The Health & Medicine community is saddened by the passing of Board Member Dr. Virginia Bishop (Gini).

“Chicago has lost a true advocate for social justice,” Executive Director Margie Schaps said. “Not only was Gini a beloved faculty member at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, she was a dedicated healthcare provider for young people and a trusted adult for the teens she cared for.”

In addition to serving on the Health & Medicine Board, Dr. Bishop was a former member of the Cook County Health Systems Board and served as the founder and director of YES!, a youth health education and advocacy program in Chicago. An assistant professor in Preventive Medicine at Northwestern, she earned her degree in medicine from Southern Illinois University and her Master’s of Public Health from George Washington University.  She was affiliated with the Northwestern University Institute for Public Health and Medicine and the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS), where her interests included school health and adolescent health issues.

At Feinberg, she also served in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) with the role of Latino Affairs and Community Engagement liaison. In this role, she participated on the Diversity Council, interacted and provided input on ODI activities, and provided advice to students, especially the Latino Medical Student Association. She was dedicated to developing a strong sense of cohesion and recognition amongst the Latino residents and faculty through effective communication.

We send our best wishes to Dr. Bishop’s family and friends during this difficult time.