Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

Health Reform and the Health Safety Net Forum Materials Available

cbidani — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:47:06 +0000

On July 9, 2010, Health & Medicine hosted a forum, “Health Reform and the Health Care Safety Net: Challenges and Opportunities,” to examine the ways in which federal health reform legislation will impact the health care safety net in Illinois. With 100 attendees, the forum explored the potential impacts of reform on community health centers, safety net hospitals, the health care workforce, and vulnerable populations. Materials from the forum are available below.

Speaker Powerpoints:

View Health & Medicine’s “Health Care Reform Impact in Illinois” factsheets on the “Health Care Reform” section of our website.

Other Resources:

Illinois Primary Health Care Association’s “Summary of Health Reform Bills’ Provisions Affecting Health Centers“
Philippe Largent’s data slides regarding community health centers in Illinois
The Washington Post‘s recent article on education grants to create a more diverse and adequate health workforce

2010 HMPRG AWARDS – CALL FOR NOMINATIONS! August 6 Deadline!

kpritikin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:11:26 +0000

Back in 2006, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG) inaugurated the HMPRG Awards to ensure that visionary public health and health justice leaders receive the recognition they deserve. Since then, the awards have been presented twice. The winners become members of our Advisory Council, where they have had an opportunity to guide and enrich our work and, most recently, were asked to provide input to help Quentin Young shape the role of the Illinois Public Health Advocate.

We invite your nominations for the 2010 HMPRG Awards; which will be presented at a cocktail party and celebration on October 7, 2010. (Save the date!)

Below are the comprehensive criteria for each of the 5 HMPRG awards categories (representing individual achievements in Health, Medicine, Policy, and Research, and a Group award). Only one Award winner will be selected for each category. Nominators of selected award recipients will receive a complementary ticket to the celebration. Current and past Schweitzer Fellows are also invited to nominate an Emerging Health Leader from agencies where they have done their placements. And we will honor a Young Health Activist (aged 16-20) who has shown a commitment to social justice and activism.

In submitting your nominations, please consider whether your nominee has:

demonstrated outstanding leadership to a project or organization; made significant contributions in their field;
furthered our understanding of an issue affecting the public’s health; creatively and effectively promoted system or institutional change;
exhibited steadfast commitment and dedication to underserved and disadvantaged populations (in the spirit of Albert Schweitzer);
or distinguished themselves as a mentor or role model to others.

Download your Nomination Form Here

We need to receive your forms by August, 2010. (Forms can be returned by mail, fax or email.) If you have any questions, please email HMPRG Development Officer, Karin Pritikin.

We look forward to seeing your nominations and trust that you have some inspired – and interesting – choices for people or organizations you would like to honor.

View a list of past winners

Download a flyer to post or share with colleagues and friends

Last Chance to Register for July 9 Health Reform and the Safety Net Forum

cbidani — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:52:09 +0000

Health & Medicine is hosting a forum, “Health Reform and the Healthcare Safety Net: Opportunities and Challenges” on Friday, July 9th from 8:30am-12:30pm at the UIC School of Public Health Auditorium (1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago). The forum will explore challenges and opportunities presented by health reform in Illinois, and will examine the impact on community health centers, safety net hospitals, the health workforce, and vulnerable populations.

Speakers include:

Michael McRaith, Director, IL Department of Insurance
Julie Hamos, Director, IL Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Claudine Swartz, Assistant Vice President for Policy, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
Bill Foley, CEO, Cook County Health & Hospitals System
Philippe Largent, VP for Government Affairs, IL Primary Health Care Association
Linda Murray, Chief Medical Officer, Cook County Department of Public Health, President-Elect, APHA
Roberta Rakove, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Sinai Health System

To register and pay the $20 registration fee, please click here. We will also accept cash or check at the door.

