Foreign
By Kennedy Nnamani
Jersey City Medical Centre, a U.S based hospital has announced Ijeoma Akunyili, the daughter of late Dora Akunyili as the Chief Medical Director of the Centre.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the medical centre, the appointment takes effect from January 2, 2023 and this will make Akunyili the first black person to hold this position in the centre.
The Jersey City Medical Center is a RWJBarnabas health facility in the United States.
In the statement Michael Prilutsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center expressed confidence in the leadership of Akunyili, noting that her experience and knowledge will help create a world-class experience for patients at the medical centre.
He said: “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.”
Also, Andy Anderson, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical and Quality Officer for RWJBarnabas Health welcomed the appointment, noting that Akunyili will be a tremendous asset to the team of medical personnel.
“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,” Anderson said.
While accepting the offer, Akunyili said: “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.”
The statement further noted that Akunyili, in her most recent role served as the Regional Medical Director for TeamHealth, Northeast Group, where she had strategic, operational, and clinical oversight of nearly twenty emergency departments, critical care, and hospitalist service lines in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. She led an unprecedented fourfold expansion of service lines with a specific focus on medical services and access to care for underserved populations.
It added that Akunyili previously 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 turnaround 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.
Ijeoma is the first daughter of the late Dora Akunyili, former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC and former Nigeria’s minister of information.
KN
Tags: Andy Anderson Dora Akunyili Ijeoma Akunyili Jersey City Medical Centre Kennedy Nnamani Michael Prilutsky
