Tell the Dear Fathers community more about who you are and what you do?
First and foremost, I am a follower of Christ, a husband (16 years on Sept 26th!), and a father to four incredible children – Harper (11), Ella (9), Noah (7), and Zoë (4). I’m also a proud native of Baltimore, Maryland, and graduate of Morehouse College and Howard University College of Medicine. I completed Internal Medicine residency training at Duke University Medical Center, Gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University, and earned a master’s in public health degree at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow. My clinical and public health expertise have made room for me to serve is an array of leadership roles both in the US and abroad, but, through it all, my purpose has remained the same — to architect systems, places and spaces that advance whole health and health equity so that people can maximize their purpose in life. Whether I am caring for a patient, leading an organization or sitting around the dinner table with my family, I try to lead with the same values: humility, integrity, love, and faith.
Currently, I have the privilege of serving as President and CEO of Wellpoint Maryland, the largest Medicaid managed care organization in Maryland. At Wellpoint Maryland, we help individuals and families access quality healthcare and reduce barriers to them achieving optimal whole health. This often involves connect people to resources outside of their doctor’s office such as nutritious food, reliable transportation, behavioral healthcare, and trusted community support.
What inspired your work in Health Equity?
My parents and a sensitivity to the needs and challenges that have disproportionately impacted people I’ve served and communities I’ve lived in. My father served as an Internal Medicine physician in inner city Baltimore and my mother was as an elementary school teacher serving children with special needs in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. I grew up seeing and experiencing how they used their gifts to address inequities in health through the lenses of clinical medicine and education and the positive influence they had on individuals, families, and communities. God also blessed me with a heart for the hurting and placed people in my life (such as mentors) who’ve helped shape my passion and purpose into a career, and, more importantly, a ministry.
Tell us more about Wellpoint Maryland and the work you’re doing there?
Wellpoint Maryland is privileged to serve hundreds of thousands of Marylanders through the state’s Medicaid program, and we never lose sight of the responsibility that comes with that trust.
Our focus is Whole Health. That means addressing physical health, behavioral health and the social factors that influence health together rather than treating them separately. We know that healthcare works best when it reflects the realities of people’s lives.
We are also committed to creating exceptional experiences for our members. Healthcare should not feel confusing or overwhelming. People deserve care that is accessible, personal and easy to navigate, especially during moments when they need help the most.
We work closely with providers, community organizations and local leaders because lasting change happens through partnership. Together, we are working to improve maternal health, expand access to preventive care, strengthen behavioral health services and help Maryland families build healthier futures.
For us, success is measured by something very simple: Are the people and communities we serve healthier because we were there?
How can we encourage more Black men to prioritize their health and wellness?
I think that, too often, Black men are taught that strength means pushing through pain or putting everyone else’s needs ahead of their own. However, taking care of yourself is not selfish. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give others.
Black men, your children need you healthy. Your partner needs you healthy. Your job needs you healthy. Your community needs you healthy.
Health is not just about living longer. It is about being present for birthdays, graduations, conversations at the dinner table and the everyday moments that become lifelong memories.
I encourage every Black man to establish a relationship with a primary care provider, know your family health history, stay up-to-date on recommended screenings, pay attention to your mental health, and seek professional help when you need it. There is strength in prevention. There is strength in vulnerability. There is strength in showing the next generation that caring for your health is part of caring for your family.
Who is Dr. Darrell Gray as a father?
Present, imperfect, still learning, steadily improving, and grounded in the word of God. Fatherhood has been my greatest leadership classroom. My children challenge me to be more patient, more intentional and more compassionate every single day.
I’ve learned that being a father is not about having all the answers. It is about showing up consistently, listening and stewarding well, making sure kids know they are deeply loved, and enabling them to become who God created them to be.
Some of my favorite moments are the simple ones like family meals, cheering from the sidelines, bedtime conversations, laughing together, and sharing stories from road trips. Those are the moments that create lasting memories.
How has your work impacted the man and father you are today?
As a physician, I have cared for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. As a healthcare leader, I see both the incredible resilience of families and the very real challenges many of them face.
Those experiences have taught me not to take time with my health or my family for granted. They have also reinforced the importance being consistent in my purpose and ensuring that I practice what I preach. If I encourage families to prioritize their health, I need to model that at home. If I talk about compassion, I have to demonstrate compassion. If I believe community matters, must invest in communities.
How do you balance being a CEO while being the best dad you can be?
I don’t have the perfect balance and, frankly, I don’t think that “balance” is the goal. For me, it is about being fully present wherever I am.
When I am leading at work, I want to give my team my full attention. When I am home, I want my family to know they have that same attention. My wife and children deserve more than the leftover version of me. That also means protecting time that matters such as family dinners, extra-curricular events, important conversations, and those moments cannot always be rescheduled.
I have also learned that asking for help is not a weakness. None of us succeeds alone. I am grateful for my wife, our family, trusted colleagues and friends who help make it possible for me to lead both at home and at work.
When fathers are intentionally engaged in the birthing process, how does that impact maternal health numbers and the overall unity of Black families?
Fathers play an incredibly important role before, during and after childbirth. When fathers are informed, engaged and present, mothers often have another advocate asking questions, noticing concerns, providing emotional support and helping navigate what can sometimes be a complicated healthcare experience. That support makes a meaningful difference.
Fatherhood does not begin in the delivery room. It begins during pregnancy and continues well beyond birth. It means attending appointments when possible, learning about warning signs, supporting maternal mental health, helping with the responsibilities at home and creating an environment where mothers feel supported and heard.
Healthy families are built through partnership. As we continue working to improve maternal health outcomes, especially in Black communities, we need healthcare providers, community organizations, policymakers, mothers and fathers all working together. Everyone has a role to play.
What does legacy mean to you?
Legacy, to me, is the compound interest on consistency of purpose, dreaming beyond my capabilities, and my daily investments in relationships (family, mentees, other leaders), generosity, and prayer. My desire is that many future generations are impacted by how I stewarded my time, talents, and treasures, are even more amazed by the hand of God at work on my life, and seek relationship with Him because of it.
What’s next for you and how can people follow you?
There is still so much important work ahead. We have opportunities to strengthen maternal health, improve preventive care and management of chronic health conditions, reduce health disparities and continue building stronger partnerships across our communities.
If this conversation encourages even one father to schedule a checkup, attend a prenatal appointment, have an honest conversation about mental health or simply spend more intentional time with his children, then it has been worthwhile.
People can follow the work we are doing through Wellpoint Maryland on our website at www.wellpoint.com/md/medicaid, or on our social media channels which you can find at the bottom of the homepage on our website. I also welcome people to follow me on LinkedIn.
