BlackDoctor has announced its new medical advisory board.
The relaunched health and wellness platform, with the largest network of Black healthcare professionals in America, is driven by the mission “Where Culture Meets Care,” as AFROTECH™ previously reported. CEO Akinwole (Aki) Garrett leads the platform, which has more than 30,000 practitioners and reaches more than 30 million users each year, according to a press release. Under Garrett’s leadership, BlackDoctor launched AI-powered innovations including WellBot, an clinical simulation tool that incorporates insights from Black medical experts and 20 years of clinical data, and Health On Point, a consumer-facing wellness tool powered by an AI agent, per AFROTECH™.
“With that reach and trust comes an enormous responsibility. As we build new content, new health experiences and AI-powered tools like Health On Point and WellBot, I believe the voices of physicians who understand our community should help shape those products from the beginning,” Garrett said in a LinkedIn post.
On Oct. 1, BlackDoctor announced its first medical advisory board, which consists of eight physicians across the U.S. who specialize in cardiovascular health, kidney disease, cancer, mental health, clinical trials, dermatology, and vision care, according to the press release. They will help establish BlackDoctor’s “product and content development strategy for clinicians,” scale health education efforts, drive new products and tools, and medically review its content.
They will also represent BlackDoctor at industry events and conferences, create content and write commentary for BlackDoctor.com and BlackDoctor.pro, as well as help foster relationships with pharmaceutical companies, medical schools, academic medical institutions, medical societies, foundations, and health nonprofits, according to the press release.
“Our Medical Advisory Board reflects who we are as a company — built by and for the community we serve, with real clinicians in the room,” Garrett, said in the release. “These eight physicians will help shape every part of BlackDoctor, from the products we build to the content our readers trust every day.”
The advisory board members are:
- Dr. Craig Emmit Cole – Oncology/Hematology, Detroit, MI
- Dr. Chikelue Oragwu – Medical Affairs, Marietta, GA
- Dr. Nicole Christian-Brathwaite – Psychiatry, Boston, MA
- Dr. Yele Aluko – Cardiology/Physician Executive, Charlotte, NC
- Dr. Kristen Harris Nwanyanwu – Ophthalmology, New Haven, CT
- Dr. Adam Friedman – Dermatology, Washington, DC
- Dr. Beatrice Williams – Orthodontics, Raleigh-Durham, NC
- Dr. Keisha L. Gibson – Pediatric Nephrology, Chapel Hill, NC
“When BlackDoctor first approached me about joining the board, it was an easy decision,” Cole said in the press release. “I thought about how many patients could be helped by the trusted resources BlackDoctor provides, and it just made sense. As part of the board, I’ve been able to help shape cutting-edge tools like WellBot and Health on Point from the ground up, drawing on what I’ve learned treating multiple myeloma in Black patients for years. We’re not just adding another AI product to the market — we’re building something that actually understands who it’s talking to.”
