It was November 2020, Thanksgiving in Philadelphia. But before Greg Deavens, the President and CEO of Independence Health Group, and his guests would enjoy their feast, there were new neighbors to greet. So the holiday celebrants, which included Deavens’ wife and three children, went outside, armed with plastic bags full of toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks and gift cards. They walked the blocks, giving away their care packages, offering them to people they encountered.
It was a cold day, Deavens remembers, as they approached a man who was sleeping on a sidewalk grate for warmth. He said he was a veteran of the Vietnam War and had spent a few years living on the streets. “He was very optimistic,” Deavens says. “He said I’m going to get out of this. I’m going to get my own place and get back on my feet.”
The men talked for 20 minutes. “He had this incredible story,” Deavens says. “It was an impactful experience for my kids and me.”
It’s countless interactions like those that have shaped Deavens into the compassionate, empathetic leader he is in his role as President and CEO of Independence Health Group. For his passion and commitment to improving the healthcare of people from all walks of life, The Philadelphia Citizen is honored to name Deavens the Lewis Katz Corporate Citizen of the Year. A celebration honoring Deavens and fellow winners, including Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 25, at The Fitler Club ballroom. (You can read about all of this year’s winners here, and find out about tickets and sponsorships for the star-studded event here.)
Seeing the whole person
Deavens leads one of the region’s largest healthcare insurers at a time when the health insurance industry is often seen not as a partner in good health, but as a hindrance. (Nothing framed the hostility that can exist between patients and insurers more than the murder in December of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.)
But Deavens, who became Independence’s first Black leader when he took charge in 2021, understands that good business must go hand-in-hand with good health, and that clients aren’t numbers — they’re people. He understands that preventing chronic conditions can save money, sure, but also lives. And he understands that mental health, as the saying goes, is health.
Temple University President John Fry calls Deavens, “One of the most exceptional business and civic leaders in the region.” In particular, Fry says, “His unwavering commitment to making healthcare more equitable and accessible is truly inspiring.”
And Deavens, like the man he met warming himself on a sidewalk grate a few Thanksgivings ago, has an optimistic outlook, a brightness, a forward-facing spirit that propels others.
“Greg is a humble and genuine leader who cares about the city and region and all who live and work here,” says Mike Innocenzo, Chief Operating Officer of Exelon, last year’s Corporate Citizen of the Year honoree and Deavens’ predecessor as chair of the Chamber of Commerce board. “He understands the role that the business community plays in improving the quality of life in Philadelphia. Greg’s authenticity and drive to make things better continues to inspire all of us around him.”
Leading the way
In October, as Deavens began his two-year term as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, he spoke of the many positives the city has on the horizon — including hosting FIFA’s World Cup games and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in 2026 while also celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding — as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase what Philadelphia has to offer.
“He said enough talk about us being the biggest city with the highest rate of poverty in the country. Let’s look at our city as the one with the greatest opportunity for upward economic mobility,” says Chellie Cameron, the Chamber’s president and CEO.
At its core, Deavens says, the Chamber is about “making sure that we have an environment where businesses can thrive, businesses can be started, businesses can (relocate), and all with an expectation to grow jobs and to help to make the regional economic engine more vibrant.”
“This is a pivotal and exciting time for the region,” he says. “If we want it to be known for the upward economic mobility of its citizens, we have to make sure we lock arms with the business community, elected officials and community leaders and work together.”
“We grew up understanding that to whom much is given, much is required.” — Greg Deavens
And the region won’t be successful if it leaves anyone behind. Growth must also be inclusive, Deavens says. He believes businesses should reflect the communities they serve without sacrificing quality. Within nine months of taking the job as CEO, Deavens had put people of color in its top two executive spots. A short time later, he hired Dr. Seun Ross, who is Black, as the company’s first-ever director of health equity.
Deavens’ ideas are already changing the way the Chamber does business. Traditionally, Cameron says, the Chamber has held its meetings in Center City. But Deavens suggested gathering in different locations throughout the 11-county area, allowing members to learn more about the needs of different communities. The Chamber’s March meeting, for example, will be in North Philadelphia near Temple University.
“It’s great for our board and it’s a great show of support for the business community,” Cameron says. “It’s a great example of how he looks holistically at things: We can do things better. Let’s try this.”
Strong roots
Deavens grew up in St. Louis, where his mother, the late Shirley Mae Bouie Deavens, was a well-known civic and spiritual leader. She was a public school teacher, a principal, ordained minister and founder of the World Overcomers Christian Center.
On weekends, when Ms. Deavens would speak or preach to large groups, Deavens and his brother would come along, tucking themselves into conference room corners and doing their homework on the floor.
