Who? Imamu Tomlinson

Chief executive officer of Vituity and president of the Vituity Cares Foundation, vacationing with family at the Tryall Club, Hanover Jamaica

The buzz… Tomlinson is the CEO of a health-care company that sees over 12 million patients in the US with a revenue of $2.6 billion. He’s been recognised by modern health care as one of the top health-care leaders in the country.

Vituity Cares Foundation provides care for those who are homeless or who can’t afford health-care.

Recent accolades:

• Modern Health Care Top 25 Innovator Award (2025)

• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award (2025)

• Becker’s Healthcare Great Leaders in Healthcare (2024)

• Becker’s Healthcare Black Healthcare Leaders to Know (2024)

• Becker’s Healthcare Black Healthcare Leaders to Know (2023)

• Modern Healthcare 25 Top Diversity Leaders in Healthcare (2022)

• Modern Healthcare 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives (2022 & 2021)

• Becker’s Healthcare 75 Black Healthcare Leaders to Know (2022)

• Modern Healthcare’s Most Influential People in Healthcare, 2021

On how his Jamaican heritage has impacted his success… My Jamaican heritage has been instrumental to my success and my ability to impact the world. I have always seen myself as an underdog, having to work harder than others to achieve my goals. For me, that mentality comes from the “wi likkle but we tallawah” mindset. I also believe having deep pride in Jamaica’s rich culture gave me a cultural and emotional anchor. My parents tell me that my superpower is determination, and I believe that comes from a heritage that has instilled in me that no obstacle can stand in the way. I also talk about this mindset in my book,
Less Than One Percent: How Disruptors Defy the Odds, where I discuss how a small island like Jamaica can literally change the world.

He makes frequent visits to Jamaica because… For me it’s my home. It’s the origin of my heritage. The fibre of who I am really comes from Jamaica. Seems like every time I come back I find out something new about my heritage, my history and myself.

On family… Family is everything. It’s a bond that cannot be broken. Although my family is scattered over several continents I understand the importance of that bond.

Early memories of Grange Hill, Westmoreland… My earliest memories are asking my grandmother, who lost her sight to an aggressive form of glaucoma, for chicken. Somehow in spite of her challenges with vision she killed, feathered and cooked the chicken for me. I also remember going to the beach in Negril and asking “Where are the hamburgers?” Of course my family was not enthused by that question.

On becoming an author… Writing is a passion. My career as a writer started as a rapper in Toronto. I love to use words to identify areas of society that could be different. My writing is focused on how much more greatness we would have in the world, were we to challenge ourselves and do things differently. Even if I impact one reader’s life, because of my book, I feel like I have succeeded. The core of my writing is focused on inspiring people to do the work necessary to be greater than anyone ever thought they would be. My most recent work is an example of that. My book is in that same vein. Oftentimes, we try to choose winners before the race has even been run and that leaves out many people who could have had an amazing impact on the world. I want to inspire people to pursue their dreams even when everyone believes they can’t. Even more, I want to inspire people to pursue their dreams because everyone believes they can’t!

Last words: My commitment has been to provide care to as many people as I can. As an emergency physician, I would like to bring some of the things I have learned through my health-care journey to Jamaica. I hope to help create awareness around diseases like hypertension and diabetes, which oftentimes go unchecked. And also help to convince people to get basic health-care screening to help prevent major disease from even developing.

Imamu Tomlinson (left) enjoys climbing the falls at Dunn’s River with daughter Athena (second left), wife Tasha and son Orion. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson delivers the keynote address at Black Student Athlete Summit, May 2025. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA signing books in DC at the Dear Fathers Washington Wizards Event in April 2025. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson (right) and Former United States President George W Bush at Becker’s Hospital Review in Chicago April 2024. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson (right), MD, MBA, prior to recording the Less Than One Percent podcast interview with Hall of Fame NFL player LaDainian Tomlinson in May 2025. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson (right) and basketball Hall-of-Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson in Dallas Texas, September 2023. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Keynote panel at South by Southwest in Austin 2025 (Justin Leitner)

Imamu Tomlinson examines a middle school student at a Vituity Cares clinic in Dallas, Texas. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson with his CBC News anchor sister Asha Tomlinson (left) and mum Pauline. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson (second right) spends family time with cousin Bradley (left), uncle Errol (second left), dad Michael (third left), uncle Lloyd (third right) and cousin Owen Brown in Montego Bay, Jamaica.Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson’s daughter Athena and son Orion (centre) spend time with their grandfather Michael in Grange Hill — home of their great grandparents who passed several years ago. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Less Than One Percent by Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA.

Imamu Tomlinson and Venus Williams exchange books after the keynote interview in Apri 2025. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson

Imamu Tomlinson onstage with Venus Williams during a Beckers Healthcare Conference in April 2025. Courtesy of Imamu Tomlinson