Dr. Ngozi Ezike of Sinai Chicago inspires leaders to think beyond medicine … [+]
When faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, innovative thinking helps, as does extensive experience in confronting other difficult challenges – none of which has been as big in recent times as our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Illinois Public Health Commissioner, Ngozi Ezike, MD, helped the state weather the pandemic and now has his sights set on another major challenge: improving health care in economically challenged areas of Chicago.
This latest role may be just as challenging: As CEO of Sinai Chicago, located in a medically underserved area on Chicago’s west side, Dr. Ezike approaches his work with the same dedication to making a bigger impact.
“During the pandemic, people have been putting aside their own goals and priorities and thinking about what’s good for the state, and we want to harness that,” she said of her plan to better serve patients who need care.
With her innovative and collaborative approach, Ezike is rethinking how urban health systems drive change across communities. At a health summit hosted by the Executive Club of Chicago, Ezike discussed challenges that others might think are outside the scope of a hospital system, such as housing instability, gun violence and availability of healthy food, in addition to running a health care facility system. Her strategy holds lessons for leaders in any field who are tackling huge, seemingly unsolvable problems.
Invest in listening first
“Because I’m not from the health care system and I was new, I spent a lot of time listening,” said Ezike, who spent months listening and observing before taking action, rather than pushing through his own ideas.
“I focused on listening more than speaking,” she explains. “You only have two ears to listen with and one mouth to speak with.” This humble approach allowed her to deeply understand challenges from multiple angles before developing a strategy, and it also helped her build trust among stakeholders who have been working on these issues for a long time.
Remember that the best solution hasn’t been found yet
“Back in the day, no one thought we’d be able to walk on the moon, or walk around with a computer in the palm of your hand,” Ezike says. “We want to move away from and learn from old attempts at solutions that didn’t work.”
A big challenge for Ejike (and everyone) is money, and one outcome of her listening tour is a greater understanding of the health system’s financial situation.
“It was clear to me that our financial situation was not going as planned, and in an area with a 70 percent Medicaid utilization rate, we can’t continue to do everything we need to do for our community,” she says. In addition to looking at ways to increase funding, Ezike also worked hard to incorporate non-financial solutions through innovative relationship strategies.
She invited medical leaders from other organizations across the region to discuss collaboration and concluded that one solution was to work with those organizations to donate underused equipment. The hospital can upgrade their equipment, and the donation extends the equipment’s lifespan. It’s a win-win.
One example of this was when Dr. Ezike invited Howard Chrisman, MD, president and CEO of Northwestern Memorial Healthcare, to visit Sinai’s facilities. In addition to his leadership role at Northwestern Medicine, Dr. Chrisman is also an interventional radiologist, and when he noticed Sinai was using equipment comparable to what he had used 20 years ago, he began a collaboration to provide Sinai with radiology equipment that was due for replacement but still in good condition.
Thinking outside the box
It’s understandable that Ezike would focus solely on the challenges she faces at Sinai, but her passion for the local ecosystem has prompted her to consider ways to help improve the health of local patients, including supporting local organizations working to develop the area.
“The old ways of just making ends meet and trying to do more with less only work to a certain extent. It’s like a rubber band, if you stretch it hard enough, it will snap,” she said. Instead of adhering to Sinai’s financial constraints, she opened herself up to new possibilities.
Sinai is taking a holistic view of community health, understanding the impact of factors like housing, nutrition and public safety. Dr. Ezike cites as examples a new 92-unit affordable housing development, the first in 50 years, and a grocery store that will open in a food desert.
“We celebrated the arrival of the first housing development in the area in 50 years in 2024,” she said. Sinai is leading an effort to work with real estate developers and philanthropists to further that effort.
“We’re working on solutions that go beyond traditional medicine,” she explains. Of course, this big-picture approach can have a deeper impact than just focusing on treating patients who are already sick.
Redefining Impossibility
Above all, Dr. Ezike embodies a positive, possibilities-driven attitude.
“What I like about Dr. Ezike is that the word ‘impossible’ has lost meaning to her. She just sees these goals as things she hasn’t achieved yet,” a colleague points out. Creativity and resourcefulness can help you overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Ezike understands that big challenges require more than just a deep budget. By listening, collaborating and reimagining what’s possible, Dr. Ezike and Sinai Health are charting an inspiring path to create healthier, more vibrant communities. Their innovative approach will serve as a model for leaders around the world looking to solve grand challenges.
