March of Dimes names new president and CEO

When she starts her new job as president and CEO on July 17, Dr. Elizabeth Cherot will be the first physician to head up the March of Dimes, the 85-year-old, Arlington County-based women’s and infant’s health nonprofit founded by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Cherot joined March of Dimes in January as senior vice president and chief medical and health officer, a position in which she led the nonprofit’s  Office of Maternal and Child Health Impact. She succeeds interim President and CEO Karen Walker Johnson, who had held the temporary position since January. In late 2022, former March of Dimes CEO Stacey D. Stewart left to become CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

“As a physician and mother of two children, it’s simply unacceptable that our country is among the most dangerous places to give birth among high income countries today,” Cherot said in a statement. “Families are facing poor health outcomes and grave disparities, which makes our work at March of Dimes more important than ever before. I’m committed to changing the course of this crisis and look forward to working with our partners and supporters to ensure every mom and baby has the best possible start.”

An OB-GYN, Cherot served as chief medical officer for Axia Women’s Health from 2018 through January, overseeing 2,500 employees, 500 health care providers and 200 patient care centers. Prior to that, Cherot was medical director and managing partner for Brunswick Hills Obstetrics and Gynecology, a New Jersey women’s health clinic, for more than 14 years, managing 15 medical providers and 70 employees. She has a medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and an MBA and bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. Cherot also is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Founded in 1938 by Roosevelt to combat polio, the March of Dimes today is a national nonprofit focused on healthy pregnancies and births, particularly among women of color, who are more likely to die during childbirth. March of Dimes received $82.4 million in donations in 2021 and had total operating revenue of $103.9 million.