Rady Children's Health Creates New Innovation Role for Pravene Nath

Rady Children's Health, a major pediatric healthcare system, has created a new enterprise leadership position and filled it with an executive from the tech and academic medicine sectors.

The organization named Pravene A. Nath, MD, MSE, as executive vice president and chief innovation and physician executive. The role did not exist before this appointment. Leaders at the health system established it specifically to build on the capabilities of the organization's founding hospitals. The goal is to speed up scientific discovery, clinical excellence, and innovation across the entire system.

Dr. Nath brings more than twenty years of experience in academic medicine, digital health, and healthcare transformation. His recent work focused on large-scale technological integration. Most recently, he held senior leadership roles at Walmart Health. There, he managed digital health ventures, artificial intelligence projects, and data-driven healthcare solutions. Before that, he served as chief information and digital officer at Stanford Health Care. In that role, he led the implementation of an enterprise electronic health record. He also launched Stanford MyHealth, a digital platform designed to give patients easier access to healthcare services. His career history also includes executive positions at Roche, Mindstrong Health, and NYU Langone Medical Center.

Educationally, Dr. Nath is board-certified in emergency medicine and clinical informatics. He earned his medical degree and a master's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan. He received his bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University.

In his new capacity, he will work across clinical, research, and operational areas. His mandate includes translating scientific discoveries and emerging technologies into patient care improvements. He will partner with leaders in physician, nursing, technology, research, and operations. These partners will help set enterprise clinical priorities and strengthen collaboration among physicians. He will also lead initiatives in digital health, clinical informatics, and emerging technologies while building partnerships with academic institutions and industry leaders.

Kimberly Chavalas Cripe, president and chief executive officer of Rady Children's Health, commented on the hire. "Our physicians, researchers and care teams have spent decades setting the standard for excellence and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in pediatric medicine," Cripe said. "Dr. Nath brings an exceptional combination of clinical insight, strategic leadership, and experience turning innovative ideas into meaningful change. His appointment gives us an extraordinary opportunity to build on that work, pursue bold new ideas, and accelerate the translation of life-changing advances to children and families."

The new role aligns with the health system's strategy to expand access to specialized pediatric care. The system aims to strengthen clinical programs, advance research, and pursue technologies that improve quality and safety for patients and families. Rady Children's Health has a history of work in genomic medicine, gene therapy, and treatments for complex conditions. Dr. Nath begins his role on November 16 and will report directly to Cripe.