Erin Kavanaugh Appointed Chair, Department of Family & Community Medicine and Physician Executive, Complex and Community Care

Erin Kavanaugh, M.D., FAAFP, has been named chair of the ChristianaCare Department of Family & Community Medicine and physician executive of Complex and Community Care.

In her role as chair, Kavanaugh is responsible for fostering a vibrant, successful academic workplace culture. This includes managing the affairs of the department related to faculty physician performance, credentialing, peer review, education, research and scholarly activity and administration of related academic programming.

As the senior physician leader over Complex and Community Care practices and services, she works to develop and execute health equity-focused strategy with impact across our community, state and region while also prioritizing clinical and academic excellence.

This includes ChristianaCare’s academic primary care practices, mobile van, Center for Hope and Healing, Center for Special Health Care Needs, school-based health centers, juvenile justice programs and the William J. Holloway Community Program.

Kavanaugh was hired as clinical faculty for the ChristianaCare Family Medicine Residency program in 2010, and soon was named assistant program director and then associate program director. She has served as director of the program since 2016, as well as vice chair of the department, and, most recently, interim chair.

Kavanaugh is a clinical associate professor of family and community medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), past president of the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians and actively serves as the treasurer of the board. She has received a variety of system, state and regional awards for her commitment to excellence in education.

She has remained committed to educational excellence and growth, completing a faculty development fellowship, the Proximity Project–Healthcare, and is an AAFP Health Equity Fellow. She will continue to practice clinically, serving our patients in the Family Medicine Center at Wilmington Primary Care, located in Wilmington Hospital.

Kavanaugh graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in 2007. She earned an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University in 2003. She completed her family medicine residency at ChristianaCare in 2010, where she served as chief resident. She is a Delaware native and DIMER program graduate.

She reports to Lisa Maxwell, M.D., MHCDS, president of the ChristianaCare Medical Group.