 5000 medical student and residents. He made an educational talk on health policy interesting, entertaining and accessible. His energy and enthusiasm kept the audience engaged and eager to learn more. We highly recommend him as a speaker."

- American Academy of Family Physicians

"Thank you for your Incredible presentation! Please accept our sincere appreciation for the outstanding presentation you made at the MITRE Health Advisory Committee meeting on 'Leveraging Technology and Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities to Address Social Determinants of Health.' We are grateful for your willingness to share your expertise and demonstrate how policies and politics influence the social conditions that generate health outcomes. It was a thought-provoking presentation that inspired a robust discussion. Thank you for taking the time to answer the many questions of our Committee members. This meeting was not meant to be a single event, but a starting point for the discussion on what needs to be done and how we can all work together to address the barriers that prevent us ensuring health and wellbeing for everyone in our nation. We look forward to staying connected with you to take specific ideas into action. Once again, thank you very much for your participation in this important meeting."

- MITRE Health