Impact of State Budget Forum Materials Available

cbidani — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:28:47 +0000

On June 14, 2010, Health & Medicine hosted a forum, “The State’s Fiscal Crisis: Changing Our Collective Response.” With over 70 attendees, the forum explored the impact of the State’s budget and recent cuts on health and human services in Illinois. Participants heard from panel speakers about how we might collectively respond to the crisis and ensure responsible and adequate funding for education, health, and human services in Illinois. Materials from the forum can be found below.

Forum Agenda

Forum Notes

Speaker Biographies

PowerPoint Presentations:

Ralph Martire, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability

Frank Anselmo, Community Behavioral Healthcare Association

Kathye Gorosh, New Age Services Corporation

Jack Kaplan, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago

Other Resources:

Illinois Partners for Human Service- www.illinoispartners.org

Responsible Budget Coalition- www.abetterillinois.com

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability

Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association Fact Sheet

Past HMPRG Award Winners

kpritikin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:26:45 +0000

2006 HMPRG Award Winners

Health Sachin Jain, MPH

Medicine Carl C. Bell, MD, Community Mental Health Council

Policy Hellander, MD, Physicians for a National Health Program

Research Steven Whitman, PhD , Sinai Urban Health Institute

Group Little Village Community Development Corp.

2008 Special Award for Dedication to the Cook County Health System Mardge Cohen, MD & Gordy Schiff, MD

2009 HMPRG Award Winners

Health Rachael Abramson, RN, MS, Health Connect One

Medicine Robert Cohen, MD, Stroger Hospital & Thomas Huggett, MD, MPH Circle Family Care

Policy Ada Mary Gugenheim

Research Helen Binns, MD, MPH, Children’s Memorial Hospital

Group RIC Women with Disabilities

Emerging Health Leader Alicia Gonzales, Chicago Run

Young Health Activist Muriel Dorsey, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance

View Schweitzer Fellows In Action in New “Profiles in Service” Videos

cbidani — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:03:36 +0000

To tell the stories of the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows, Health & Medicine staff began creating short videos of Fellows at their community sites. The latest videos feature Justin Welke, a dental student at the UIC College of Dentistry, Katherine Garlo, a second year Medical student at Rush Medical College and Sara Van Koningsveld, a Dance Movement Therapy and Counseling student at Columbia College Chicago.

A video was previously made of 2007-08 Schweitzer Fellow Jason Waldinger, who created a tutoring program that is still running at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club. Jason is now a 4th year medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Save the Dates for Upcoming Safety Net Forums!

kpritikin — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:09:19 +0000

Save the Date! June 14, 2010, 1pm-5pm

A forum, “The State’s Fiscal Crisis: Changing our Collective Response,” will be held on Monday, June 14th, 2010 at the UIC Student Center West (828 S. Wolcott Ave, Chicago) from 1pm-5pm. The forum will be a conversation about the impact of the state budget cuts on health and human services in Illinois and how we can change the way we collectively respond to these cuts.

Speakers include:

Jack Kaplan, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and United Way of Illinois
Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH, President-Elect of the American Public Health Association and Chief Medical Officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health
Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
Frank Anselmo, CEO of Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of IL
Mildred Williamson, HIV/AIDS Section Chief, IL Department of Public Health
Kathye Gorosh, CEO of New Age Services Corporation
Stephanie Altman, Program and Policy Director, Health & Disability Advocates

To RSVP for this forum, send an email to Janna and put “RSVP-June 14 Forum” in the subject line

Save the Date! July 9, 2010, 8:30am-1pm

A forum, “Health Reform and the Health Safety Net: Challenges and Opportunities,” will be held on Friday, July 9, 2010 at the UIC School of Public Health Auditorium (1603 W. Taylor St, Chicago, 1st floor) from 8:30am-1pm. The forum will examine the potential impact of the health reform legislation on the health safety net, eliciting challenges and opportunities for providers and health systems in Illinois. We will look specifically at the impacts on community health centers, safety net hospitals, the health workforce, and vulnerable populations. The forum will ask us to consider if reform will help us more effectively and appropriately use the trillions of dollars in our health system and what structures need to be in place to provide quality health services to all.

