Office of HEAL Leadership

We are committed to the well-being and success of all community members. Columbia complies with all applicable civil rights laws and does not engage in illegal preferences or discrimination.

Linda Aponte-Patel, MD

Section Chief, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Vice Chair for Health Equity, Alliance and Leadership

Dr. Linda Aponte-Patel has been a valued member of the Department of Pediatrics since joining the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in 2013. A dedicated mentor, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the educational experience for pediatric residents and fellows, serving as Associate Program Director for the Columbia Pediatrics Residency Program and Director of the Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship. Her expertise in communication and debriefing within the pediatric ICU highlights her commitment to advancing both patient care and medical education. In recognition of her leadership, she was appointed Section Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in 2020. 

Beyond her academic contributions, Dr. Aponte-Patel is a passionate advocate for health equity. She founded the Pediatric Development and Inclusion Council (PDIC) in 2013, which grew to over 100 members and is open to all members of the Department of Pediatrics, and implemented a housestaff-led health equity curriculum. Her impactful work has been recognized with prestigious honors, including the 2015 Kenneth A. Forde Diversity Alliance Faculty Diversity Award and the 2017 P&S Award for Excellence for Diversity. 

In 2020, she became Associate Vice Chair for Education, co-directed bias reflection training and numerous educational initiatives. By 2024, she was appointed Vice Chair for Health Equity, Alliance, and Leadership, and was tasked with spearheading the newly established Office of Health Equity, Alliance, and Leadership (HEAL).

Amanda Esteves, MD, MS

Officer of Community Engagement and Clinical Systems Integration

Dr. Amanda Esteves is a general pediatrician in the NewYork-Presbyterian Ambulatory Care Network Broadway Pediatric Practice and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Her work focuses on addressing health inequities in early childhood, particularly by improving access to early intervention services. She has developed community partnership workflows to enhance access to social services and address social determinants of health. She has had a particular focus on addressing inequitable access to early intervention services, and serves as the physician lead for the Early Intervention Navigation Program and as the director of the ambulatory Reach Out and Read program. She has been a champion for creating workflows for closed loop referrals with community partners in the ambulatory setting. As the Officer of Community Engagement and Clinical Systems Integration in the Office of Health Equity, Alliance and Leadership (HEAL), Dr. Esteves leads efforts to bridge clinical and community resources across the Department of Pediatrics. She is also dedicated to advancing education, providing training to pediatric trainees and faculty through her roles in the Pediatric Development and Inclusion Council and as Associate Fellowship Director of the Primary Care Research Fellowship.

Patrice A. Pryce, MD

Officer of Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Leadership Advancement

Dr. Patrice Pryce is a pediatric intensivist and hospice and palliative care specialist who serves as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has led numerous programs and grant-funded research projects focused on promoting healthy outcomes for all children.

Dr. Pryce holds several leadership roles, including Faculty Liaison to the Pediatric Development and Inclusion Council, Director of the Child Health Disparities Curriculum in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, and Associate Director of the Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship Program. Through these roles, she drives focused initiatives to influence education, policy, and clinical practices. Throughout her career, Dr. Pryce has successfully obtained grant funding to create innovative trainee curricula aimed at identifying and mitigating pediatric health disparities. This work has transformed these curricula into valuable resources for nurses, advanced practice practitioners, and pediatric subspecialists at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

As part of the Office of Health Equity, Alliance and Leadership (HEAL), Dr. Pryce is committed to enhancing mentorship, recruitment, engagement, retention, and leadership development at the trainee and faculty levels to improve the clinical environment.

Jacqueline Outlaw, MS

Lead Administrator

Ms. Jakki Outlaw serves as the clinical administrator for medical student and resident education in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She holds a Bachelor of Science from CUNY/City College and a Master of Science in Information Management from Columbia University. With certification in Higher Medical Education Administration from the AAMC, Ms. Outlaw brings extensive expertise and a deep commitment to her role.

Driven by the belief that experiences shape individuals, and that equity is vital to learning and growth, Ms. Outlaw has been a founding member and lead administrator of the Pediatric Development and Inclusion Council since 2013. In her current role as lead administrator for the Office of Health Equity, Alliance and Leadership (HEAL), she advances health equity by focusing on strategic planning, resource management, and collaboration with stakeholders to create an environment of excellence for students, faculty, and staff