Ikenna Okezie, MD, MBA

ASN Biography

Ikenna Okezie, MD, MBA is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Somatus, the market leader in value-based kidney care. Dr. Okezie founded Somatus in 2016 to introduce a preventive and more holistic solution for patients with or at risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease or End-Stage Renal Disease. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to provide high-quality and customized care to nearly 21,000 patients with kidney disease across multiple states, employ over 300 clinical and operational leaders, and establish innovative, value-based partnerships with leading health plans, health systems, and providers.

Prior to founding Somatus, Dr. Okezie was the Group Vice President at DaVita, Inc. where he led all aspects of the strategic, operational, and financial management of a $1 billion business unit with over 4,000 employees and 600 contracted nephrologists in the Mid-Atlantic region. Prior to his time at DaVita, he worked as an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, and a Managing Director at the Advisory Board Company.

Dr. Okezie currently serves as a board member for the Kidney Health Initiative, an organization whose mission is to catalyze innovation and the development of safe and effective patient centeredtherapies for people living with kidney diseases. He also served for six years as a member of the Medical Review Board of CMS ESRD Network 5 and three years as co-chair of the National Partnership for Action’s Regional Health Equity Council, which was formed to help eliminate health disparities in the region. Dr. Okezie is a Fellow in the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship Program where, alongside other industry visionaries, he has committed to developing new approaches to improve the health and well-being of all Americans.

Dr. Okezie graduated cum laude, from Yale University with a BA in Economics and continuedon to receive his MD from Harvard Medical School and his MBA with Honors from Harvard Business School.