Raina M. Merchant, MD, MSHP, FAHA
University of Pennsylvania Health System
Biography
Dr. Raina M. Merchant serves as the Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer for the University
of Pennsylvania Health System. She is also a tenured Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University
of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in the Department of
Anesthesia and Critical Care, Division of General Internal Medicine, and Division of Health Policy.
In her role as Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer, Dr. Merchant focuses on driving
organizational change by shifting mindset, culture, and technology to address emerging challenges and
opportunities. Her impactful work includes advancing care beyond hospital settings, leveraging
automation to ease clinician workloads, enhancing workforce wellbeing and mental health,
enabling a culture of inclusive excellence, and integrating healthcare delivery science into
health system operations. Her contributions have been highlighted in publications such as Wired, The Economist, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. Dr. Merchant is a member of the editorial board of JAMA. She was recognized
by Becker's Healthcare on the Chief Transformation Officers to Know list in 2023 and 2024. Additionally,
she is an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and was
named by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of ten individuals likely to significantly impact
the future of health and healthcare in the US. Dr. Merchant earned her BA from Yale University, her MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and a Master of Science in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania.
of Pennsylvania Health System. She is also a tenured Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University
of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in the Department of
Anesthesia and Critical Care, Division of General Internal Medicine, and Division of Health Policy.
In her role as Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer, Dr. Merchant focuses on driving
organizational change by shifting mindset, culture, and technology to address emerging challenges and
opportunities. Her impactful work includes advancing care beyond hospital settings, leveraging
automation to ease clinician workloads, enhancing workforce wellbeing and mental health,
enabling a culture of inclusive excellence, and integrating healthcare delivery science into
health system operations. Her contributions have been highlighted in publications such as Wired, The Economist, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. Dr. Merchant is a member of the editorial board of JAMA. She was recognized
by Becker's Healthcare on the Chief Transformation Officers to Know list in 2023 and 2024. Additionally,
she is an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and was
named by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of ten individuals likely to significantly impact
the future of health and healthcare in the US. Dr. Merchant earned her BA from Yale University, her MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and a Master of Science in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania.