Rita Khan was appointed as the first-ever Chief Digital Officer (CDO) of Mayo Clinic in January 2020, following an extensive nationwide search. She leads Mayo Clinic’s Center for Digital Health (CDH), which she established concurrently with her appointment to integrate and drive the organization’s digital strategy. Ms. Khan’s role focuses on delivering an integrated and sustainable digital infrastructure that reshapes how Mayo Clinic delivers healthcare, emphasizing innovation and transformation in clinical care delivery through digital technologies.
Prior to joining Mayo Clinic, Ms. Khan held senior leadership positions at UnitedHealthcare, including Senior Vice President of Consumer Digital and Executive Vice President, where she directed enterprise-wide digital strategies and led consumer digital transformation initiatives. Her experience at UnitedHealthcare encompassed designing and building digital solutions for providers, employers, and members across commercial and Medicare markets. This background uniquely positions her to lead large-scale digital initiatives in the complex and highly regulated healthcare environment.
Educationally, Ms. Khan holds a Bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas (Class of 2011). She began her professional career at Target Corporation, providing her with foundational expertise in retail and e-commerce sectors.
Under Ms. Khan’s leadership, the Center for Digital Health has significantly expanded telehealth and virtual care offerings. For example, telehealth visits surged from approximately 4,200 visits in 2019 to over 450,000 in 2021, reflecting her ability to rapidly scale digital solutions, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she has prioritized building a diverse and inclusive team, achieving a composition that is more than 50% female, highlighting her commitment to equity and inclusion within digital health.
Ms. Khan works closely with physician partners, notably Dr. Brad Leibovich, to align Mayo Clinic’s digital health strategies with clinical outcomes and patient experience goals. She serves as a public face of Mayo Clinic’s digital transformation, frequently participating in industry panels, conferences, and media discussions. Her visibility underscores her recognition as an influential change agent driving digital innovation in healthcare.
Recent publicly available data (as of 2024) shows ongoing emphasis on Mayo Clinic’s 2030 strategy, aiming to cure, connect, and transform healthcare globally with digital health as a key pillar, underlining Ms. Khan’s strategic role in executing long-term organizational goals.
Key Qualifications and Achievements:
- First Chief Digital Officer at Mayo Clinic (2020–Present)
- Founder and leader of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Digital Health
- Led telehealth growth from 4,200 to over 450,000 visits (2019–2021)
- Former Senior Vice President of Consumer Digital, UnitedHealthcare
- Expertise in enterprise digital strategy for healthcare and consumer engagement
- Bachelor's degree from Tufts University; MBA, University of St. Thomas
- Advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in digital health teams
- Engages in public speaking and industry leadership on digital health innovations
Rita Khan is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and maintains a professional presence on LinkedIn:
[https://linkedin.com/in/rita-khan](https://linkedin.com/in/rita-khan)
Her leadership in Mayo Clinic’s digital health transformation reveals a strong focus on patient-centered technology solutions, scalable virtual care models, and multi-stakeholder collaboration aimed at improving healthcare delivery and outcomes across diverse populations.
