Dr. Cheryl Whitaker

Dr. Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker is an accomplished physician executive and transformational entrepreneur practiced in managing matrixed and complex environments. Her work has been at the intersection of academia, industry, government, and non-profit sectors, leading companies to and through growth and impact. She is experienced in the health care regulatory environment and has spent the last 20 years understanding health disparities and shaping solutions to close the disparity gap. Dr. Rucker-Whitaker has held leadership roles in population health management and data analytics within diverse populations, the construction of technology platforms, in each case with expertise in community-based engagement and social determinants of health solutions (housing, food, employment) for the aging and underserved.

Dr. Rucker-Whitaker is the founder of Complete Care Management Partners LLC, providing Medicaid-focused urban-based delegate care management services to Fortune 100 payors. She was a Co-Founder of NextLevel Health Partners, Inc.; the only African-American-owned Medicaid managed care company in the country. As Chair of the Board and CEO of the company, Dr. Rucker-Whitaker tailored and deployed technology to facilitate culturally-informed care management. Through that, she experienced the uphill battle required to achieve economic and health equity. As a part of growing the company, Dr. Rucker-Whitaker raised debt and equity financings totaling $39 million to support the network build, technology platform build-out, and deployment of risk-based capital. She grew the company to $300 million in revenue and over 150 employees and exited through a sale to a Fortune 50 company in 2020.

Dr. Rucker-Whitaker is a member of the Board of Directors of Equality Health, a company focused on value-based care delivery in Medicaid and is a Senior Medical Advisor for Sure, Inc., the maker of Bexa, an innovative breast cancer early detection technology. In addition, she is a member of the Hyde Park Angels venture fund and an investor in several companies.

Dr. Rucker-Whitaker was elected as the President and Chair of the Institute of Medicine Chicago, Board of Governors, and Chair of the Illinois Medicaid Advisory Committee in 2019. She serves on the Deans’ Advisory Council of Emory College of Emory University, the University of Illinois Chicago Chancellors Advisory Committee, and the Loyola University Board of Regents. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago Network, Women in the Boardroom, and is Chief, Women Business Leaders in US Healthcare. She also serves on the boards of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival and the XS Tennis Foundation in Chicago.

Dr. Rucker-Whitaker received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Emory University, her Doctor of Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine, and a Master of Public Health Degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. In addition, she completed her Internship in Internal Medicine at Stanford University Hospital and her Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

She is married to her best friend of 29 years with 2 teenage children and 2 dogs, Jazz and Blues. She loves collecting wine, listening to music, and checking out new restaurants.