Speakers include:

Philippe Largent, Vice President for Government Affairs, Illinois Primary Health Care Association
Bill Foley, CEO, Cook County Health & Hospitals System
Representative from the Cambridge Health Alliance

To RSVP for this forum, send an email to Janna and put “RSVP-July 9 Forum” in the subject line

Additional details for both forums will be posted soon on our website, blog and Facebook.

Visit our New Program Section on Health Care Reform

kpritikin — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:35:35 +0000

We’ve added a section on health care reform to make it easy to follow HMPRG’s work assessing the changes brought by reform and the potential impact in Illinois, especially for vulnerable populations and on the health care safety net.

The new section contains fact sheets on various aspects of the national legislation and its impact on specific communities, as well as links to other organizations that are working to further clarify the legislation.

You can access the new section in the drop-down Programs & Projects tab off of our homepage, the HMPRG Programs section on the right hand side of the home page or through the following link: http://hmprg.org/programs-projects/health-care-reform/

What You Think About the Budget Matters! Let Your Voice Be Heard!

kpritikin — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:07:15 +0000

What You Think About the Budget Matters! Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) is hosting its second annual Blog Day, Wednesday May 26th, 2010: “America’s Budget Matters, So Does Yours.” The posts on HMPRG’s about the impact of both the federal and state budget deficits and their impact on the aging community are only the beginning to an ongoing discussion of elder economic security, and we want to hear from you:

•    Do you have anything to contribute to this conversation about the federal deficit?
•    About Illinois’ budget deficit?
•    About cuts to social service programs in Illinois?
•    About preserving Social Security?
•    How do potential budget cuts affect you?

Please leave your comments on our blog HMPRG is working with WOW to make sure that your voice is heard, that the Federal Commission and the Illinois state government knows that their decisions affect you. Our country, and our state of Illinois, is in difficult times. Now is not a time to be quiet, but a time to advocate for your right to remain economically secure in your homes and communities as you age.

New Health Commissioner to Give “Leadership by Example” Lecture

cbidani — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:11:27 +0000

Newly appointed Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Dr. Bechara Choucair will be the next featured speaker in the Schweitzer Fellows for Life “Leadership by Example” lecture series. Now in its third year, the series invites exemplary individuals to talk about their lives of public service, with a special focus on leaders who promote the well being and empowerment of vulnerable and marginalized populations.

As commissioner, Dr. Choucair leads the charge in fulfilling the department’s mission to make Chicago a safer and healthier city by working with community partners to promote health, prevent disease, reduce environmental hazards and ensure access to health care.

Before being appointed Health Commissioner, Dr. Choucair served as Executive Director and Medical Director ofHeartland International Health Center, a federally qualified health center on Chicago’s north side that provides services for the underserved in Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Albany Park, and Lincoln Square. Dr. Choucair also provided clinical leadership to the Health Care for Homeless program, as well as the HIV program at Heartland Alliance. He is also a member of the faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he serves as Vice Chair for Community Medicine and oversees the Poverty Medicine Collaborative between Heartland Alliance and the Northwestern Medical School.

Previous speakers in the series have included: Carmen Velasquez, founder of the Alivio Medical Center; Meade Palidofsky, founder and artistic director of Storycatchers Theater, an arts organization that works with girls in detention; Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan; Dr. Karen Sheehan, a child injury prevention expert and director of Chicago Youth Programs; and Dr. Greg Scott, a sociology professor and documentary filmmaker who has done extensive work with drug users and other “underground” populations in Chicago.

The event is open to the public and will be held Thursday, June 10, 2010 beginning at 6:00pm at Northwestern University’s Chicago medical campus in Hughes Auditorium, 303 E. Superior Street, 1^st Floor, Chicago. It is free of charge, and open to the public, but reservations are strongly recommended. RSVP to: rsvp@hmprg.org or call 312 372-4292 Ext. 24

Download a pdf file of the flier