Sosunmolu Shoyinka, MD, MBA
Dr. Sosunmolu Shoyinka is a nationally recognized psychiatrist, author, and speaker, widely regarded as an expert in public mental health. He currently serves as the Chief Psychiatrist for Philadelphia's first behavioral health urgent care, the Merakey Mental Health Walk-In Clinic. Previously, he was the Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) in Philadelphia, overseeing the city’s public mental health system and policy. In this role, Dr. Shoyinka spearheaded significant reforms to improve the health of 1.6 million Philadelphians. He led the redesign of Philadelphia’s crisis response system and the successful implementation of the 988 emergency hotline, which earned Philadelphia recognition from the Biden Administration as a model city in July 2022. His work was featured in the Kelley School of Business Alumni Blog in January 2024.
Prior to his work in Philadelphia, Dr. Shoyinka held numerous leadership roles, including Medical Director for Sunflower and Home State Health plans. He also directed the Missouri Behavioral Pharmacy Management program, which achieved over $10 million in savings over a decade. While at Centene, he co-led the development of analytic software to manage population health for individuals with substance use disorders. He is also a co-creator of the SMART Tool, which supports organizations in pursuing self-directed antiracism efforts.
In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Shoyinka is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania and a Fellow of the Philadelphia College of Physicians. He trained at Yale, Columbia, and NYU, holds triple board certifications, and earned an MBA from the Kelley School of Business. Dr. Shoyinka has served on the boards of the American Association for Community Psychiatry, the Medical Director Institute of the National Council, and the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
His numerous honors include the Special Presidential Commendation Award and the Jeanne Spurlock Minority Fellowship Achievement Award from the American Psychiatric Association. He was named one of the Black leaders shaping the future of psychiatry by the Scattergood Foundation. On November 16, 2023, Dr. Shoyinka testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of maintaining access to mental health care. He is the author of Understanding Mental Health: A Guide for Faith Communities and is a regular speaker at state and national conferences.