On Thursday, June 3, 2021, CWIP celebrated our 40th Anniversary of advancing equity, inclusion and connection for women & girls. We honored our Keynote Speaker & Making a Difference honoree, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and 2021 Honorary Chair Dr. Una Osili, Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy & Associate Dean for Research and International Programs at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (also Dr. Ezike's college roommate at Harvard!). We capped off the event with an Envisioning an Equitable Chicago panel discussion, featuring some of Chicago’s brilliant women in the philanthropic sector.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike is the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDH), the first Black woman appointed to lead the 143 year old state agency. Dr. Ezike is a board-certified internist and pediatrician who previously worked for the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), where she served for more than 15 years. She also was medical director at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
Prior to joining CCDPH, Dr. Ezike served as Austin Health Center medical director, where she actively engaged with the community on a variety of health initiatives. She also has delivered inpatient care at Stroger Hospital and primary and preventive care in community and school-based clinics.
Dr. Ezike is a nationally recognized expert in the area of healthcare within the juvenile detention and justice systems. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, she is a Certified Correctional Health Professional and Diplomate of both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics. She is also an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Rush Medical College.
She is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2020 Lester H. McKeever Individual Service Award from the Chicago Urban League, and the Health Innovator Award from Erie Family Health Center.
An advocate for maintaining work-life balance, particularly in challenging times, Dr. Ezike is an avid tennis player and reader, and is fluent in Spanish and French.
