30 Mar Why We Serve – A Pediatrician’s View
Photo of Kelley Meade, MD, Member of the RMHC Bay Area Board of Directors.
Kelley Meade, MD, brings a philosophy of “servant leadership” to the RMHC Bay Area board of directors.
She says that leadership doesn’t just mean “… only focusing on what I’m in charge of, and then also giving back on Saturdays. It really means giving back to the community all the time and making it an integral part of my leadership style.”
Dr. Meade’s approach to board service is the same as her approach to her role as a doctor: holistic. She understands that to truly be of service to her community, getting to the heart of what patients and families need is key. “I think it’s important to really engage the community (families) to decide strategically how we meet their needs…we have to get outside and go to the frontlines to find out what’s really needed.”
An East Bay native, her medical training and career took her across the country, with stops in Chicago, Boston, and Vermont. She eventually returned to her Bay Area roots in 1995 to serve as a general pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland – one of many roles she’s held at the hospital since. Also having served as medical director of the children’s hospital’s health center, then as medical staff president, Dr. Meade is a pillar in the East Bay medical community. While she’s scaled back her clinical work to one day a week, Dr. Meade is the associate dean of clinical and academic affairs at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. In this capacity, she works closely with leadership in the UCSF School of Medicine and the UCSF Health Children’s system to support faculty in their clinical, research, training, and advocacy work.
While Dr. Meade is new to the RMHC Bay Area board of directors, joining in January 2021, she is no stranger to board service. In her previous role as medical staff president, Dr. Meade was a member of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital board. It was through this board service that she was first introduced to RMHC Bay Area. “I was really impressed with the mission to keep families together, fed, and housed during critical times, and also just the flexibility of the organization over the last year,” Dr. Meade said.
The pandemic caused RMHC Bay Area to adapt every aspect of its operations to continue housing and feeding families as they faced medical crisis on top of medical crisis. With things changing day by day, board members have proven critical in helping the Charity weather the storm of COVID-19 and forge ahead. Dr. Meade says, “I hope my unique perspective as a pediatrician who works directly with families will inform the direction of the organization.”
Through her board service and clinical pediatric work, Dr. Meade hopes her life’s work demonstrates a deep commitment to the local community, and she says she aims to deliver on all aspects of what it means to be a doctor.
“Ultimately, I’d like people to know that I was a holistic pediatrician, that I really addressed all aspects of what could make a kid’s life better,” she said. “That seems to be aligned with where RMHC is, and I’m very excited about that.”
About our Board of Directors
We have an incredible volunteer board of directors made up of individuals who take a personal interest in their community and those in it. Read more about who they are and why they choose to serve families with sick children.
Kelley Meade, MD, brings a philosophy of “servant leadership” to the RMHC Bay Area board of directors.
She says that leadership doesn’t just mean “… only focusing on what I’m in charge of, and then also giving back on Saturdays. It really means giving back to the community all the time and making it an integral part of my leadership style.”
Dr. Meade’s approach to board service is the same as her approach to her role as a doctor: holistic. She understands that to truly be of service to her community, getting to the heart of what patients and families need is key. “I think it’s important to really engage the community (families) to decide strategically how we meet their needs…we have to get outside and go to the frontlines to find out what’s really needed.”
An East Bay native, her medical training and career took her across the country, with stops in Chicago, Boston, and Vermont. She eventually returned to her Bay Area roots in 1995 to serve as a general pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland – one of many roles she’s held at the hospital since. Also having served as medical director of the children’s hospital’s health center, then as medical staff president, Dr. Meade is a pillar in the East Bay medical community. While she’s scaled back her clinical work to one day a week, Dr. Meade is the associate dean of clinical and academic affairs at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. In this capacity, she works closely with leadership in the UCSF School of Medicine and the UCSF Health Children’s system to support faculty in their clinical, research, training, and advocacy work.
While Dr. Meade is new to the RMHC Bay Area board of directors, joining in January 2021, she is no stranger to board service. In her previous role as medical staff president, Dr. Meade was a member of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital board. It was through this board service that she was first introduced to RMHC Bay Area. “I was really impressed with the mission to keep families together, fed, and housed during critical times, and also just the flexibility of the organization over the last year,” Dr. Meade said.
The pandemic caused RMHC Bay Area to adapt every aspect of its operations to continue housing and feeding families as they faced medical crisis on top of medical crisis. With things changing day by day, board members have proven critical in helping the Charity weather the storm of COVID-19 and forge ahead. Dr. Meade says, “I hope my unique perspective as a pediatrician who works directly with families will inform the direction of the organization.”
Through her board service and clinical pediatric work, Dr. Meade hopes her life’s work demonstrates a deep commitment to the local community, and she says she aims to deliver on all aspects of what it means to be a doctor.
“Ultimately, I’d like people to know that I was a holistic pediatrician, that I really addressed all aspects of what could make a kid’s life better,” she said. “That seems to be aligned with where RMHC is, and I’m very excited about that.”
About our Board of Directors
We have an incredible volunteer board of directors made up of individuals who take a personal interest in their community and those in it. Read more about who they are and why they choose to serve families with sick children.