Dora Akunyili’s Daughter, Ijeoma Akunyili Has Been Appointed Chief Medical Officer At A US Hospital
Ijeoma Akunyili has been named the next chief medical officer of the Jersey City Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas healthcare facility in the United States. Ijeoma is the first child of the late Dora Akunyili, a former minister of information and the director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The appointment was disclosed by the medical center in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Ijeoma oversaw an unprecedented four-fold expansion of service lines with an emphasis on healthcare for marginalized groups and medical services in particular. Speaking about the appointment, Akunyili thanked the hospital and reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring high-quality services.
Dr. Akunyili’s most recent position was Regional Medical Director for TeamHealth, Northeast Group, where she was responsible for the clinical, operational, and strategic direction of nearly twenty hospitalist, critical care, and emergency department service lines in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
In a statement, Dr. Andy Anderson, the MD, Executive Vice President, and Chief Medical and Quality Officer at WJBarnabas, stated that Akunyili’s “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.”
From 2001 to 2008, Dora Akunyili, her mother, served as the Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control before being named Minister of Information and Communications. After a two-year fight with cancer, she passed away in 2014.
