Jamaican-born well being care chief Dr. Ian Lee Brown has been appointed Chief Neighborhood Well being & Social Influence Officer at Duke College Well being System (DUHS), some of the outstanding educational well being techniques in the US. The senior position locations him on the centre of system-wide efforts to enhance group well being outcomes, handle social drivers of well being, and strengthen partnerships that help long-term wellbeing.
For Brown, who was born in Clark’s City, Trelawny, the appointment represents a big milestone in a profession that has spanned greater than 20 years throughout educational medication, group well being, and organisational management.
Early Foundations in Trelawny
Brown’s formative years in Clark’s City was formed by a robust emphasis on training and group. He attended Clark’s City Main College and later earned admission to William Knibb Memorial High School after efficiently passing the Widespread Entrance Examination. After two years, he migrated to the US, the place he continued his training at Oceana Excessive College within the San Francisco Bay Space earlier than finishing his undergraduate research at Brooklyn School in New York.
His educational preparation displays a multidisciplinary method to management and well being care. He holds a Doctor of Medical & Health Humanities and a Contemplative Skilled Graduate Certificates from Drew College. He additionally earned a Grasp of Science in Utilized Behavioural Science/Organisational Improvement and a Graduate Certificates in Senior Dwelling and Healthcare from the Johns Hopkins Carey Enterprise College, together with a Grasp of Liberal Research from Lake Forest School.
A Profession at Duke
Brown joined Duke Well being in 2022 as its inaugural Vice President for Worker Expertise & Belonging, the place he led enterprise-wide initiatives targeted on workforce wellbeing, organisational tradition, and inclusion. He later served as Interim Affiliate Vice President for Neighborhood Well being at Duke College, serving to to information methods that strengthened group engagement and institutional partnerships.
In his present position as Chief Neighborhood Well being & Social Influence Officer, he leads a complete, system-wide technique geared toward bettering group well being and advancing long-term wellbeing. His duties embrace overseeing the Workplace of Neighborhood Well being and dealing carefully with educational companions, inhabitants well being groups, and group affairs leaders to deal with broader social and structural elements that affect well being, together with training, financial mobility, and group capability. He additionally represents Duke Well being in regional and nationwide boards on group well being and inhabitants wellbeing.
Earlier than becoming a member of Duke, Brown held management roles at Howard College School of Drugs, Dimensions Healthcare System (now College of Maryland Capital Area Well being), Erickson Senior Dwelling, and Christian Church Properties, constructing expertise throughout educational medical centres, group well being techniques, senior residing, and inexpensive housing.
Recognition and Contributions
Brown’s work has earned nationwide recognition. In 2022, he was named an Influential Chief by the Affiliation to Advance Collegiate Faculties of Enterprise (AACSB), and in 2025 he was recognised as a Distinguished Johns Hopkins College alumnus.
His doctoral analysis targeted on genuine management in well being care, exploring how lived experiences, resilience, and belonging can form management and institutional change. His work centres on advancing well being fairness, strengthening group engagement, and creating techniques that prioritise dignity and connection.
He has additionally maintained ties to Jamaica via community-focused initiatives. Lately, he led efforts at Duke Well being that supported Hurricane Melissa aid by facilitating the donation of a number of pallets of non-public protecting gear to the Western Regional Well being Authority.
Influence Past Borders
Ian Brown’s appointment to senior management at Duke College Well being System highlights the continued impression of Jamaicans in the diaspora who’re shaping change in important sectors all over the world. From his early years in Trelawny to main group well being technique at a significant U.S. establishment, his journey displays a profession grounded in service, management, and a dedication to bettering lives at scale. For extra about Ian and his work at Duke, comply with him on LinkedIn.
