By Leshi Adebayo
A Nigerian-American physician, Dr Joseph Ladapo, has been appointed as the Surgeon-General and Secretary of the Department of Health in the U.S. state of Florida.
The appointment was announced by the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, in a statement posted on the Florida Department of Health website.
“I am pleased to announce that Ladapo will lead the Florida department of health as our state’s next surgeon-general. Ladapo comes to us by way of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, with a superb background,” he said.
According to Governor DeSantis, Ladapo has had both a remarkable academic and medical career especially in health policy research.
He said, “Ladapo will bring great leadership to the department of health,” thanking both Dr Scott Rivkees and Dr Shamarial Roberson for their hard work on behalf of all Floridians.
Speaking on Ladapo’s appointment, Lieutenant-Governor Jeanette Nuñez said he was an excellent choice for the position.
Meanwhile, Ladapo said he was honoured to have been chosen by DeSantis to serve as Florida’s next surgeon-general.
He said, “We must make health policy decisions rooted in data and not in fear. From California, I have observed the different approaches taken by governors across the country and I have been impressed by DeSantis’ leadership and determination.”
Commending the governor’s leadership initiative to ensure that Floridians were provided with all opportunities to maintain their health and wellness, Ladapo said, “it was a privilege to join his team and serve the people of Florida.”
A graduate of Wake Forest University, Ladapo also holds an MD from Harvard Medical School and a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
He was recently granted a professorship at the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine.
Prior to joining UF, he served as an associate professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), caring for hospitalised patients.
