Cheryl Pegus, Nationally Recognized Physician Leader, Named 2026 Class Day Speaker

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, nearly 700 students will be awarded master’s and doctoral degrees from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Dean Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, announced that Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH’92, FACC, CEO and Board Chair of FlyteHealth, will deliver the Class Day keynote address and receive the School’s Visionary Leadership Award.  

Pegus leads FlyteHealth, a virtual treatment model at the forefront of early cardio-kidney metabolic care using AI. Across a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, she has consistently led transformative efforts across clinical care—advancing new data-driven models of care delivery for women’s health, cardiac disease, and rural and underserved populations. 

She earned her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College and her Master of Public Health from the Columbia Mailman School in the Department of Health Policy and Management. Pegus received her bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University.

“We are delighted that Dr. Pegus will spearhead the celebration of our outstanding Class of 2026,” said Dean Mermin. “Her journey from a physician studying at the Department of Health Policy and Management at Mailman to major leadership roles in corporate public health and healthcare is an inspiring example of the impact our graduates can achieve. She shaped large-scale healthcare delivery. We are honored that she will help us rejoice in the accomplishments of our exceptional graduating class.”

Pegus has more than 30 years of clinical and business leadership experience across the health sector. She has held senior executive roles at some of the nation’s most influential healthcare and consumer organizations, including serving as a partner at Morgan Health, supporting venture investments; Executive Vice President of Health & Wellness at Walmart, overseeing pharmacy, optical, and clinical services; and President of Consumer Solutions and Chief Medical Officer at Cambia Health Solutions, where she led a broad portfolio spanning pharmacy benefit management to network management and new product development.

Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at Pfizer and Aetna, where she advanced early-disease management programs, women’s health, and predictive analytics initiatives. She began her career in private practice as a cardiologist and has been recognized nationally as one of the most influential health care leaders and clinical executives, bridging clinical medicine, business leadership, and population health.

Pegus is co-chair of the Duke-Margolis Capital Impact Council, the author of several cookbooks on healthy eating, and maintains a scholarship for students at Weill Cornell Medical College. She serves on the boards of public and private companies, as well as the not-for-profit boards of the American Heart Association and the Alice Walton School of Medicine.

The 2026 Columbia Mailman Class Day Celebration takes place at the Armory on West 168th Street at 4 pm, and can be seen live online.