Dr. Neema Stephens

Dr. Neema Stephens is Cigna Healthcare’s National Medical Director for Health Equity. She is a board-certified Nephrologist and Internal Medicine physician with 20 years of experience in the health care industry. Her leadership is focused on driving education and interventions that address social determinants of health and reduce health disparities.  Dr. Stephens is a native Houstonian, and passionate about improving health and vitality within communities. 

She is the clinical lead for Cigna’s enterprise health equity program. The team is currently leading a number of initiatives in the Houston area.  Notably, the team launched a pilot that deployed community health workers to better support members living with diabetes.  By addressing both clinical and social needs, the community health workers are able to provide more holistic support for patients.  To address the ongoing maternal health crisis, Cigna Healthcare partnered with local OB/GYN physicians in the Houston area to provide culturally appropriate, high quality pre-natal care with a goal of reducing disparities in pre-term births.  Pregnant members are aligned with nurse case managers who help with care navigation and address social needs such as food and transportation assistance, as needed.

Addressing social determinants of health, including food insecurity, is a key priority for Cigna Healthcare. Dr. Stephens served on an advisory committee that developed a partnership plan in support of Harris Health System’s Food as Medicine, Food Farmacy initiative. As a result, Cigna Healthcare committed to a multi-year collaboration with Harris Health System to increase access to fresh produce and nutrition education for families living in under-resourced communities and experiencing chronic diseases.

Dr. Stephens also participates in volunteerism and philanthropic efforts as an active member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing social, cultural, educational and leadership development opportunities for youth.

Prior to joining Cigna, Dr. Stephens was a faculty member at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, where she served as the medical director of the kidney transplant program. In addition to caring for patients, she instructed medical students and resident physicians in training.

Dr. Stephens completed her undergraduate studies at Rice University and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish. Dr. Stephens earned her medical degree from University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She completed Internal Medicine residency and Transplant Nephrology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine.