Late Dora Akunyili’s Daughter Appointed First Black Chief Medical Officer in New Jersey, U.S.A.

Starrys Obazei/January 13, 2023

She sowed bountifully in training her first daughter – Ijeoma Akunyili – as a medical doctor, and she herself – the late Dora Akunyili – was a pharmacologist and an accomplished government administrator before her death. She has now reaped, though posthumously.
Ijeoma Akunyili, the daughter of the former National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC boss, the late Dora Akunyili, has been announced as the New Chief Medical Officer of the New Jersey Medical Center in the United States.
Disclosing Ijeoma’s glorious feat, the medical facility said that Ijeoma is the first Black Chief Medical Officer in the facility, when it announced her appointment in a statement on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. The statement read:
“Jersey City, NJ – Jersey City Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, announced the appointment of Ije Akunyili, MD, MBA, MPA, as the new Chief Medical Officer effective January 2, 2023. Dr. Akunyili is the Medical Center’s first Black Chief Medical Officer.
“RWJBarnabas Health is proud to add Dr. Akunyili to its executive clinical leadership team. Her experience managing multi-specialty physician groups in integrated health care systems will help support Jersey City Medical Center in providing comprehensive health care throughout the community,” said Andy Anderson, MD, Executive Vice President, and Chief Medical and Quality Officer for RWJBarnabas Health. She will be a tremendous asset to our team.
“Dr. Akunyili has a wealth of experience and knowledge, and as our Chief Medical Officer, we look forward to creating a world-class experience for every patient at Jersey City Medical Center. I am confident that Hudson County will benefit in a great way from her leadership, and that her presence will have a tremendous impact,” said Michael Prilutsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center.
“In her most recent role, Dr. Akunyili served as the Regional Medical Director for TeamHealth, Northeast Group, where she had strategic, operational, and clinical oversight of nearly 20 emergency departments, critical care, and hospitalist service lines in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. She led an unprecedented four-fold expansion of service lines with a specific focus on medical services and access to care for underserved populations.
“Previously, Dr. Akunyili served as the chair of emergency medicine at Waterbury Hospital, a Level II trauma teaching hospital. There she was the change agent who led a dynamic team in dramatically reducing the lengths of stay, improving overall performance across multiple patient-centered metrics, and increasing physician staffing. She was awarded the 2019 Medical Director of the Year Award for the impressive turn-around of the Waterbury Hospital Emergency Department.
“In addition to her executive experience, Dr. Akunyili has vast leadership and advocacy experience and is currently serving as the President of the Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians (CCEP). Prior, she served for several years on the board of directors of Texas and Connecticut Colleges of Emergency Physicians. She was an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, and she is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale University.
Accepting the offer, Dr. Ijeoma Akunyili, married and has two teenage children, expressed joy and gratitude to the hospital and said that she is forever committed to ensuring that quality service is dispensed. She said in part:
“I am grateful for this opportunity, and I look forward to serving the residents of Hudson County and continuing to provide safe, innovative, efficient, and equitable care. It is a true privilege to lead the clinical effort at Jersey City Medical Center and to create sustainable health outcomes for our community.”