It is a privilege to be in a position to make decisions that affect so many lives. The work we do in public health positively impacts the health of many people who may not even be aware of it.
Three words to describe me:
visionary, passionate, competent
The best part of my job:
using data to understand the aggregate health and distribution of health and risk factors across the populations we serve, and fostering partnerships with stakeholders and organizations to advance collaborative efforts to improve community health and well-being
Something that would surprise others about me:
I am more resilient than I appear :)
For over a decade, Dr. Charles Chima has led transformational and equity-oriented population health initiatives in various communities across the U.S. As the Public Health Director for the City of Sioux Falls, SD, he established a community health coalition, improved equity in COVID-19 vaccinations, strengthened the city’s public health data infrastructure and workforce, and advanced chronic disease prevention initiatives.
Dr. Chima was formerly a Program Director at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he developed and managed graduate programs in population health and informed population health strategy. He previously led healthcare transformation initiatives at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Dr. Chima trained as a physician and worked in primary care in Nigeria. He subsequently obtained a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of London and a Doctor of Public Health in health services organization from UTHealth.
