Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago's top health official, has been fired
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago's top health official, has been fired.
The mayor's office said Friday night Arwady was fired. She has served as the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health in January of 2020, just weeks before the city would be hit with the COVID-19 pandemic.
She had worked at the CDPH since 2015, according to her city biography.
Arwady also confirmed her ouster in a series of tweets Friday night saying "It has been the best chapter of my life (so far!) leading the CDPH team, especially through the COVID pandemic."
She said that was the time when "public health was needed more than ever" and that "Public health must always be driven by science and medicine, never politics."
Arwady applauded her team at the CDPH and said she was "especially disappointed not to get a chance to say goodbye."
"As a physician and public health leader, my work to advance health, equity, and justice, particularly for those on the margins, will continue," she said.
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot also tweeted about Arwady's departure, calling her a hero.
Lightfoot continues to say, "Dr. Arwady has been a friend to the LGBTQ+ community, focused on HIV/AIDS and MPV. And she's been fighting to save lives through the heroin and fentanyl crises."
"Dr. Arwady is a national leader, and we are lucky that she chose to be a public servant in our city. My admiration and love for her are without limit. May the good Lord continue to bless you, Allison."
