When it comes to planning a family, Dr. Iheanacho Emeruwa encourages his patients to ask him anything. He’s heard it all.

“We’re here to help you,” said the medical director of Aspen Medical Group and Inland Empire Health Plan’s 2026 Creativity & Innovation Award recipient. “There’s nothing you can tell us that we’ve never heard before and we will not be able to handle on your behalf.”

The health plan’s Creativity & Innovation Award honors a provider, entity or community partner that exemplifies the courage to “break the mold” to address the health concerns of residents in the region.

Dr. Emeruwa was selected for his quality work in women’s health as a primary care provider who opened a freestanding midwifery center to expand natural birth access to underserved patients.

With offices in Corona, Riverside and Moreno Valley, Dr. Emeruwa and his team at Aspen Medical Group support women with their healthcare needs in a warm, welcoming setting.

From the moment patients walk into the waiting room, they are greeted by a staff of knowledgeable, friendly individuals who set the tone — something Dr. Emeruwa is proud to boast about.

“Recognizing their contributions, in my view, has made what we do possible,” he said.

Dr. Emeruwa began his career in the 1980s, serving the Inland Empire region since 1988. Previously, he served as the Associate Medical Director of Baltimore City Jail, an Emergency Room Physician for Kaiser Permanente and an Urgent Care Physician with Cigna Health Plans of California. He entered the private practice sector in the late 1980s.

Dr. Emeruwa has no plans to slow down. He attends trainings, workshops and conferences across the country to keep up with trends and improve technology. He also encourages his team to do the same.

“I recently came back from an internal medicine conference in Colorado in which a group from Tennessee was celebrating Black motherhood. I said, ‘Oh, fantastic, we should bring that to the Inland Empire,” he said. “[We partnered] with IEHP to host [our own celebration last summer] and it was a great event that we hope it’s something we can continue to celebrate.” 

Learn more about the Living the Mission Awards and IEHP’s Mission conference at https://missionconference.iehp.org.

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