Dr. Rhea Boyd, Class of 2002, lives a life of Christian service, modeling the Holy Cross core values. As a pediatrician, she works clinically in an urgent care facility in California and has leveraged her position as a physician to make a much larger impact on her community and the communities around her. Her unyielding passion for equality, justice and healthcare connect underserved, marginalized populations with access to information, resources and care.
Growing up in West Akron, Rhea witnessed inequality first-hand, at school and in her neighborhood. From an early age, she noted the resource imbalance and racial segregation in her community. She questioned why some people had nice things and others did not. Those early realizations and questions would continue to guide Rhea throughout her educational and professional journey.
While at Hoban, Rhea was an engaged, active student. She played volleyball, basketball and ran track, and was active in student government. Those early experiences helped her learn discipline and teamwork – skills that are core to a life of service. She also quickly developed an affinity for science. She remembers how her excitement and passion for medicine were ignited in her AP biology course at Hoban.
After graduation, Rhea attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and health. It was during her college years that she further explored her questions about racial inequality and determined to use her love of science to make an impact. While an undergraduate student, Rhea wrote for the student newspaper about racism in America.
In 2010, Boyd received a medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. She was part of the Pediatric Leadership for the Underserved residency, which trains pediatricians to provide healthcare for children from marginalized backgrounds. In 2017, Rhea completed a Master of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
While in residency, Rhea learned an important recipe for success. She learned that success is when you find something you enjoy and have a natural affinity for that meets a great need in the world. This recipe has propelled Rhea to serve others in a variety of ways. Beyond her clinical position, Rhea has been deeply involved in her local community, state and national organizations to do what she loves while meeting the needs of others.
Three years ago, Rhea was named the director of equity and justice for the California Children’s Trust. This state-wide organization works to advance mental health access for children and youth across California through policy and systems reform. For the past four years, Rhea has served as the chief medical officer of 2-1-1 San Diego, which connects low-income families and individuals with social services.
One of her proudest accomplishments has been co-developing THE CONVERSATION: Between Us, About Us. In partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, Black Coalition Against COVID and Unidos US, this online resource brings credible information about the COVID vaccines directly to Black, Latinx and Spanish-speaking communities because these communities are often underserved by the US healthcare system. The site, in which Rhea has several short videos to answer healthcare concerns about the vaccine, has more than 100 million views.
Beyond her service-oriented mission, Rhea is also a published author. As a young pediatrician, she created a blog to discuss the relationship between structural racism, inequality and health. Her writings have been published in the New York Times, The Hill, The Nation, NBC News and TIME Magazine, to name a few. While she considers the most meaningful impact she has is during one-on-one conversations with parents, helping them make decisions about the healthcare of their children, her voice and her message inspiring hope, integrity, inclusiveness, option for the poor and zeal have been heard by millions worldwide.