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Join Us for the Urban Health Experience Summer Program
Apr 26, 2024We are thrilled to announce the Urban Health Experience, a summer program co-sponsored by the Urban Illinois Health Education Centers, open to undergraduate students in the Chicago area. The program runs from June 7 – August 3, 2024 Participants in the Urban Health Experience will have access to asynchronous materials covering urban healthcare needs and […]
Apply Now: Summer Health Worker Training Program for High Schoolers
Apr 26, 2024Are you a high school student in the west side of Chicago or the west suburbs of Cook County interested in pursuing a career in healthcare? Applications are currently open for Health & Medicine’s Community High School Summer Health Worker Training Program, scheduled to run from June 17 to July 26. This summer program offers […]
Now accepting applications for Fellows for Life Seed Grants
Apr 5, 2024For the past several years, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program has been able to offer seed grants to Fellows for Life interested in beginning, sustaining, or building on innovative community projects that help underserved Chicago communities. Each year, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program offers seed grants to Fellows for Life interested in beginning, […]
Registration and Sponsorship Open for the Health & Medicine Annual Awards Gala!
Apr 3, 2024Health & Medicine is excited to announce our 2024 Awards Gala at Ignite Glass Studios! Join us on September 12 from 6 – 9 p.m. as we celebrate the winners of our annual awards for Illinois leaders who exemplify Health & Medicine’s mission to build power and momentum for social justice and health equity in Illinois. […]
Kate McCormack, LCSW, Joins Health & Medicine as Illinois ACES Responsive Collaborative Director
Apr 3, 2024Kate joined Health & Medicine in February 2024 and is responsible for leading the Collaborative in its effort to address trauma and ACEs to build resilience, promote healing, and advance equity throughout the state. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, where she […]
Call for Nominations: 2024 Health & Medicine Awards
Apr 1, 2024Nominations are now open for our 2024 Health & Medicine Awards! Join us in honoring the heroes of public health 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 the spirit of Health & Medicine’s commitment to fostering social justice and […]
Join Health & Medicine’s Summer Intern Cohort
Apr 1, 2024Dive into a summer of impact and innovation with Health & Medicine’s Equity Intern Program. We’re on the lookout for passionate individuals ready to kickstart their careers in health policy and immerse themselves in our mission of advancing health equity and dismantling structural inequities. If you’re eager to contribute to meaningful projects, expand your professional […]
Join the Chicago AHEC Speakers Bureau
Apr 1, 2024Are you a health professional looking to inspire the next generation? We’re seeking applicants from a variety of health careers to join our Chicago AHEC Speakers’ Bureau and share your expertise with students. As a member of our Speakers’ Bureau, you’ll have the opportunity to: Inform students about attainable health career paths Motivate and empower […]
Apply to be an AHEC Scholar!
Apr 1, 2024The Chicago Area Health Education (AHEC) is seeking applications to the AHEC Scholars program. This innovative two-year opportunity provides hands-on training, professional development, and immersive experiences. AHEC Scholars receive community-based, experiential, or clinical training in underserved areas, as well as didactic education on topics like Behavioral Health Integration and Social Determinants of Health. The program […]
Public Health Employer Partners Wanted for Good Jobs Challenge
Apr 1, 2024Health and Medicine is seeking employers to partner with Good Jobs Challenge, an equity–focused workforce development initiative that will improve the regional and industry stability in Chicago’s health sector. As the convener of this grant, Health & Medicine is committed to addressing your workforce needs, challenges, and shortages by creating sustainable partnerships with training providers […]
Call for Youth Advisory Council Members
Apr 1, 2024The Youth Pathways Committee is seeking young people from the age of 14-22 to join a Youth Advisory Council. This is a paid leadership opportunity for youth interested in advancing in health careers. Members of the council will have the opportunity to build power with their peers through project planning, outreach and engagement, and event […]
Announcing our 2023 Impact Report
Mar 21, 2024Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is thrilled to share our 2023 Impact Report, a testament to our collective efforts and achievements in steering Illinois toward greater social justice and health equity. This past year has been pivotal for us, marked by a renewed mission that places action and movement–building at the heart of our […]
Reforms to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Permitting Process is Long Overdue
Mar 11, 2024Statement by Health & Medicine’s Policy Director, Wesley Epplin: Recently, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency entered into an agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency to reform permitting processes for heavy industry in Illinois. This move comes in response to a civil rights complaint made by Southeast Side of Chicago residents in response to […]
Mark Your Calendars for the Health & Medicine Annual Awards Gala!
Mar 7, 2024Health & Medicine is excited to announce its 2024 Annual Awards Gala held from 6-9 PM, which will be held on September 12 at Ignite Glass Studios in Chicago. The Gala celebrates the winners of our annual awards for Illinois leaders who exemplify Health & Medicine’s mission to build power and momentum for social justice and […]
Announcing our 2024 Policy Agenda
Mar 4, 2024Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is pleased to release our 2024 Policy Agenda. Our policy priorities are aligned with our core values, our mission to build power and momentum for social justice and health equity in Illinois, and our vision of a society free of social and health inequities so that all people can […]
Policy Director Wesley Epplin delivers testimony on the Cook County Health CEO search
Feb 27, 2024Health & Medicine’s Wesley Epplin, Policy Director and Director of Health Equity, provided testimony today to the Health & Hospitals Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners regarding the Cook County Health CEO position. “In brief, for the Cook County Health CEO position, we need someone committed to social justice and health equity; who […]
Announcing 2024 Spring HiteHass Equity Intern Megan Hite
Feb 16, 2024Health & Medicine is pleased to announce Megan Hite as the 2024 Spring Hite Hass Equity Intern. Megan is studying at DePaul University and is expected to graduate with a master’s in business administration and public health by May 2026. As a certified Community Health Worker, she is focusing her MPH on Community Health […]
What we’re reading: Curated Picks from Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows and Fellows for Life
Feb 15, 2024Health & Medicine is excited to share a curated list of reading recommendations from our Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows and Fellows for Life. This selection, contributed by Fellows Hana Ahmed, Karyn Byrne, Chinasa Imo, Paige Madden, Michelle Soans, Jason Xiao, Julia Kavanagh, and FFL Anne Osuji, spans a variety of genres from suspenseful thrillers to […]
2003-04 Fellow for Life John Galvin Celebrates Two Decades of Youth Vision
Feb 15, 2024In a remarkable journey that began with the support of the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship in 2003-04, Fellow for life John Galvin has nurtured and grown the Early Exposures workshop, a project that has significantly impacted the lives of young Chicagoans through the art of photography. This year, Galvin invites the Schweitzer Fellowship community to […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Program Seeks Sponsorships
Feb 13, 2024Looking for a meaningful way to support the next generation of aspiring health professionals? Consider sponsoring a Named Fellowship at the Health & Medicine’s Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program. For more information about establishing a Named Fellowship, please reach out to Shannon Sweetnam, Director of Development and Communications, ssweetnam@hmprg.org. For 28 years, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program has provided […]
Health & Medicine Seeks Sponsors for 2024 Forum for Justice in Health Policy Series
Feb 8, 2024Partner with us! We invite you to sponsor the 2024 Health & Medicine Forum for Justice in Health Policy series. Since 2014, the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group has convened thousands of individuals at its Forum for Justice in Health Policy series to consider and discuss some of the toughest topics related to […]
Building a Movement for Aging Equity in Illinois: The Journey of Illinois Aging Together
Feb 8, 2024In the landscape of public health and social justice, the Illinois Aging Together campaign stands out as a beacon of progress and commitment to aging equity. Launched in 2021, this campaign marks a significant step forward in ensuring that individuals across Illinois can live and age well, embracing a life course perspective that champions health […]
Illinois Embarks on a Healing-Centered Journey with Task Force Launch
Feb 5, 2024In a significant stride toward fostering a trauma-informed state, the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative, facilitated by Health & Medicine, launched the Healing-Centered Illinois Task Force. This landmark event took place on January 30th, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Governors State University in the Hall of Governors, marking a pivotal advancement in addressing […]
Health & Medicine is pleased to welcome our spring equity interns!
Feb 5, 2024Health & Medicine is proud to introduce our newest cohort of spring equity interns, who bring fresh perspectives and diverse experiences to our ongoing commitment to healthcare equity. Jessica Coffee, MS candidate Jessica Coffee earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a PharmD from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and is currently pursuing […]
A Fond Farewell to Former Board Members
Feb 5, 2024As we turn the page to a new chapter at Health & Medicine, we take a moment to honor and express our deepest gratitude to three remarkable board members who have recently concluded their terms: Sara Lindholm, Heather O’Donnell, and Max Clermont. Their dedication and contributions have been invaluable to our organization, and while they […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes New Board Members
Jan 29, 2024Health & Medicine warmly welcomes Amy Lulich, MHA, Rene D. Luna, Yadira Montaya, MSPH, and Olyvia Phillips, MPH, MBA, to our board of directors. “We are delighted to welcome our four new board members to Health & Medicine’s family. Each of them brings a wealth of experience and a profound commitment to public health, social […]
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 11, 2024“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” —Martin Luther King Jr. As we reflect on the teachings of Dr. King, his words continue to resonate with profound relevance, particularly in the context of the migrant crisis in Chicago and the ongoing struggle for healthcare for all and a just society. His belief in our […]
Health & Medicine presents at Illinois Minority Health Conference
Dec 8, 2023Ronisha Edwards-Elliot, director of Chicago AHEC and workforce programs, presented about the impact of race-blind college admissions and minority health at Illinois State University’s 2023 Illinois Minority Health Conference on December 4 and 5. The conference, “Achieving a Health Illinois by Eliminating Health Disparities,” aimed to raise awareness of health disparities and social justice issues, […]
Get Involved: AHEC Scholars
Dec 4, 2023The Illinois Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network is seeking AHEC Scholars! Apply today to join the Chicago AHEC Scholars, hosted by Health & Medicine. Chicago-area students in health career programs are invited to apply for our enhanced learning program designed to give students in-depth knowledge and a diverse set of skills through a variety […]
Help Us Reach Our Winter Fundraising Goal.
Dec 4, 2023As the festive season draws near, let’s remember that the pursuit of health justice is a year-round commitment. Our journey at Health & Medicine spans over four decades, a testament to our unwavering dedication to equity and justice. Our journey is less about a singular agenda and more about a collective commitment to human dignity […]
Staff Highlight: Matt McClintock
Dec 4, 2023Health & Medicine is pleased to welcome Matt McClintock, who joined in November 2023 as the health workforce systems manager. Coming from a background in music, he has extensive youth development and community outreach experience, where he engaged young people in recruiting for after-school jazz programs, offered mentorship and guidance in college preparation, and helped […]
Schweitzer Fellows’ Retreat Focuses on Wellness and Personal Growth
Dec 4, 2023The 2023-2024 class of Schweitzer Fellows recently gathered for our annual midyear retreat. This gathering served as a time for Fellows to reflect on their progress, learn new coping / wellness practices, and seek guidance on advancing their projects in community with their peers. The day started off with Fellow for Life Padriac Stanley […]
Voices of Diverse Older Persons: Illinois Aging Together’s Roundtable Series Unveils Key Insights for The Aging Equity Act
Dec 4, 2023Illinois Aging Together, a campaign for aging equity in Illinois, held six virtual and in-person roundtable discussions this summer with community groups that represent people not usually represented in aging spaces. The organizations that we worked with were Access Living, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, Pride Action Tank, Hanul Family Alliance, and Telpochcalli Community […]
Health & Medicine’s Policy Director Wesley Epplin Gives Testimony to Chicago’s City Council Committee on the Budget and Government Operations
Oct 19, 2023Health & Medicine Policy Research Group recently presented testimony to the Chicago City Council Committee on the Budget and Government Operations regarding the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget for the Chicago Department of Public Health. In the testimony, Epplin emphasized the importance of increasing corporate funding for the Chicago Department of Public Health in order […]
Opinion: Chicago’s Public Health Department gets alarmingly little funding from the city
Oct 6, 2023“For current public health challenges — including the health equity imperative — and for preparedness for future public health emergencies, all jurisdictions need well-funded, high-functioning health departments. Chicagoans cannot afford for CDPH to continue being underfunded and understaffed. Starting with the 2024 city budget, Johnson and the Chicago City Council should sustain increased local investments […]
How Hospital Leaders are Promoting Trauma-Informed, Healing-Centered Culture Through Restorative Justice
Sep 28, 2023Health & Medicine’s Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative has been proud to work with partners at Rush University Medical Center on numerous trauma-informed efforts, including our Chicagoland Trauma-Informed Hospitals Working Group and Statewide Working Group to Address Childhood Adversity. In a special interview in honor of this past Trauma-Informed Awareness Day, our colleagues at Rush interviewed […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Acclivus, Inc.
