Melynda Barnes, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Ro
Dr. Barnes is responsible for Ro's clinical strategy as well as the quality and patient safety initiatives on its vertically integrated primary care platform. In providing clinical leadership for Ro, she also oversees the clinical product strategy, shaping the company's proprietary EMR and technology tools it offers providers, and physical product innovation, supporting the development of new health and wellness products.
Since joining Ro in 2018, Dr. Barnes has held various leadership roles and has helped transform Ro from a telehealth platform treating a single condition to a vertically integrated platform that seamlessly connects telehealth, pharmacy, and in-home care services nationwide. Her clinical expertise has been integral in the development of Ro's technological infrastructure, including its COVID-19 telehealth assessment, in-home vaccine program, and its automated auditing system that helps providers on Ro's platform deliver safe and appropriate care.
Dr. Barnes is a double board-certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Otolaryngologist. In addition to her leadership role at Ro, Dr. Barnes was an attending physician at Harlem Hospital where she was honored with the Top Doctor Award for New York State in 2018. Dr. Barnes earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she was a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow. Prior to Ro, she was an Assistant Professor of Surgery-Otolaryngology at Yale School of Medicine and served on Yale Medical Group's Board of Directors.
Dr. Barnes has been recognized as one of Business Insider's 30 under 40 in Healthcare, Crain's New York Notable Black Executives, Fierce Healthcare's Most Influential Minority Executives and a 40 Under 40 Leader in Health. She has been invited to speak at Harvard Business School and the American Telemedicine Association National Conference and has been featured in Fast Company, Axios, Fortune, Forbes, Shape and more. Dr. Barnes is a founding member of CHIEF, a network of female executives, and is on the board of the Fund for Public Health in New York City.