“But we were also listening,” Deavens says.
Mom’s talks often reinforced the lessons the boys were learning at home: the importance of hard work, resilience, and believing in yourself. During holiday meals, Ms. Deavens would ask all assembled to list their accomplishments in the past year — and their plans for the upcoming one.
“She would not let you get up from that table without communicating what your goals were for the next year and what you had accomplished,” Deavens says. “And every time you had success, she was your biggest cheerleader.”
“At the top and going higher” was how she’d respond to news of a good test score or a work promotion. It’s an expression that’s still used in the Deavens family.
“She was an inspiration,” he says. “We grew up understanding that to whom much is given, much is required.”
A force for good
Among other notable and impactful changes championed by Deavens and Independence, one that individual Philadelphians can point to as life-changing is its work with the Regional Coalition to Eliminate Race-Based Medicine.
For generations, healthcare systems have treated race as biological fact, using physiological myths to determine an individual’s medical needs. Among these historic inaccuracies: that African Americans have thicker skin, weaker lungs and faster kidney filtration rates. As a result, it was common for practitioners to make race-based adjustments when diagnosing and treating clinical conditions, often resulting in Black patients being given less pain medication or having chronic conditions like kidney disease downgraded in severity — and thus undertreated.
Deavens knew that needed to change and, he says, “While we have a great team here at Independence, we recognize we can’t do it alone.” That’s why, in 2023, Independence convened the Regional Coalition to Eliminate Race-Based Medicine, a group that includes Penn Medicine, Virtua Health, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Jefferson Health. Its first task: to remove the practice of using race-based adjustments when making clinical decisions.
One year later, the Coalition announced that all member organizations had stopped applying race adjustments to diagnostic tests when determining lung, kidney and OB-GYN care.
And this wasn’t a technicality or paperwork issue: Eliminating race-based adjustments to a kidney function test, for example, resulted in more than 700 patients being moved onto or up the kidney transplant list. Of those patients, 63 of them received kidney transplants.
“As we think about health equity, we need to make sure the focus is on everyone having the opportunity to get the best care and live a long and fruitful life.” — Greg Deavens
“That action has resulted in people likely living longer than they would have otherwise. They’ve gotten access to treatment and care they otherwise wouldn’t have had,” Deavens says. “As we think about health equity, we need to make sure the focus is on everyone having the opportunity to get the best care and live a long and fruitful life.”
Another example of how changes inside the company have affected its customers relates to “whole person” health; that is, integrating physical and behavioral treatments. In some instances, Deavens says, it’s as simple as having primary care physicians screen for behavioral health issues so they can get their patients needed assistance.
But that’s easier said than done, with some primary care doctors having neither the time nor resources to complete such screenings. That prompted Independence to partner with a company that could help connect patients with necessary care. IBX has also increased the number of behavioral healthcare providers available in its networks, with about 6,700 mental health providers today — a staggering increase of about 47 percent from 2022.
Deavens is also proud of a partnership between The Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) that provides behavioral health services to students at Girard College.
“We learned that many of the students were from families that are economically challenged and that many of them had experienced some form of trauma in their lives,” Deavens says. “By helping to connect them with appropriate care, we found their performance at school improved and their outlook on life significantly improved as well. It’s a way of giving them the care they need, but also giving them hope and a sense of optimism that will propel them to higher heights as they grow older.”
Stronger together
Sharmain Matlock-Turner, CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition, says she deeply admires Deavens’ “ability to combine strategic vision with a collaborative spirit, ensuring that corporate resources are not only aligned with community needs but are driving measurable progress.”
“His leadership has helped turn meaningful dialogue into actionable strategies, such as conducting citywide surveys to better understand the community’s needs and priorities,” Matlock-Turner says.
Deavens understands the power of “showing up.” He wants people to know that Independence cares about them, and he hopes his presence at an event or on a council or board sends that message. Independence has long supported the American Heart Association’s (AHA) efforts to increase Hands-Only CPR training and to install CPR kiosks throughout the region. Deavens was there when such a kiosk was brought to Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and he remembers how excited the community was to have these opportunities. He also served as chair of the AHA’s 2024 Philadelphia Heart Walk, joining about 10,000 others for the event and activity around Citizens Bank Park.
His schedule is unimaginably full, not only with his Indepence work but also his commitment to the Chamber of Commerce and a slew of other organizations, including the Barnes Foundation and African American Museum in Philadelphia boards.
“I think it’s important for leaders to be present, so I try to be present at as many things as I can physically do and hopefully do them reasonably well,” he says. “My father used to say, ‘You never sit down.” I probably inherited some of that from my mother.”
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