Sylvia Trent-Adams
Dr. Trent-Adams, 59, succeeds Dr. Kedar Mate, who stepped down in late 2024 to pursue ventures in healthcare artificial intelligence. The move marks a return to the national stage for Dr. Trent-Adams, who last served as President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), where she presided over the institution’s largest research grant and expansion of its nursing college.
The IHI, a nonprofit based in Boston, is widely regarded as a global force for advancing patient safety, healthcare quality, and health equity. In her new role, Dr. Trent-Adams is expected to amplify the group’s mission at a time when healthcare systems at home and abroad confront mounting challenges of access, affordability, and systemic inequity.
“It is a true honor to accept the position of President and CEO of IHI — an organization that I view as a global powerhouse for quality improvement, patient safety, and health equity,” Dr. Trent-Adams said in a statement. “I believe we’re at an inflection point both domestically and abroad, and IHI is positioned to be a change agent and a force for good in health and health care worldwide.”
Dr. Trent-Adams first gained national recognition in 2020, when she was named Technologist of the Year by Women of Color magazine, a distinction that highlighted her impact during the COVID-19 pandemic and her broader efforts to advance the public health workforce. Her resume, spanning more than three decades, includes roles as Acting Surgeon General of the United States, Deputy Surgeon General, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. She is among the few nurses—and even fewer women of color—to have led at the highest echelons of American health policy.
Her leadership was forged in the crucible of crisis. During her time as Acting Surgeon General, she led the federal response to outbreaks such as Ebola and HIV/AIDS, earning a reputation for scientific rigor and empathy. Overseas, Dr. Trent-Adams was among the first U.S. officers on the ground during the Commissioned Corps’ Ebola response in Liberia and has represented the country at global health forums, including the World Health Organization.
At UNT Health Science Center, Dr. Trent-Adams oversaw a $150 million grant to advance Alzheimer’s research—the largest in the university’s history—and shepherded the launch of a new College of Nursing. Throughout her career, she has been lauded as a mentor and champion for diversity in science and medicine.
“Sylvia has held many titles during her impressive career — nurse, soldier, researcher, Rear Admiral, Acting Surgeon General, university President — and we’re thrilled that she’s adding ‘IHI President and CEO’ to that list,” said Dr. Gerald Hickson, IHI Board Chair, who praised her “strong character, humility, and integrity.”
As Dr. Trent-Adams prepares to lead IHI, colleagues and health advocates say her appointment is both a reflection of her accomplishments and a signal of the organization’s commitment to equity and innovation. The Board also expressed gratitude to Melissa Panagides-Busch, who served as Interim CEO during the transition.
Dr. Trent-Adams is expected to leverage her policy experience, global perspective, and commitment to inclusion as she confronts what she calls “an inflection point” in healthcare—where new technologies, public health threats, and calls for justice converge.
Her story, marked by service in the U.S. Army and Public Health Service, is emblematic of a new era in healthcare leadership—one where the voices of women, nurses, and people of color are increasingly shaping the direction of the field.