Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). A distinguished nurse leader and lifelong public servant, she brings more than 30 years of experience in public health, health policy, leadership, and emergency response through service in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Prior to joining IHI, Dr. Trent-Adams served as President of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, where she held the roles of Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Her federal leadership appointments included Acting U.S. Surgeon General, Deputy U.S. Surgeon General, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also served as Deputy Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration, where she managed the $2.3 billion Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

Throughout her career, Dr. Trent-Adams has led efforts to public health challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic, the Flint water crisis, the Zika virus outbreak, and natural disasters. She served as Commanding Officer for the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2015.

Dr. Trent-Adams has received numerous honors, including the International Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. She earned degrees from Hampton University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her work focuses on improving health outcomes, strengthening health systems, and advancing health equity globally.