Kofi D. Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP is the inaugural food as medicine program director at Elevance Health. He leads efforts in designing innovative approaches to address diet related chronic diseases and social risk using novel food interventions. Dr.Essel is a board-certified community pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital (CNH) and clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. He most recently served as the director of the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine and Health Sciences Culinary Medicine Program & Community/Urban Health Scholarly Concentration. Dr.Essel has dedicated his career to advocacy/research around healthcare and public health workforce training, health disparities, and community engagement, with expertise and national recognition in the areas of addressing diet related chronic disease and food insecurity with patients and families. (Washington, D.C.)