US hospital appoints Dora Akunyili’s daughter as Chief Medical Officer

Last updated Jan 13, 2023

A United States hospital, the Jersey City Medical Center has appointed Ijeoma Akunyili as the new Chief Medical Officer of the heath facility. 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 ex-minister of information.

The medical center who made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, also said that Dr. Akunyili is its first Black Chief Medical Officer.

“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,” the statement read.

“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 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 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.”