In the Washington Business Journal profile as part of their CEO series, Dr. Aaron elaborates on the experience she brings — from working diligently in community to address the AIDS crisis and then overseeing the state of Connecticut’s public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic — to one of DC’s most well-known health providers. She also talks about her childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, and how her parents emphasized academic achievement. Outside of work, look for her to be tending to the roses and enjoying the beauty around her.
And, in terms of challenging climate in which we find ourselves, Dr. Aaron weighs in on how the Whitman-Walker Community Health System is positioning itself to ensure that life-saving research continues, especially in Southeast DC.
Excerpt:
What does President Donald Trump’s executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives mean for your work?
This term, “DEI,” this term that all of a sudden is causing all this disruption. Practicing patient-centered care has been around for decades. Our main concern here at Whitman-Walker is to treat everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of race, color, creed, disability, whatever. We are here. That is what we do. So, you can call it any name you want, but that is what we do. If treating people with dignity, with respect, is something that is offensive, then I guess we’re offensive, but that is what we intend to do.
Please see the full profile here: https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2025/02/21/whitman-walker-health-system-heather-aaron.html