Sep 8, 2023Health & Medicine’s Group Award recognizes that the sum of the whole is often greater than the individual parts and 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. Acclivus, […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Ezekiel Richardson, MD
Aug 31, 2023Health & Medicine’s Emerging Leader Award recognizes leaders with fewer than 15 years of experience who are currently involved in community-based work with broadly defined public health implications. Ezekiel Richardson, one of two 2023 recipients, is an emergency medicine physician in the city of Chicago, where he works with multiple organizations to prolong the lives […]
Advancing High Quality Care: Community Health Worker Initiative Releases Year 4 Report
Aug 29, 2023In 2017, Community Memorial Foundation (CMF) and Healthy Communities Foundation (HCF) collaborated to fund models of health care delivery that utilize Community Health Workers (CHWs), thus improving access to care and growing the health care workforce in the western suburbs of Chicago. CMF and HCF funded five organizations with diverse missions and target populations to […]
Letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago City Council: Fully fund the Chicago Department of Health
Aug 29, 2023On August 29, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group submitted a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago City Council calling for more funding for the Chicago Department of Health. Protecting and improving the public’s health requires a fully funded public health system. The expiration of COVID-19 relief dollars threatens the vital public health […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2023 Schweitzer Seed Grant Recipients
Aug 24, 2023Each year, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program offers seed grants to Fellows for Life interested in beginning, sustaining, or building on innovative community projects. Fellows for Life commit to designing, implementing, and reporting on direct service-oriented projects with existing community-based organizations. We are pleased to share our 2023-2024 Seed Grant recipients! Raheem Young, 2015-2015 […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Bonnie Ewald
Aug 23, 2023Health & Medicine’s Emerging Leader Award recognizes leaders with fewer than 15 years of experience who are currently involved in community-based work with broadly defined public health implications. Bonnie Ewald, one of two 2023 recipients, is a dedicated public service professional working at the intersection of health care and social service delivery, health policy, research, […]
Spotlight: Karen and Michael Koronkowski Support Frank J. Indihar, MD Fellowship
Aug 21, 2023Since its inception in 1996, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program has provided a platform for graduate students to design and implement innovative projects that improve the health and well-being of underserved populations throughout Chicago. Individual donors are critical to the program’s sustainability, and we are incredibly grateful to have 5 out of 28 Fellows […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Diana Lemos
Aug 16, 2023Health & Medicine’s 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 while recognizing the multiple determinants of health. This year’s recipient, Diana Lemos, is a passionate advocate for community well-being and social and racial justice, […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Katie Thiede
Aug 9, 2023Health & Medicine’s 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. This year’s recipient, Katie Thiede, is a tireless champion for health equity and access to high-quality reproductive health care. With 20 years of experience at the helm of social […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Jorelle Alexander, DMD, MPH
Aug 2, 2023Health & Medicine’s Medicine Award recognizes an individual whose work in any aspect of health care delivery fosters system or institutional improvements. This year’s recipient, Dr. Jorelle Alexander, is an exceptional leader who prioritizes access to high-quality oral health care for everyone and remains committed to providing direct patient care; designing programs tailored to community […]
Joe Zanoni Receives Honorable Mention for 2023 Alice Hamilton Award for Occupational Safety and Health
Aug 2, 2023Health & Medicine is excited to announce that board member Joe Zanoni has received an honorable mention for the 2023 Alice Hamilton Awards from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Through a service project in the UIC School of Public Health’s Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences program where he serves as faculty, Joe and his team worked on guidance […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Nasir Zakaria
Jul 26, 2023Health & Medicine’s Health Award recognizes an individual working within the health arena with an emphasis on public health and improvements in the health of populations. This year’s recipient, Nasir Zakaria, is a community leader for the Rohingya population and is known nationally and internationally throughout the Rohingya community for establishing the first-of-its-kind Rohingya Culture […]
Meet Our 2023 Award Winners: Healthy Illinois Campaign
Jul 19, 2023Health & Medicine’s Group Award recognizes that the sum of the whole is often greater than the individual parts and 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. The […]
Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our Summer 2023 Ben Squires Equity Intern, Yasmeen Santana!
Jul 13, 2023Yasmeen joined Health & Medicine in June 2023 as a Summer Equity Intern. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and later moved to Texas to work at a federally qualified health center as a patient educator. Her passion for culturally appropriate health education and […]
Meet Our 2023 Health & Medicine Award Winners
Jul 11, 2023Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our 2023 award winners! These Chicago-area leaders exemplify the Health & Medicine mission to build power and momentum for social justice and health equity in Illinois. Help us celebrate the public health champions in our community! Join us for our 2023 Health & Medicine Awards Gala on September […]
Sponsorship and registration open for Health & Medicine’s Annual Awards Gala!
