Iza Correll, PA-C, COC, a 2017 Physician Assistant Studies graduate and Somerset native, is a social entrepreneur and author whose goal is a world where no child is an orphan.

She founded OVI Healthcare just after her graduation to transform the health, happiness and security of children. She was deeply affected by the death of her 4-year-old nephew Ovidio (known as Ovi), an orphan in Guatemala who was in the process of being adopted by Correll’s sister, and this tragedy inspired Correll to start the charity in his name. Today, she and her team run the charity from the OVI Children’s Hospital in Kenya. 

Her vision then and now is a world where no child is alone. She says she knows what works and sees it working every day. The next step is introducing the approach across Africa and Asia to end the orphan crisis and prevent poverty. 

She is a dually licensed U.S. Physician Assistant and Kenyan Clinical Officer, the CHS 2022 Hall of Fame inductee, a bestselling author and the youngest-ever recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship.

Welcome to another episode of The Way Podcast, the official podcast of the College of Health Sciences, where we highlight the amazing people that make our college special. Here at UK, the College of Health Sciences is your Gateway to the Health Professions.

In this episode, you can hear all about Iza and how she makes her life matter … only on The Way Podcast.