Brenda Battle

Brenda A. Battle, MBA, BSN, Retired C-Suite Executive | Board Member | Advisor and Consultant

Ms. Battle is a C-Suite executive with expertise in strategic planning, program development and innovative program design. Ms. Battle has designed and executed health care system strategies to foster innovation in care delivery and improve health care outcomes. She has a national reputation as a leader in health equity. She is a national speaker with several publications, and has authored several textbook chapters on improving health outcomes and health equity.

Ms. Battle’s career spanned multiple sectors of health care including health systems, government affairs, managed care, and post-acute care. Throughout her career, Ms. Battle led community health transformation, fostered innovation in care delivery systems, implemented new models of care and facilitated integration of care between the hospitals, health systems and community. Most recently, she led the University of Chicago Medicine’s Urban Health Initiative - the community and public health division focused on eliminating health disparities, promoting health equity, and improving health and access to quality care. Her work is published in several peer reviewed journals. Ms. Battle raised over $200 million from private and public philanthropy to support programming to support the health and wellbeing of residents of Chicago.

Ms. Battle has served on several not-for- profit boards since 1997. She currently serves as board member, Treasurer, and Finance Committee chair for Cara Collective Chicago, a national not-for-profit focused on eradicating financial poverty through workforce preparation and placement; Board member for Genesis Orthopedics, past chair for America’s Essential Hospital Institute, past chair of the Finance and Strategic Planning committees, a national organizational focused on researching and promoting evidence-based best practices and programs that promote the health of vulnerable people and underserved communities. Additionally, Ms. Battle ss a Trustee of her church and an Advisor to Pfizer for Health Answers by Pfizer.

Battle has received several awards and recognition. Battle received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from Health and Policy Research Group and Community Impact Champion from Brightstar Community Outreach. She was recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Diversity Leaders in Healthcare in 2021. In 2022 she was recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago Chapter as Outstanding Community Leader, and in 2023 by Equal Hope as Healthcare Champion for Health Equity. Brenda was guest lecturer for the University of Chicago’s Harper Lecture and Washington University (St. Louis, MO) Homer G. Phillips Lecture series. Battle holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a MBA from Maryville University, St. Louis. She is a frequently requested national speaker, world traveler and loves to read. She resides in Chicago, Illinois.