Senior Vice President of Programs and Chief Medical Officer
Americares Senior Vice President of Programs and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julie Varughese directs the organization’s global health programs for people affected by poverty or disaster. She leads programs in 35 countries that strengthen under-resourced health facilities, build capacity and expand access to care.
Americares health programs provide partner health facilities with targeted solutions to support mental health, climate and disaster resilience, maternal health, management of noncommunicable and infectious diseases and improved water, sanitation and hygiene.
Dr. Varughese has oversight of Americares primary care clinics in El Salvador, India and Connecticut, as well as its Emergency Response Team. In addition, she leads a team of medical experts that review product donations from over 200 pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, ensuring items are used safely and effectively by the organization’s health care partners around the world.
During her 10 years with Americares Dr. Varughese has held numerous leadership roles, including interim senior vice president and chief program officer overseeing the global distribution of more than $1 billion in medical aid annually, and as vice president of Americares technical unit. During her tenure, Dr. Varughese led Americares global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing the distribution of 18 million units of personal protective equipment and infection-prevention supplies, delivery of essential primary health care services and training and mental health support for frontline health workers.
Prior to joining Americares in 2015, Dr. Varughese served as a clinical infectious disease attending physician at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut and worked in Norwalk Community Health Center’s HIV clinic. Her global health work is informed by her experience providing care in India, South Africa and Guatemala, researching breastfeeding practices and infant health in Ecuador and volunteering for free clinics in California and Illinois.
Trained in a dual internal medicine-pediatrics residency program and maintaining board certification in internal medicine and infectious disease, Dr. Varughese earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., and a medical degree from Rush University in Chicago, where she completed her residency training. She also completed her infectious disease fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, N.Y.
