Health Imperatives names Stephanie Brown as next CEO

By AI, Created 4:53 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Health Imperatives said Monday that CEO Julia Kehoe will step down June 30 after 13 years, with Stephanie Brown set to take over Sept. 14. The leadership change comes as the Southeastern Massachusetts nonprofit continues expanding services after losing Medicaid funding in 2025 and securing new philanthropic support.

Why it matters: - Health Imperatives is changing leaders as the nonprofit manages growth, funding pressure and service demand across Southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape & Islands. - The transition comes after the organization lost Medicaid funding in 2025, putting reproductive health services at risk and forcing a rapid financial reset. - Stephanie Brown inherits a larger, more complex organization with a $21 million budget and a broad portfolio of health, housing, trauma and economic mobility programs.

What happened: - Health Imperatives announced that President and CEO Julia Kehoe will end her 13-year tenure on June 30, 2026. - The Board of Directors named Stephanie Brown as the next CEO, effective Sept. 14, 2026. - Kehoe will work with Brown to manage the leadership transition. - Jennifer Forbes, chair of the board, praised Kehoe’s leadership and said Brown is prepared to lead the next chapter.

The details: - Kehoe helped grow Health Imperatives from a $10 million organization into a $21 million regional provider. - The nonprofit now offers sexual and reproductive health care, trauma-informed services, low-threshold housing, substance use support, immigrant services, gender-affirming care and economic empowerment programs. - Health Imperatives expanded major programs during COVID-19. - The organization launched Sanctuary Place for survivors of trafficking and trauma. - Health Imperatives also developed Pathways to Power, a program focused on economic mobility and intergenerational poverty. - Brown currently leads Casa Myrna, a Boston nonprofit focused on ending domestic violence. - Under Brown’s leadership, Casa Myrna’s budget increased from $3 million to $11 million. - Casa Myrna now supports more than 2,200 survivors each year. - Brown has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit and state government leadership. - Her state roles included senior positions at the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. - At the state agency, Brown oversaw policy, programs and services for more than 840,000 low-income residents. - Brown also directed housing and homelessness initiatives serving thousands of families statewide. - In late 2025, Health Imperatives received a $2.5 million grant from Action for Women’s Health, a philanthropic initiative founded by Melinda French Gates. - The flexible funding is being used to expand women’s health services across the region.

Between the lines: - The leadership change signals a planned handoff, not a crisis-driven turnover. - Brown’s background in domestic violence services, housing and state government suggests Health Imperatives wants a CEO with deep experience in complex, public-facing safety-net work. - The Medicaid funding loss and the new grant show how reliant the organization is on a mix of public money, state support and philanthropy. - Forbes’ comments point to a board focused on stability, partnerships and continued growth rather than retrenchment.

What’s next: - Kehoe and Brown will overlap during the transition period before Brown formally takes over in September. - Health Imperatives is likely to continue rebuilding and expanding women’s health services with the new grant and other support. - Brown will take charge of maintaining services while advancing the nonprofit’s regional reach and financial stability.

The bottom line: - Health Imperatives is handing leadership to an executive with a track record in growth, advocacy and large-scale human services at a moment when the nonprofit’s mission remains under pressure and in demand.