Eat in (or order take out from) the following restaurants on February 1 or 2, 2012, present this coupon, and the restaurant will donate up to 20% of your bill back to the Schweitzer Program.
(Good on either date):

Uno Pizzeria & Grill, 29 E. Ohio St.
Pizzeria Due, 619 N. Wabash Ave.
Su Casa, 49 E. Ontario Ave.

Please bring your friends and family and be sure to print out the Doughraiser tickets before dining!

Light refreshments and snacks will be served. RSVPs are strongly encouraged. Please reply to rsvp@hmprg.org or 312-372-4292, ext. 24

The important stuff: Parting words from APHA’s president

Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH

It has been an honor to represent you as APHA president. In my travels, I have often recounted the following story.

When my youngest granddaughter, Ty, was about 6 years old, I asked the usual question adults ask: “What did you learn in school today?” I expected the usual — “Nothing.” But one day, she surprised me and asked, “Did you know that eggs are really dead baby chickens?” I chuckled, “Yes, baby, I knew that.”

Her little face looked suspicious. “Then did you know that we used to be slaves?” Yes, I responded. She pointed her finger and shook it at me, saying, “You are supposed to tell us the important stuff!”

Despite reminders to Tyler and her big sister, Amina, to brush their teeth, cover their coughs, wash their hands and eat their vegetables, I had failed in my duty to tell them about the important stuff.

That is what children expect of grandmothers and what communities expect from public health. Our routine advice about exercising, avoiding tobacco, driving sober and eating fruits and vegetables daily helps people and even saves lives, but it is not the important stuff.

The huge jump in U.S. life expectancy that occurred over the past century didn’t happen only through individual lifestyle changes. It occurred because of basic changes to the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. Chattel slavery was ended, the nation was enriched by millions of immigrants, the eight-hour workday was won, workers organized and fought for the rights of ordinary folks and nutrition improved. Public health leaders saw issues such as mine safety, meat safety, sanitation and sewage infrastructure, slums and poverty as important battles. In the past, we did not pick battles simply because they were “winnable” by marking measurable progress in a few years. We picked battles because they went to root causes of the pain and suffering.

We have retreated to technocratic tasks, categorical programs and “evidence-based,” narrowly focused interventions while losing the faith of the people we serve. In America, your SAT score, your chance of chronic disease and the length of your life is determined by your gender, the color of your skin, the nature of your accent, the social class of your parents and the ZIP code in which you reside far more than individual attributes.

We need to speak clearly and forcibly to answer the important question for every policy, whether at the village or international level: Does it help or hurt human health? We must mobilize for the important battles directed at changing the inequitable distribution of power, money and resources that determines population health. We must renew our fight against racism and discrimination by ethnicity, class and gender. The core mission of public health is social justice. We must never forget the important stuff, because injustice is killing millions of people.

If we rally with the people we serve, then we can leave our grandchildren a world that is at peace, where justice rules, and its people — all of them — are healthy.

Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association

Download the Winter 2011 Newsletter by clicking here.

Questions or comments? Contact Ray Wang, the Chicago Schweitzer Fellows Program Director.

Information Session Location:

Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

29 E. Madison Street, Suite 602

Chicago, IL 60602

Time: 6pm

RSVP to Ray Wang at rwang@hmprg.org or by calling 312-372-4292 ext 24 today!

More information about the Fellowship and application process can be found at www.schweitzerfellowship.org or by clicking here.

On November 12, 2011,   Health & Medicine hosted HMPRG30,” a gala celebration in the Sidney R. Yates Gallery at The Chicago Cultural Center, celebrating the achievement of three decades working for health justice.

The event, keynoted by author/commentator Barbara Ehrenreich,  drew 350 guests representing leaders of the business, medical and civic communities, healthcare activists, members of the broader philanthropic community, elected officials and policy makers.

Also honored that evening were three people whose vision and commitment have helped shaped Health & Medicine over the years: HMPRG Co-Founder and world renowned expert in asset-based community development, John McKnight (in whose honor HMPRG has created a Vital Communities Internship;  founding Board member and prevention pioneer,Yolanda “Bobby” Hall (in whose honor HMPRG bestowed a Social Justice Internship); and Margie Schaps, policy and advocacy expert and HMPRG’s Executive Director for 18+ years.

View the “picture album” from the evening

• Download our 1981-2011 Impact Book

• 30 Reasons to Support Health & Medicine

• Link to our event website to see pictures from our Gala, view the tribute book and the list of our supporters and funders

Health & Medicine’s Board committee on charity care met to discuss policy principles and criteria and then offered suggestions to the Fair Care Coalition’s policy committee.  The recommendations were finalized and sent to the Senator’s office for the next meeting on charity care.

Click here to view the final Fair Care Coalition recommendations on charity care and tax exemption status.

“Food Deserts: A Call to Action”

Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 5:30-7:30pm

Location: K.L.E.O. Community Family Life Center

119 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago, IL 60637

A Symposium featuring guest speakers:

Dr. Angela Odoms-Young, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition
University of Illinois at Chicago
“Introduction to Food Deserts”

Ms. Althera Steenes
Community Outreach Specialist
Section of General Internal Medicine
University of Chicago
“Food Deserts and Nutrition”

Mr. Torrey L. Barrett, I.
Executive Director
K.L.E.O. Community Family Life Center
“Food Desert’s Community Impact”

Ms. Erika Allen
Chicago and National Outreach Manager
Growing Power
“Fighting Food Deserts with Urban Gardening”

Free parking available.  Light refreshments will be served.

Free and open to the public, but RSVP is strongly encouraged.

RSVP to rsvp@hmprg.org or by calling 312-372-4292 ext. 24

Read the Event Flyer Here

Sunday, September 11, 2011: 1pm on Channel 21

Thursday, September 15, 2011: 8am on Channel 19

Thursday, September 22, 2011: 12pm on Channel 21

We hope you have a chance to view Dr. Murray’s inspiring lecture!