Dr. Okanlami joined the "Dwyer School of Health Sciences" in August 2019 as the Endowed Bicentennial Chair of Palliative Care. Dr. Okanlami came to IUSB after an active medical career in Pediatric Critical Care, serving as Medical Director for Pediatric Critical Care and Pediatric Emergency Transport services at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center (1994-1999) and Beacon Children’s Hospital South Bend, (1994-2016). She is a co-founder and past president of O’Hana Heritage Foundation dba A Rosie Place for Children; an Indiana non-profit organization that provides Respite and Palliative care services for children with complex, life-limiting medical conditions located in South Bend, Indiana. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences as well as her Medical degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. Dr. Okanlami trained in Pediatrics at Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC and specialized in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore. MD. She was awarded an MBA from the University of Notre Dame in 2008.
She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. She has a passion for serving, advocating and improving the quality of life for children and underrepresented populations globally as well as interdisciplinary teaching and mentoring in healthcare. Dr. Okanlami remains interested in global health collaborations aimed at educating health care providers in critical care and palliative care for all people.