Jul 6, 2023Health & Medicine is excited to announce that sponsorship and registration is now open for its Annual 2023 Awards Gala held from 6-9 PM at on September 20, 2023 at Ignite Glass Studios in Chicago. The Gala celebrates the winners of our annual awards for Illinois leaders who exemplify Health & Medicine’s mission to build […]
Health & Medicine Calls on Gov. Pritzker to Reverse Decision to Deny Medical Care to Immigrants
Jun 27, 2023On Friday, June 16th the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services abruptly announced that enrollment for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program, which provides vital health coverage for Illinois immigrants ages 42-64, will be paused effective July 1. The notice also permits co-pays and reduced reimbursements to hospitals. As a member of […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Announces 2023-2024 Named Fellowship Recipients
Jun 6, 2023Tyler M. Linder, Rush University College of Medicine; Ivana Chmielewski, North Park University School of Nursing; Preetham Kastury, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine; Angela Victoria Olivar, University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry; and Fatima Rasoul, Loyola University School of Social Work were awarded Named Schweitzer Fellowships—distinctions within a year-long service-learning program that […]
Apply for the Youth Community Health Worker Summer 2023 Pathway Program
Jun 2, 2023Are you a resident of the South Suburbs or West Side of Chicago, or more specifically the Austin, Garfield Park, or Lawndale neighborhoods? Are you, or will you be, a rising High School Junior or Senior by June 26, 2023? Then the Chicago Illinois AHEC Network has a perfect opportunity for you – a paid […]
CHW Programs Improve Health Outcomes But Need Sustainable Funding
May 31, 2023Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) and Health & Medicine have released results from a first-ever survey of employers working with Community Health Workers, aimed at mapping the landscape for CHWs across the region. The Cook County Common Indicator Employer Survey showed strong employment of CHWs in the wake of the pandemic, but that Cook County […]
Who gets to work in health care?
May 30, 2023 Written By: Anson TongIn reference to representation in medicine, Dr. LaMenta Conway pointed out, “You cannot be what you cannot see.” Having personally not seen a doctor until age sixteen, and now working on programs that provide educational support and engagement for students interested in health care professions through the I Am Abel Foundation, Dr. Conway is very familiar with the myriad obstacles stopping many from pursuing careers in health care. Primary care in particular suffers from a severe shortage in staff and would benefit from greater diversity.
Defining Primary Care
May 30, 2023 Written By: Anson TongWhat are the intended goals of primary care, and what are the outcomes incentivized in our current system? As the two circles overlap less and less, the necessity of serious reconsideration and restructuring of not just primary care, but the American health care system becomes increasingly evident.
Organizations assisting with Medicaid redetermination need more resources and guidance
May 24, 2023Health & Medicine surveyed IL organizations serving Medicaid populations to identify areas of concern as millions of Illinoisans need to renew their Medicaid or find other coverage.
Speaker Announcements for Trauma-Informed Awareness Day
May 19, 2023Please join the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative on May 25, 2023 day of virtual events focused on community-driven solutions for building a healing-centered future in Illinois. Learn more and register here. We are pleased to announce that Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton will provide a keynote address at this year’s Trauma-Informed Awareness Day opening session. Lieutenant […]
Fellows for Life Seed Grant Application Deadline Extended to May 12th
May 5, 2023Deadline extended! Fellows for Life are invited to submit proposals for seed grants of up to $3,000 to create, sustain, or build upon a year-long project to help improve the health and well-being of an underserved Chicago community. The project should be direct service oriented and should involve an existing community-based organization. The Fellow for […]
Executive Director, Margie Schaps speaks out about under-resourced clinics and “safety net” hospitals
May 3, 2023Margie Schaps was quoted in a recent WBEZ article, “Mental health and medical deserts: the crisis facing Chicago’s next mayor”. Read the article here.
Staff Highlight: Anna Yankelev
Apr 4, 2023Anna Yankelev joined Health & Medicine as Director of Strategic Workforce Initiatives in Jan 2023, motivated by her passion for building a sustainable and equitable public health workforce and determined to form systems and structures to support its development. Anna has been a Chicago resident for seven years, applying her skills in coalition building and […]
Call for Nominations: 2023 Health & Medicine Awards
Mar 31, 2023Nominations are now open for our 2023 Health & Medicine Awards! Help us celebrate the public health champions in our community who transform and improve the lives and well-being of all—both every day and in times of crisis—by nominating an individual or organization who exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to build power and momentum for […]
In Memoriam: Judith Heumann
Mar 6, 2023March 4, 2023, disability rights legend Judith Heumann passed away. Heumann was a leading voice for the rights of disabled persons and a tireless advocate for health care, dignity, social justice, and inclusion for all people. Health & Medicine is proud to honor her legacy passion for our shared vision—a society free of social and health inequities […]
Policy Director Testifies After City Fails to Protect Neighborhoods from Industrial Pollution
Mar 1, 2023On February 23, 2023, Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine’s Policy Director, testified at the Chicago Environmental Justice Network press conference. Environmental Justice advocates joined Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33rd Ward) to call for changes, reform, and oversight in the wake of two reports charging that the City of Chicago fails to protect residents from industrial […]
Challenging Inequities for Transformational Care
Feb 17, 2023Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our 2022 Annual Report! We have spent 41 years advancing social justice and addressing health inequities, protecting and expanding health care access across Illinois by improving health care delivery systems, and shaping policies that address the structural and social determinants of health. Join us in reflecting on our […]
Join the Statewide Movement for Aging Equity
Feb 17, 2023Health & Medicine is building a statewide movement for aging equity, Illinois Aging Together. We are proud to showcase our newest video about this campaign, highlighting aging advocates and older persons throughout the state. Hear firsthand what it’s like to grow older in Illinois and what changes and planning we need to build a state that […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2023 Policy Agenda
Feb 1, 2023Each year, Health & Medicine’s policy priorities shift to adjust to the most pressing public health equity issues. We align these priorities with our core values, our mission to build power and momentum for social justice and health equity in Illinois, and our vision of a society free of social and health inequities so that […]
