He’s a NYS employee,RN, MS, PhD and, oh yes, a...
King
1961 and I have never worked in another field,” Chief Isaac said. In 1973, Chief Isaac brought his
wife, who is also an RN, and their two children to the United States. Since then, he has earned a master’s degree in health administration and a doctorate in hospital administration. He has become a U.S. citizen and
now has five children and 10 grandchildren who are all U.S. citizens. One of his daughters is a nurse in Connecticut. Is he glad he came here? “Oh my yes!” he said. “I’ve had my
education here and so many opportunities.” While health care may have been
WE’LL MISSYOU—PEF Division 199member “Chief” Isaac Nwachuku receives a glass plaque commemorating his service fromCouncil Leader Ilanye Longjohn and stewards LarryAscher and Lewis Offsink at Nwachuku’s farewell luncheon.
By SHERRY HALBROOK youwere a king? W How about devoting 50 years of
your life to caring for the health of others? That may not be the first thing that
came to your mind, but it’s exactly what PEF member Isaac Nwachuku has done. Yes, he really is “his royal highness
King Isaac Nwachuku of the Nigerian State of Abia,” which is one of 36 states in Africa’s most populous country. However, as a hospital services
nursing consultant at the state Health Department (DOH), he was honored in March with a retirement party by his
Page 14—The Communicator April 2011
hatwould you do if
his day job, Chief Isaac has maintained dual citizenship and still functions as the monarch of Abia. “As kings, we are consultants to the
—Photo by Richard Dillard
fellow members of PEF Division 199 and his other colleagues in Manhattan. They’ve known him for more than 14 years as “Chief Isaac.” When he came to work for DOH, he
said, “They told me they couldn’t address me as ‘your royal highness or king,’ so we agreed I should be called ‘chief.’” At age 73, he has worked in many
health care positions over his 50-year nursing career, including many years at Bronx Lebanon Hospital and others, and a five-year stint at the New York City Health Department. It all began in Nigeria when his
sister became a nurse and convinced him to follow that career path. “I like caring for the sick. My elder
sister was the first registered nurse in Nigeria. I wanted to be a medical doctor, but she advised me to become a nurse. She was so progressive and was really a role model. “I became a registered nurse in
president and the Legislature of Nigeria,” he said. “I have my own cabinet and I talk to them by phone almost daily. I go back there every year. Now, I will have more time for it.” Nigeria’s 150 million people are split
almost equally between Christians and Muslims, and speak a total of some 200 different ethnic languages. “Nigerians are the most highly
educated people in Africa. We are trained in the U.S., but we lack employment opportunities in Nigeria,” Chief Isaac said. Nigeria, which just celebrated its
50th anniversary as an independent state October 1 of last year, is one of the world’s largest oil exporters. “Our main problem is the abuse of
our oil income,” Chief Isaac said. He added, however, he is optimistic
about Nigeria’s future because, “We are holding presidential elections in April.” He looks on his retirement as both
an end and a beginning. “I’m ready for it. There’s a time for
everything. By the grace of God, I am looking forward to a very exciting retirement,” he said.
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24