Dr. Garth Walker, an emergency physician and health executive with deep ties to Chicago’s South Side, has been named the city’s next public health commissioner. The 40-year-old physician currently serves as chief medical officer at Rush Health on the Near West Side, part of one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the region.

Walker, who grew up in Hyde Park and attended Chicago public schools, described the appointment as the culmination of his career focused on addressing social and economic factors that affect health outcomes. “I wanted to become a doctor that focused on the social and economic issues that make it hard for people to get good health … where they live, breathe, eat,” he said.

Before joining Rush Health, Walker was deputy director at the Illinois Department of Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he helped increase vaccination rates in underserved communities. He also completed a White House fellowship with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration, concentrating on youth mental health, reducing gun violence, and addressing physician burnout.

In his new role, Walker will oversee Chicago’s public health department, which administers services ranging from restaurant inspections to disease outbreak management. The position comes with significant challenges including limited resources and navigating local political dynamics. Mayor Brandon Johnson, who appointed Walker and said the City Council must approve the appointment, praised Walker’s connection to the city and understanding of communities facing health disparities as key factors in his selection. Johnson noted that Walker was the only candidate interviewed for the position.

Walker succeeds Dr. Olusimbo Ige, who resigned in May after approximately two and a half years in the role. According to sources, Mayor Johnson requested Ige’s resignation.

One of Walker’s priorities will be expanding the city’s CARE program, which deploys mental health professionals rather than police to respond to mental health crises. He also plans to seek additional funding and partnerships to revitalize health equity zones established during the pandemic. These zones aimed to reduce longstanding disparities in life expectancy and health access across Chicago neighborhoods. Research indicates the zones fostered more than 600 partnerships between city leaders and community organizations, helping to build what researchers called Chicago’s “health equity muscle.”

Walker highlighted the persistent gap in life expectancy between neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and West Sides, an issue that has ranked as one of the largest in major U.S. cities. “How do we build an infrastructure and continue to build an infrastructure that protects those communities intentionally?” he asked.

Walker cited his background as an emergency room physician and experience as a runner as sources of resilience to withstand the pressures of the role. “You have to know yourself very well in terms of how you manage stress,” he said, noting support from his family and faith as key stabilizing factors.

Beyond his clinical and public health work, Walker serves on the boards of the Polk Bros. Foundation, Thresholds—which provides mental health and substance use services—and the Chicago Urban League. Mayor Johnson described him as a “Black male physician as credentialed as he is,” who brings valuable skills and expertise to local government.