Trainings on Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice for a Thriving and Equitable Illinois
Jan 20, 2023Trainings on Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice More than 61% of adults in Illinois have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), a potentially traumatic event such as abuse, witnessing violence, and experiencing discrimination, linked to poor health and social outcomes later in life. Community experiences such as gun violence, lack of educational or economic […]
Chicago AHEC Scholars Seeking Up-and-Coming Health Professionals
Jan 16, 2023Apply today for our next cohort of AHEC Scholars! Chicago-area students in health career programs are invited to apply for our enhanced learning program designed to give students in-depth knowledge and a diverse set of skills to ensure success. Health & Medicine’s Chicago Area Health Education Center (Chicago AHEC) is part of the National AHEC Organization (NAO) […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes Spring 2023 Equity Interns
Jan 15, 2023This fall, Health & Medicine welcomes our seventh cohort of interns in our Equity Intern Program: Marissa Jones, Norma Narsa, and Denesha Pruitt. Marissa Jones graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and minor in childhood studies from Case Western Reserve University in 2019. After receiving her degree, she worked at Old Brooklyn Community Development […]
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 12, 2023“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” —Martin Luther King Jr. As I read through hundreds of powerful MLK, Jr. quotes recently, this one stood out as perfect for our times. We are fortunate to live in a state that supports a woman’s right to choose, has expanded […]
Ensuring Equity in Aging: Illinois Aging Together Presents at Annual APHA Conference
Dec 7, 2022In November, Health & Medicine’s Health and Aging Policy Analyst, Brigitte Dietz, presented the oral session, “Ensuring Equity in Aging,” at the American Public Health Association’s 2022 annual conference in Boston. This session was a collaboration featuring our Illinois Aging Together campaign, along with the Center for Health Care Strategies and representatives from the aging […]
Thank You, Fall 2022 Equity Interns!
Dec 7, 2022This fall, Health & Medicine welcomed our seventh cohort of our Equity Intern Program. As their internships come to an end, Nadine, Mayra, and Patrick reflect on their time with Health & Medicine, share their knowledge and experiences, and continue to inspire us with their passion for health equity: “I loved my time with Health […]
Voting is a Public Health Imperative
Nov 2, 2022Voting is a public health imperative. Health & Medicine encourages our supporters, partners, colleagues, family members, and friends to make a plan to vote in the midterm elections on November 8, 2022. The American Public Health Association’s webinar Voting and Health: Why Access to the Ballot Box Matters is a strong statement from America’s leading public health […]
Board Highlight: Karen Aguirre
Oct 31, 2022Karen Aguirre is a proud southside, Chicago-raised, Latinx from Back of the Yards. Her lived experience in growing up in a pre-dominantly Black and Latinx immigrant neighborhood with limited affordable health care access fueled her interest in public health and health care administration. She still resides in the area and maintains her commitment to bringing […]
October Recap: What We’re Reading at Health & Medicine
Oct 31, 2022Each week, Health & Medicine staff gather articles and other readings we find important, helpful, and informative to our work. Read below for a recap of October’s resources: Crain’s Chicago Business: Q&A with Health & Medicine Policy Director Wesley Epplin: Hospitals alone can’t close the equity gap Crain’s Chicago Business: Operating on the Margins: Chicago hospitals commit […]
Mayra Miranda Announced as Fall 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern
Oct 31, 2022Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our Fall 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern, Mayra Miranda! Mayra is a Master of Public Health student at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Community Health Sciences division. Originally from Chicago, she graduated with her BA in Gender and Women Studies from UW-Madison in 2014 and […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes Fall 2022 Equity Interns
Oct 24, 2022This fall, Health & Medicine welcomes our seventh cohort of interns in our Equity Intern Program: Nadine Cabo Chan, Mayra Miranda, and Patrick Ronan! Nadine Cabo Chan is a first-year graduate student in the University of Illinois at Chicago’s joint degree program working towards a Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health. She […]
Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022: Recognizing the Importance of Historical Context to Health Equity
Oct 7, 2022Health & Medicine stands with Indigenous people on October 10th, 2022, in recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. In the United States, Indigenous people represent many different tribes who have experienced the theft of their lands, languages, property, and lives since the arrival of settlers from Europe. Their struggle for justice continues today, often placing them […]
Health & Medicine and Partners Share Updates on CHW Pilot
Sep 7, 2022In 2017, Community Memorial Foundation (CMF) and Healthy Communities Foundation (HCF) collaborated to fund models of health care delivery that utilize Community Health Workers (CHWs), thus improving access to care and growing the health care workforce in the western suburbs of Chicago. CMF and HCF funded five organizations with diverse missions and target populations to […]
Health & Medicine Receives Grant for Economic Growth and Resiliency
Sep 7, 2022Health & Medicine is excited to announce that it is a subrecipient to the EDA’s Good Jobs Challenge (GJC) Grant, led by the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (the Partnership) and World Business Chicago. This grant will support an employer-led, community-driven initiative to promote economic resiliency and growth for Chicago and Cook County. The focus of […]
Meet Our Award Winners: John McKnight
Sep 7, 20222022 Health Visionary Award John McKnight John McKnight co-founded Health & Medicine with Dr. Quentin Young. The two became fast friends and colleagues during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. In 1981, they laid the groundwork for a health policy organization that would uncover and challenge health inequities in Illinois. They envisioned […]
2022-23 Chicago Schweitzer Fellows Fundraise for Health Equity Projects
Sep 7, 2022Each year, Health & Medicine’s Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program provides 28 exceptional students with opportunities to design and implement projects to improve the health and well-being of underserved Chicago communities. Fellows’ projects often address the social determinants of health, and their activities frequently include tutoring, violence prevention, health education, healthy lifestyles promotion, and outreach to […]
Chicago AHEC Launches Interactive Speakers Bureau Directory
