Washington, DC – Community of Hope, a federally qualified health center, is thrilled to announce that Danielle Dooley, MD, MPhil, FAAP has joined the team as our new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Dooley brings over 20 years of experience as a community pediatrician practicing in Washington, DC. Most recently, she served as the Medical Director of Community and Population Health in the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children’s National Hospital. She is passionate about advancing school health, caring for communities with language and culture access needs, and health equity.
Dr. Dooley, a native of the DMV, is a nationally recognized leader in advancing health and educational equity, with experience operating school-based health centers and launching the first school attendance data-sharing program between schools and pediatric practices in DC to address chronic absenteeism. She is a co-founder of the national School-Friendly Health System framework, which outlines principles and practices for health systems to help children achieve optimal health and reach their full academic potential.
With her decades of experience, she is caring for a second generation of patients and their families. In addition to patient care, Dr. Dooley is an educator, training over 100 pediatric residents in legislative advocacy for child and family health. In her role at Community of Hope, she will provide strategic and clinical leadership focused on access to high quality care, patient satisfaction and population health outcomes.
Kelly Sweeney McShane, President and CEO, states “We are delighted to have Dr. Dooley join us as Chief Medical Officer at Community of Hope. She brings a deep commitment to health equity and is a powerful advocate to improve patient outcomes through team-based care and to better align systems to ensure each patient gets the care they need.”
Dr. Dooley shares “I’m thrilled to join Community of Hope and to meet this moment, when advocacy for community health centers is critically important. Community of Hope is a vital part of the healthcare infrastructure in DC, and I look forward to joining this vibrant, innovative organization that is committed to making Washington, DC more equitable.”
More about Dr. Danielle Dooley – She holds a BS degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MD degree from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University as a National Health Service Corp Scholar, and an MPhil degree in community health from the University of Edinburgh as a British Marshall Scholar. She completed her pediatric residency at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. In addition to her experience at Children’s National Hospital, she also served as Medical Director of Adolescent Health Service and School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) at Unity Health Care.
She is a co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement, “The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health,” and a co-editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics book, Untangling the Thread of Racism: A Primer for Pediatric Health Professionals.
She is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
More about Community of Hope – Founded in 1980, the mission of Community of Hope (COH) is to improve health, end homelessness, and partner with communities to make Washington, DC more equitable. We operate three community health centers, a community resource hub, and a Family Success Center. Our health services include medical, dental emotional wellness, and pharmacy services and extensive patient support for about 15,500 patients each year. In August 2026, Community of Hope was recognized for a second time with a Silver Quality Leader award from the Health Resources Services Administration, placing the organization in the top 11-20% of health centers nationwide. We work to end and prevent homelessness by providing housing and supportive services for about 1,650 families and individuals a year. A Family Success Center connects over 500 people a year to resources. Community of Hope is building a strong and sustainable organization that is caring for families, improving lives, and leading change. For more information about Community of Hope, please visit www.communityofhopedc.org.
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