While Health & Medicine moves forward with the Safety Net Initiative, we want to align our work with other efforts in the region.  There are many current initiatives for improving the health safety net in the Northeastern Illinois Region. Health & Medicine hopes that by bringing local initiatives together, the health community and local leaders can recommend ways of strengthening the overall health safety net for our region.

Other local initiatives underway that are consistent with our regional effort:

• The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council and the Health Care Consortium of Illinois are working to bring health information exchange to the Chicago region.

• The Data Dissemination Initiative by the Illinois Public Health Institute is looking to improve health data query systems for the state.

• Several small regions within the 7 county region are working collaboratively to improve access to health care, such as Access to Care, Access DuPage,  the Southside Health Collaborative, and the medical home initiative for women and children on the Southside.

• The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is undergoing its “GoTo 2040″ Planning process, which includes planning for health.

• Illinois is undergoing its State Health Improvement Planning (SHIP) process.

• The Cook County Health & Hospitals System is preparing its strategic plan, due to come out November of 2009.

• The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council has undergone a healthcare workforce development project, focusing on the nursing shortage.

Reports from local initiatives:

To view the “Chicago Health Care Access Puzzle: Fitting the Pieces Together” report, which examined the safety net in the city of Chicago, click here.

To view the Regional Health Care Safety Net Pre-Summit Summary, click here.

To view the Illinois State Health Improvement Plan, 2007, click here.

To view a PowerPoint presentation about the DuPage Health Coalition, click here.

To view the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium, Inc. Strategic Plan summary, click here.