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Mayor Brandon Johnson recently fired Dr. Allison Arwady, who is well-known for her work in Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The news was confirmed by the mayor's office on August 11, 2023, through an email. However, the reason for the same was not disclosed.
ABC7 stated that the deputy commissioner will replace Arwady for now. Johnson revealed during a mayoral forum in March this year that Arwady will possibly not stay on in his administration. He mentioned that this was because they both "have different views of public health."
Mayor Johnson also received a letter from the Chicago Board of Health on August 10, in which he was requested to rethink his decision. Arwady was described as a "consummate public health professional," who made a lot of contributions to the city during the pandemic. The letter stated that Allison's team helped to change how Chicago handled mental, behavioral, and physical health.
Dr. Allison Arwady also shared a statement, saying that being part of the CDPH team had been a great experience.
"Public health must always be driven by science and medicine, and never politics. It is critical that this work receives the funding needed to remain strong, and that the next CDPH Commissioner shares this department's commitment to health equity," she said.
Dr. Allison Arwady served at the Chicago Department of Public Health since 2015
In 1994, she joined Harvard University and completed her graduation in History and Literature.
Arwady joined the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2000 and pursued her Master's in Public Health, Sociomedical Sciences/History, and Ethics of Public and Medicine. She then enrolled in Yale University School of Medicine in 2003 and acquired her Doctor of Medicine degree.
Dr. Allison Arwady's LinkedIn profile states that she started her career at Let's Go Travel Guides in 1996. She held various positions at the organization and worked as a researcher, writer, Associate Editor, and Managing Editor.
She was a Senior Technician for the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Laboratory at the Columbia University Medical Center from 2000 to 2003. From 2008, she held the position of Resident Physician for Internal Medicine-Pediatrics at the Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Allison Arwady was the Chief Resident Physician for Primary Care at the Yale School of Medicine between 2012 and 2013. Arwady was also the Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Arwady then began working at the Chicago Department of Public Health in 2015. She was the Chief Medical Officer and Acting Commissioner until 2020. She then joined full-time as a Commissioner in January 2020.
