Imamu “Mu” Tomlinson
Imamu “Mu” Tomlinson, MD, MBA, is a physician, CEO, and thought leader whose career spans the front lines of emergency medicine and the boardrooms of healthcare innovation.
As CEO of Vituity, one of America’s leading physician-led healthcare partnerships, Mu leads teams delivering care to more than 12 million patients across hundreds of hospitals and clinics. He also serves as President of the Vituity Cares Foundation, which advances health equity and develops the next generation of diverse clinical leaders.
A first-generation college graduate and former athlete, Mu rose from emergency physician to Chief of Staff and executive leader—a path that gives him a rare perspective on both patient care and organizational strategy.
Leading with Purpose and Innovation
Under Mu’s leadership, Vituity has embraced a Culture of Brilliance—empowering clinicians and staff to challenge convention, design equitable solutions, and align operational excellence with purpose.
In 2025, Modern Healthcare recognized him with an Innovator Award for transforming care delivery and leadership culture. Mu is also the author of Less Than One Percent: How Disruptors Defy the Odds and host of a podcast that spotlights high-performing leaders and changemakers.
Turning Adversity into Advantage
Whether speaking to executives, clinicians, or students, Mu delivers more than ideas—he inspires action. His message is rooted in resilience, inclusion, and high performance.
Mu combines credibility, vision and real-world results to engage and challenge your audience. His passion is inspiring others to exceed their own expectations—especially when they appear to be against the odds.
Signature themes include:
- Leading from the edge: how to thrive when the odds are stacked
- Break free from business-as-usual and adopt a mindset of radical possibility
- The outlier advantage: embracing failure, resilience and transformation
As featured in
Insights & Perspectives
Dive into Mu’s perspectives on resilience, leadership, and the forces reshaping healthcare today.
Create a Culture that Values Team Accomplishments More Than Individual Successes
Dr. Tomlinson proposes that lasting transformation in organizations comes not from individual star performers, but from teams that share ownership, trust and purpose. These are some of the key principles of a culture of brilliance.
Imperatives for Health Equity
Mu calls on healthcare leaders to advance health equity with these five essential priorities.
Fostering the next (diverse) generation of clinicians
Mu reflects on his own experience as one of the few Black physicians in training and highlights the urgent need to mentor and support underrepresented clinicians.
Award-winning Leadership that Improves Lives
As CEO of Vituity, an organization that impacts over 11 million lives annually, Mu demonstrates his exceptional expertise in transforming healthcare delivery and elevating patients’ and colleagues’ experiences across various sectors. His influential leadership has garnered recognition from numerous prestigious organizations.
Top Innovator
Honoree
50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
149 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know
Most Influential Minority Executives
Delivering Healthcare to the Unhoused.
Vituity Cares Foundation partners with community organizations nationwide to deliver healthcare and other services to the unhoused, most recently in
San Diego, CA.
Fulfilling The Promise of America
Healthcare is a human right. It doesn’t matter where you live, how much you earn, or who you are. Everyone deserves access to healthcare.
