Dr. Garth Walker, an executive at Rush Health and an emergency department physician, has been appointed Chicago’s next public health commissioner.
“I’ve spent my career committed to centering a public health approach that addresses the social and economic conditions that shape people’s health and wellbeing,” Walker said in a statement Wednesday announcing his appointment. “As someone who grew up in Chicago, it’s an honor to serve as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health and support the Mayor’s vision for a healthier Chicago.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Walker, but City Council members must approve his new role. He would replace Dr. Olusimbo Ige, who resigned in May after about two and half years on the job.
As commissioner, Walker would be charged with improving the health of Chicago, one of the most segregated cities in the U.S., with a nearly 20-year life expectancy gap between neighborhoods. At one point, the so-called death gap was the largest of any big city in America. The Chicago health department oversees everything from inspecting restaurants to managing disease outbreaks.
“Dr. Garth Walker has dedicated his career to ensuring every Chicagoan has the opportunity to live a healthy life, regardless of the neighborhood they call home,” Johnson said in the statement. “From leading public health efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to advancing innovative models of care and addressing the root causes of health disparities, Dr. Walker has demonstrated the leadership and commitment our city needs.”
Walker is currently the chief medical officer at Rush Health on the Near West Side, which is part of one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the region. He previously was deputy director of the Illinois Department of Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a White House Fellow with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the administration of President Joe Biden, he helped create advisory reports on public health challenges, such as youth mental health and physician burnout.
Walker also is a scholar. His research focuses on conditions that contribute to a person’s physical and mental health, such as access to a job and stable housing or violence in their community. He’s also studied firearm injury prevention and health care communication.
Walker grew up in Hyde Park on the South Side, attended Chicago public schools and is on the boards of the Polk Bros. Foundation, Thresholds, and the Chicago Urban League.
Kristen Schorsch is a senior reporter covering public health for WBEZ.