Full Name
Kelli Houston
Job Title
Chief Equity Officer
Company
Community Health Plan of WA
Speaker Bio
Kelli Houston comes to us with over 18 years of DEI Leadership experience across the health and human sector with emphasis on health and racial equity and ensuring that culturally diverse communities live healthier lives and receive the care they need and deserve.
Her extensive background working with in health care systems includes work to reduce health disparities. Kelli has led and contributed to DEI efforts with Health Share of Oregon, Seattle Children’s Hospital, PeaceHealth and Kaiser Permanente. Under her leadership, she has successfully executed strategic planning and implementation diversity and health equity policy and program development that target a set of high-impact priorities, among them; designing long range plans for a patient centered health system improving the quality of care for culturally diverse patients.
Currently, she serves as Chief Equity Officer for Community Health Plan of WA, the 2nd largest health plan in WA State, where she is responsible for leading DEI strategic planning and execution across the organization. She is the chair of the statewide Equity Council and serves on several community-led committees overseeing key priorities in advancing organizations with an anti-racism approach.
Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, she considers Washington state her home state. Kelli holds an MBA, Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, and professional certification in Women’s Studies from Cornell University. In her spare time, Kelli performed on stage as a standup comedian, auditioning for NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She is “fur mama” to a 12-year-old Japanese bobtail cat named Suzy.
Her extensive background working with in health care systems includes work to reduce health disparities. Kelli has led and contributed to DEI efforts with Health Share of Oregon, Seattle Children’s Hospital, PeaceHealth and Kaiser Permanente. Under her leadership, she has successfully executed strategic planning and implementation diversity and health equity policy and program development that target a set of high-impact priorities, among them; designing long range plans for a patient centered health system improving the quality of care for culturally diverse patients.
Currently, she serves as Chief Equity Officer for Community Health Plan of WA, the 2nd largest health plan in WA State, where she is responsible for leading DEI strategic planning and execution across the organization. She is the chair of the statewide Equity Council and serves on several community-led committees overseeing key priorities in advancing organizations with an anti-racism approach.
Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, she considers Washington state her home state. Kelli holds an MBA, Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, and professional certification in Women’s Studies from Cornell University. In her spare time, Kelli performed on stage as a standup comedian, auditioning for NBC’s Last Comic Standing. She is “fur mama” to a 12-year-old Japanese bobtail cat named Suzy.
