“Follow up and follow through to get the outcomes you want.” 

Sylvia Riperton-Lewis is a dynamic, results-oriented healthcare and public service executive with over 25 years of transformative leadership across government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and healthcare systems. Her professional journey reflects a deep-seated commitment to elevating care for vulnerable communities and strengthening organizational performance through strategic planning, regulatory excellence, and quality improvement. With an academic foundation in health law, public health, and psychology, Sylvia brings a multidimensional perspective to every challenge—merging policy acumen with operational precision. 

Raised in Chicago and committed to her city’s well-being, Sylvia has devoted her career to uplifting underserved populations through the design and implementation of equitable, high-impact public health programs. From the early stages of her career at Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services to her leadership roles in Illinois state and City of Chicago government, Sylvia has cultivated a deep understanding of system-level service delivery, behavioral health, and Medicaid reform. Her unwavering focus on performance accountability and data-driven innovation has become the cornerstone of her leadership approach. 

While serving as Deputy Director at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Sylvia led statewide initiatives in performance management, strategic planning, and accreditation. Under her guidance, the department has achieved reaccreditation and instituted a culture of continuous quality improvement. She played an instrumental role in the 2020–2025 IDPH Strategic Plan, implementing systems that track progress, enhance transparency, and align agency priorities with statewide health improvement objectives. Sylvia’s leadership style is inclusive and collaborative—she regularly brings together cross-sector stakeholders to co-create sustainable public health strategies. 

Prior to her role at IDPH, Sylvia served as Bureau Chief of Quality Management at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, where she was pivotal in standardizing Medicaid quality measures across service delivery models. Her leadership supported the expansion of managed care under the Affordable Care Act, ensuring alignment with national quality benchmarks and federal CMS guidelines. Sylvia also oversaw the development and reporting of core health measures, reinforcing Illinois’ commitment to measurable improvement in healthcare delivery. 

In the nonprofit sector, Sylvia’s influence was equally profound. As Director of Quality Improvement at ChildServ (now Lutheran Child and Family Services), she established frameworks for continuous performance evaluation and enhanced service outcomes for children and families. Her work was recognized for significantly raising the bar on compliance, accreditation readiness, and client-centered care. These experiences solidified Sylvia’s reputation as a strategist who balances compassion with results, bringing both heart and rigor to her mission. 

Sylvia’s regulatory and compliance expertise has also been honed through critical oversight roles, including her tenure as Deputy Commissioner at the Chicago Department of Public Health. There, she managed a $14 million budget and supervised operations of 12 mental health clinics, delivering over 100,000 services annually to 10,000 Chicagoans. Her ability to align fiscal responsibility with service delivery excellence helped transform the city’s behavioral health infrastructure, positioning it to better meet the complex needs of urban communities. 

Throughout her career, Sylvia has championed initiatives that simplify complex grant management systems, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and promote accountability. At IDPH, she led a turnaround in grant execution timelines—from over 150 days down to just 1.5—by assembling high-performing interdisciplinary teams, standardizing workflows, and launching department-wide training programs. This achievement is emblematic of her belief that operational efficiency and mission fulfillment go hand in hand. 

In addition to her executive responsibilities, Sylvia is a respected thought leader in healthcare quality and performance excellence. She has served for over a decade as a Senior Examiner with the Malcolm Baldrige-based Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence, evaluating organizations across healthcare, education, and government. Including, championing a Lincoln award for the Illinois Department of Human Sevices. Her insights into accreditation, quality metrics, and performance reviews have helped shape best practices across multiple sectors. Sylvia’s certification as a Diplomate of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians and her CPHQ credential further underscore her credibility and commitment to continuous learning. She led successful accreditation for hospitals, child welfare, mental health, education and public health organizations. 

A civic-minded leader, Sylvia has held numerous volunteer and advisory roles, including serving as Vice President of the University of Illinois School of Public Health Alumni Board. Her past board appointments include past president of the Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep Local School Council. She is also a proud member of the Delta Omega Honor Society in Public Health and a former Senior Examiner for the Lincoln Foundation. 

Character:
Sylvia Riperton-Lewis is grounded in integrity, compassion, and resilience, consistently advocating for vulnerable communities through purpose-driven leadership. She leads with empathy and conviction, building trust and inspiring teams to achieve lasting impact.

Knowledge:
Sylvia brings over 25 years of multidisciplinary expertise in healthcare quality, Medicaid reform, and public sector performance management. Her deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and organizational systems enables her to drive measurable improvements across complex institutions.

Strategic:
With a clear vision and methodical approach, Sylvia excels at aligning operational execution with long-term goals. She designs and implements strategies that enhance service delivery, optimize resources, and elevate organizational outcomes.

Communication:
Sylvia is a compelling communicator who bridges policy, practice, and people with clarity and confidence. Whether collaborating with stakeholders or mentoring internal teams, she articulates goals, motivates action, and ensures alignment around shared objectives.