Nominations are now open for our 2025 Health & Medicine Awards!
Join us in honoring the public health heroes in our community who dedicate their lives to enhancing the health and well-being of others. We’re looking for individuals or organizations that embody Health & Medicine’s commitment to fostering social justice and health equity across Illinois. Whether they’re health care workers, volunteers, scholars, activists, or community members, we welcome nominations for anyone who has made a significant positive impact on health and health equity in our area.
Self-nominations are allowed. 2024 nominees are automatically considered and do not need to be renominated.
Click here to submit your nominations for the 2025 Health & Medicine Awards.
Nominations close Friday, May 23, 2025. Nominators and winners will be contacted in early July. Honorees will be celebrated at our Awards Gala on September 17, 2025.
Award Categories
The Health award recognizes an individual working within the health arena (using the broadest definition of health) with an emphasis on public health and improvements in the health of populations.
The Medicine award recognizes an individual whose work in any aspect of health care delivery (e.g., medicine, dentistry, mental health, nutrition, home care, pharmacy, insurance, medical groups) fosters system or institutional improvements.
The Policy award recognizes an individual working in advocacy, government, media, or philanthropy whose work encompasses the many facets of policy analysis, development, planning, and implementation.
The Dr. Steve Whitman Research award recognizes an individual involved in any aspect of quantitative or qualitative research, community-based research, or evaluative research that serves to promote improvements in quality of life (recognizing the multiple determinants of health).
The Group award recognizes that the sum of the whole is often greater than the individual parts and so honors an organization or coalition that supports or enhances community self-determination and independence, focuses its work on any of the determinants of health, and has had an impact beyond the scope of its programs. Affectionately called “the Quentin Award” after Quentin Young’s talent for creating long-lasting improvements through coalition-building and collective action.
The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes a leader who has served for over 30 years in public health through policy, systems change, advocacy, research, or organizing. These awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to public health and health equity throughout their lifetimes and have demonstrated outstanding career achievements that have inspired others and have changed the course of the history of public health in Illinois.
The Emerging Health Leader award recognizes a leader with less than 15 years of experience currently involved in community-based work with broadly defined public health implications.