CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dr. David Callaway, chief of crisis operations and sustainability at Advocate Health is one of 60 scholars who will form the ninth class of Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS). For nearly a decade, PLS has served as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and create meaningful change in the United States and around the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson and their respective administrations.
The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were chosen based on their leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community, the country or the world.
“In the United States, over half of a health system’s carbon footprint is from the material we use for patient care and the manner in which we use it,” said Callaway. “It is time for major health systems to partner with medical technology and medical device companies to unleash innovation and create a more sustainable, high-tech health care future.”
It has been estimated the health care sector creates 8.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
During the six-month program, Dr. Callaway will develop his initiative focused on building the Advocate Health Sustainable Healthcare Catalyst located in “The Pearl” innovation district in Charlotte, North Carolina. The goal of the program is to spark and scale innovation that ultimately improves the health of the planet and its people. Already, the centerpiece of The Pearl, The Howard R. Levine Center for Education – which will house Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s new second campus in Charlotte – is being constructed to a carbon-zero and LEED Gold standard, while also achieving a WELL Building Standard.
“Since ancient times, we have known that human health – our health – is tied to the health of the environment in which we live, said Callaway. “At Advocate Health, we embrace this concept and will embody it in all we do.”
Advocate Health, which was created with the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health to form the nation’s third-largest nonprofit health care system, has publicly stated commitments to generating positive social impact. It aims to advance population health, enable career advancement, bring medical innovations to patients more quickly, address the root causes of health inequities and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Callaway, who is also a professor of emergency medicine at Atrium Health in Charlotte, served three years as an expeditionary physician supporting the United States Marine Corps in combat and crisis zones around the globe before returning to his training at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency where he served as chief resident. At Advocate Health, Callaway leads a team of senior, cross-disciplinary, executive leaders who are working to transform and decarbonize health care.
Over the course of the program, scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from key former administration officials, business and civic leaders and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact in the communities they serve.
Scholars have consistently reported remarkable growth in skills, responsibilities and opportunities for impact since the program began in 2015. For example, 91% of scholars said their confidence in how they lead social change has improved as a result of the PLS program.
The 2024 program kicked off on Jan. 24, in Washington, D.C.
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About Presidential Leadership Scholars
The Presidential Leadership Scholars program is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson. To learn more, visit www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org. For updates about the Presidential Leadership Scholars, use #PLScholars and follow @PLSprogram on Twitter and Instagram.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health serves nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs nearly 155,000 team members across 68 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $6 billion in annual community benefits.
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