Sep 7, 2022Since 2017, the Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Speakers Bureau has linked professionals representing diverse health careers—from nursing and medicine, to public health and psychology—to career seekers to inform, motivate, and empower them to pursue attainable health career goals. Through partnerships with Health & Medicine’s Chicago Schweitzer Fellows for Life program and other networks, […]
Board Highlight: Misty Drake
Sep 7, 2022Learning the value of safety-net providers first-hand as a child patient, Misty Drake has more than 20 years of experience in community health. She is dedicated to improving the safety net system because of its role in improving health care access and outcomes for low-income and other vulnerable communities. Currently, Misty serves as the Vice […]
Meet Our Award Winners: Crystal Pirtle Tyler
Aug 29, 2022Emerging Leader Award Crystal Pirtle Tyler Crystal Pirtle Tyler, Ph.D., M.P.H., brings over 15 years of experience advancing reproductive and maternal health equity. As the Chief Health Officer at Rhia Ventures, she translates the needs of the women and birthing people most affected by systemic inequity into programming that fosters equitable reproductive health products and […]
Meet Our Award Winners: Michael Alebich
Aug 23, 2022Emerging Leader Award Michael Alebich Michael Alebich, D.O., F.A.C.P., has dedicated his professional career to patients with substance use disorders by standardizing their alcohol withdrawal treatment protocols and expanding their access to inpatient medications for addiction treatment. As a graduate of Benedictine University and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, he was trained in internal […]
Meet Our Award Winners: Sharon D. Gates
Aug 17, 2022Lifetime Achievement Award Sharon D. Gates Sharon Gates, D.S.W., is a Chicago-based leader in the nonprofit sector. She has been a longtime employee of the Rush University Medical Center where she works in both the academic and corporate wings of the hospital’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) department. Dr. Gates has focused her career on […]
Meet Our Award Winners: Sista Yaa Simpson
Aug 10, 2022Lifetime Achievement Award Sista Yaa Simpson Yaa Simpson (Sista Yaa), M.P.H., is a veteran, advocate, and community epidemiologist for The Association of Clinical Trial Services (TACTS) and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). TACTS is a Black, women-led, and veteran-owned business that is the only one of its kind in Illinois. “I’m standing on […]
Chicago AHEC Announces New Cohort of Scholars
Aug 4, 2022The Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) at Health & Medicine is delighted to announce our new cohort of AHEC Scholars! This year we welcome 12 scholars who are pursuing a wide range of health professions from educational institutions across Chicago. Our scholars will join us for 2 years to receive a mix of enhanced […]
July Recap: What We’re Reading at Health & Medicine
Aug 4, 2022Each month, Health & Medicine staff gather articles and other readings we find important, helpful, and informative to our work. Read below for a recap of July’s resources: WBEZ Chicago: From police raids to reproductive justice, abortion history in Illinois is long and bumpy Chicago Tribune: Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls special legislative session on reproductive rights as […]
Staff Highlight: Anaga Dalal
Aug 4, 2022Anaga came to Health & Medicine in May 2022 after spending most of her working life in New York where she was most recently with MDRC, a social policy research organization. Previously, she worked at a range of nongovernmental and media organizations that include the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Coalition for the International Criminal […]
Meet Our Award Winners: Anne C. Evens
Aug 2, 2022Lifetime Achievement Award Anne C. Evens Anne Evens, M.Sc., Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of Elevate, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago. Elevate works to promote universal access to clean, healthy, safe, and affordable heat, power, and water for people in their homes and communities — no matter who they are, or where they […]
Meet Our Award Winners: The Night Ministry
Jul 27, 2022Group Award The Night Ministry The Night Ministry is a Chicago-based organization that provides human connection, housing support, and health care to members of the local community who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. With an open heart, they compassionately accept each individual as they are and work alongside them to advocate for their immediate physical, […]
Meet Our Award Winners: CROWD at Sinai Urban Health Institute
Jul 19, 2022Group Award CROWD at Sinai Urban Health Institute Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) is a leader in the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative approaches to improving population health management. For 22 years, SUHI’s health interventions have utilized the community health worker (CHW) model, showing positive health and financial outcomes. The Center for CHW Research, […]
Organizations Leading the Fights for Sensible Gun Laws and Abortion Access
Jul 8, 2022Health & Medicine promises to speak out at every opportunity we have, to provide resources that can help others stay informed and engaged, and to continue to seek ways to link with organizations leading in the fights for sensible gun laws and access to abortion. While not exhaustive, here is a list of organizations you […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Jul 6, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Staff Highlight: Karol Dean
Jul 5, 2022Karol joined Health & Medicine as Director of the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program in June 2022, driven by a passion to nurture a community service orientation among evolving health and human service professionals. “The Schweitzer Fellowship draws graduate student activists into the ongoing struggle for public health equity, Karol says. “The innovation, adaptability, and […]
Meet Our 2022 Health & Medicine Award Winners
Jul 5, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is pleased to announce the winners of our annual awards for Chicago-area leaders who exemplify the Health & Medicine mission to promote social justice and advance equity in health care. Join us at our 2022 Health & Medicine Awards Gala on September 29 for an awards ceremony recognizing these public […]
Health & Medicine Statement on Roe Reversal
Jun 24, 2022We are heartbroken that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will further endanger the health and safety of millions of people in Illinois and the United States, especially in lower-income communities and communities of color. Health & Medicine affirms its commitment to advocate for the the right to compassionate, equitable, accessible health […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2022 Schweitzer Seed Grant Recipients
Jun 20, 2022Each year, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program offers seed grants to Fellows for Life interested in beginning, sustaining, or building on innovative community projects. Fellows for Life commit to designing, implementing, and reporting on direct service-oriented projects with existing community-based organizations. We are pleased to share our 2022-2023 Seed Grant recipients! François Blumenfeld-Kouchner, 2010-2011 […]
Commemorating Juneteenth with a Renewed Call to Action
Jun 17, 2022We the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one. –Amanda Gorman Health & Medicine joins fellow Illinoisans and all Americans to mark June 19th, or Juneteenth, as a day […]
Health & Medicine Announces Comprehensive Resource Guide
Jun 16, 2022Over the past 40 years, Health & Medicine has created a large body of research and resources, which is accessible through our Resource Library. We recently curated what we feel are the most useful documents and organized them by our main program, policy, and research areas: Center for Long-Term Care Reform, Center for Public Health […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Jun 10, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes Summer 2022 Equity Interns
Jun 5, 2022This summer, Health & Medicine welcomes our sixth cohort of interns in our Equity Intern Program: Mehwish Ali, Anuj Jain, and Mayra Miranda! Mehwish Ali, Summer 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern, is currently enrolled as a Master of Public Health student at Benedictine University in the divisions of Epidemiology and Health Management and Policy. She graduated from […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Announces 2022-2023 Named Fellowship Recipients
Jun 1, 2022Amy De La Torre, University of Illinois School of Medicine; Brice Jones, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine; Niam Vora, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy; Austin Hwang, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; and Isaiah Brown, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine were awarded Named Schweitzer Fellowships—distinctions within a year-long service-learning program […]
Health & Medicine Launches Summer Friends Fundraising Campaign
Jun 1, 2022Health & Medicine has spent the past 40 years fighting to protect and expand healthcare access and improve systems and policy so that equity is no longer a dream, but a reality. As we enter the summer months ahead, we need your help to counteract restrictive policies and to promote ones that will lead to […]
Mehwish Ali Announced as Summer 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern
Jun 1, 2022Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our Summer 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern, Mehwish Ali. Mehwish is currently enrolled as a Masters of Public Health student at Benedictine University in the divisions of Epidemiology and Health Management and Policy. She graduated from Loyola University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Biology. […]
May Recap: What We’re Reading at Health & Medicine
May 31, 2022Each week, Health & Medicine staff gather articles and other readings we find important, helpful, and informative to our work. Read below for a recap of May’s resources: Week of 4/29 WBEZ Chicago: Life expectancy of Chicagoans dropped by two years during the first year of the pandemic Healthy System Tracker: COVID-19 mortality preventable by vaccines Chicago […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
May 31, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes 2022-2023 Schweitzer Fellows
May 26, 2022Twenty-eight passionate health professions graduate students have been selected for the distinguished Schweitzer Fellowship, a year-long service-learning program that helps Fellows design and implement innovative projects that help address the health needs of underserved Chicago communities. Named in honor of famed humanitarian and Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program encourages […]
Health & Medicine Statement on Buffalo Shooting
May 24, 2022On May 14, 2022, the nation bore witness to a mass shooting by a white supremacist who was targeting Black community members in Buffalo, NY. In minutes, ten innocent Black people lost their lives. The traumatic impact of this racist attack has rippled across the country. The most acute effect is rooted in the deeply […]
Construyendo Hacia el Impacto: Aprendizajes del Tercer Año del Piloto de Promotores de Salud en los Suburbios del Condado de Cook
May 20, 2022La Historia de Una Promotora de Salud En su México natal, Yudy Galván era médica y, en ese rol, comenzó a cultivar su amor por involucrarse y ayudar a su comunidad a llevar una vida saludable. Yudy es una promotora de salud y supervisora en el Centro Médico Alivio, una de las organizaciones originales en […]
Building Toward Impact: Year 3 Learnings of Community Health Worker Pilot in Suburban Cook County
May 19, 2022One CHW’s Story In her native Mexico, Yudy Galvan was a physician, and in that role, she began to cultivate her love for engaging and helping her community lead healthy lives. Yudy is a community health worker (CHW) and CHW supervisor at Alivio Medical Center, one of the original organizations in the three-year CHW Pilot […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
May 17, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Health & Medicine Executive Director Margie Schaps Denounces Roe Reversal
May 5, 2022On the evening of May 2nd, women in America confronted the stark and traumatizing reality that — for the first time in a half century — we are likely to lose our federal right to a safe and legal abortion. A leaked draft opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who was speaking for […]
Board Highlight: Sara Lindholm
May 4, 2022Before retiring in 2013, board member Sara Lindholm worked for 40 years as an affordable housing developer. Sara began her work at City Lands Corporation, the development affiliate of the South Shore Bank of Chicago, where she served as President and then Chairman of City Lands Corporation for twelve years. She then moved on to […]
Staff Highlight: Mayra Diaz
May 2, 2022Mayra is a Policy Analyst who joined Health & Medicine’s Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative in February of 2022. At Health & Medicine, she plays a critical role in supporting institutions across Illinois, helping them integrate trauma-informed and healing-centered frameworks into their policies and practices. Mayra obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Celebrates Class of 2021-2022
May 2, 2022Each year, we gather to celebrate the tremendous work of our graduating Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows. We were thrilled to present our 25th class of Schweitzer Fellows — our second class to complete the Fellowship completely during the time of COVID-19 — at our Celebration of Service. Our 2021-2022 Fellows’ creativity, flexibility, and deep commitment to service […]
April Recap: What We’re Reading at Health & Medicine
May 2, 2022Each week, Health & Medicine staff gather articles and other readings we find important, helpful, and informative to our work. Read below for a recap of April’s resources: Week of 3/25 Chicago Tribune: Illinois’ new health care program for undocumented seniors leaves some of the most vulnerable behind NPR: Better air in classrooms matters beyond COVID. Here’s […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Apr 21, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Announces 2022-2023 Frank J. Indihar, MD Fellowship
Apr 5, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program are pleased to announce the Frank J. Indihar, MD Schweitzer Fellowship. The Fellowship—named in honor of Frank Indihar, MD, whose grandniece, Kelly Moore (née Koronkowski), was a 2020-2021 Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellow—was established to provide mentorship and support for those looking to […]
Call for Nominations: 2022 Health & Medicine Policy Research Group Awards
Mar 31, 2022Nominations are now open for our 2022 Health & Medicine Awards. Help us celebrate the public health champions in our community who transform and improve the lives and well-being of all, both every day and in times of crisis, by nominating an individual or organization in our community who exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to […]
March Recap: What We’re Reading at Health & Medicine
Mar 31, 2022Each week, Health & Medicine staff gather articles and other readings we find important, helpful, and informative to our work. Read below for a recap of March’s resources: Week of 2/28 Brookings: The pandemic showed why social and structural determinants of health matter. Now it’s time for policymakers to act Kaiser Health News: The Demise of Single-Payer […]
Board Highlight: Tom Wilson
Mar 31, 2022Tom’s connection to Health & Medicine began in the early 90s when he worked alongside Quentin Young on the Campaign for Better Health Care (CBHC). As the two staunchest defenders of universal single payer health care on that board, the pair resigned together when CBHC surrendered this as a primary goal, but their work together […]
Staff Highlight: Sara Wright-Pupo
Mar 31, 2022Sara joined Health & Medicine in 2022 as a member of the Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) team. As the AHEC Program Coordinator, she supports initiatives to recruit and retain a diverse health workforce. Sara was drawn to Health & Medicine because she knew that she wanted to directly serve Chicago communities by ensuring […]
Honoring the Life of Dr. Paul Farmer (1959-2022)
Mar 30, 2022Written by Ange Uwimana, 2021-2022 Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellow On February 21 at 8:26 a.m., I received some of the worst news of my life. A friend of mine from Rwanda sent me a text via WhatsApp saying: “Sorry for your loss, just heard about Paul Farmer’s passing.” I was sitting in the Edelstone Lounge of […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Mar 29, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
What We’re Reading: Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program
Mar 24, 2022Each year, we ask our Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows for their top book recommendations. From page-turning novels, to eye-opening essay collections, to comprehensive examinations of history and public health, we are thrilled to share this year’s list! Preview recommendations from the Class of 2022 (our 25th class of Fellows!) below, and read the full list […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Opens 2022 Seed Grant Application
Mar 16, 2022For the past several years, the Chicago Schweitzer Fellows Program offered seed grants to Fellows for Life interested in beginning, sustaining and/or building on innovative community projects that help underserved Chicago communities. We are pleased to continue this offer and invite Fellows for Life to apply for a 2022 Seed Grant. Schweitzer Fellows for Life […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Mar 16, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Health & Medicine Launches Spring Monthly Donation Challenge
Mar 14, 2022We are pleased to announce the launch of our Spring Monthly Donation Challenge! Donate $10 or more through Health & Medicine’s Monthly Giving Club to receive a coupon code for one FREE item from our Health & Medicine store. (Shipping not included.) Our Monthly Giving Club is a special group of donors who support Health […]
Health & Medicine’s Birth Center Task Force Renews Advocacy for Birth Center Expansion and Becomes Fiscal Sponsor to Support Chicago Southside Birth Center
Mar 8, 2022Health & Medicine is proud of the role we have played in advocating for birth center* expansion and is pleased to announce our role supporting the development of a new birth center on Chicago’s south side. Throughout 2021, the Task Force was actively involved in renewed efforts to expand the availability of birth centers in […]
Staff Highlight: Shajaya Martinez
Mar 3, 2022Shajaya Martinez joined Health & Medicine in January 2022 – joining the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship team as it wraps up its 25th anniversary and prepares to welcome a new class of Fellows. Providing administrative support and coordinating aspects of the Schweitzer Fellowship and Fellows for Life Program, Shajaya works closely with Program Director Maya […]
Board Highlight: Kai Tao
Mar 3, 2022A board member since 2015, Kai Tao, ND, MPH, CNM, has experience in health policy, programs, and clinical operations. Her experience spans a wide variety of reproductive advocacy and on the ground efforts, from opening a birth center in Phoenix to starting affordable vasectomy services for Illinoisans. Given Health & Medicine’s longstanding advocacy for freestanding […]
Lessons from the Frontlines: The Evolving Role of Community Health Workers
Mar 2, 2022As the Community Health Worker (CHW) Pilot Project in West Suburban Cook County continues into its fourth year, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and Sinai Urban Health Institute are pleased to release the pilot’s Year 3 Evaluation Report. We are thrilled to share the results of the tireless work of the CHWs and the […]
APHA Community Health Worker Section: Quarterly Newsletter
Mar 1, 2022The Community Health Worker Initiative in West Suburban Cook County, Illinois is expanding beyond its three-year pilot stage at a pivotal moment for the development of CHW legislation and workforce in the State of Illinois. Designed as a learning collaborative, the West Suburban Cook County CHW Initiative is the first of its kind in the […]
Permit Denied: Southeast Side Community Organizers Win Environmental Justice Fight
Feb 25, 2022Following years of pressure from Southeast Side community members, last Friday, February 18, the Chicago Department of Public Health denied the permit for Southside Recycling, formerly known as General Iron, to operate on the Southeast Side. Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County congratulate the Southeast Side community members […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Feb 24, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2021 Annual Report, Hope for Public Health in Illinois
Feb 18, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is pleased to announce our 2021 Annual Report, Hope for Public Health in Illinois. The report offers a comprehensive view of our work by program area, celebrates our 40th anniversary, and highlights significant achievements and milestones throughout our history. The report recognizes our 2021 Health & Medicine Award Winners, […]
Chicago AHEC Announces Sponsorship Opportunity for 2022 Black Men in White Coats Summit
Feb 7, 2022Health & Medicine and the Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) are pleased to announce that we are accepting sponsorships for our Black Men in White Coats Summit, to be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at Malcolm X College in Chicago. Established in 2013, the Black Men in White Coats campaign aims to increase […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Feb 7, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans live, work, play, and age across the life course. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes Spring 2022 Equity Interns
Feb 4, 2022This spring, Health & