Meet Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a ‘woman who saved lives and changed (Illinois) for the better’ – Peoria Journal-Star

She said of her position pre-pandemic, "Well, it wasn’t a walk in the park before the pandemic. There's always an emergency. We had the measles outbreak; we had the vaping incidents which took lives. ... It’s a really big state, so trying to navigate and drive to cover all parts of the state ... I was busy." Dr. Ngozi Ezike is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women across the country who have made a significant impact.