Ngozi Ezike facts for kids
Ngozi Ogbunamiri Ezike is a special kind of doctor. She helps both adults and children stay healthy. From 2019 to 2022, she was the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). This is a big job that helps keep everyone in Illinois healthy. In 2022, she became the CEO and President of the Sinai Chicago hospital system. This means she now leads a group of hospitals.
Early Life and Education
Ngozi Ezike's father came from Nigeria. He moved to Los Angeles and always hoped she would become a doctor.
She went to Harvard College and studied chemistry. After that, she earned her medical degree from the University of California, San Diego. She also completed her training at Rush Medical Center. Later, she studied management at Harvard Business School.
She received a special honorary degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. This was because she did such a great job helping Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Ezike is very good with languages. She speaks English, Spanish, and French fluently. She also knows some Swahili and Portuguese.
Career
Dr. Ezike has spent most of her career working in Illinois. She worked at hospitals in Chicago. She also helped lead health centers. For a time, she was the medical director at a large center for young people.
From January 2019 to March 2022, Dr. Ezike led the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). She was a very important person during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. She often appeared on TV and radio with Governor J. B. Pritzker. They would talk about how the state was handling the pandemic.
In 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, she gave her daily updates twice. First, she spoke in English, and then she repeated it in Spanish. This helped many people understand the important health news.
On March 1, 2022, Dr. Ezike announced she would leave her role. She wanted to spend more time with her family. Her last day was March 14, 2022. Governor Pritzker thanked her for her hard work. He said she had "one of the hardest jobs in the world."
After leaving the IDPH, Dr. Ezike took on a new leadership role. The Sinai Chicago hospital system hired her. She became their president and CEO on June 13, 2022.
Dr. Ezike has also advised on health topics for young people. She has given talks at many conferences. She has also helped make sure health rules are followed in youth facilities.
Honors and Awards
Dr. Ezike has received several awards for her important work:
- Illinois HR863: This is a special recognition from the state of Illinois. It praises her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2020 Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) President's Award.
- She was named one of USA Today's Women of the Year for 2022.
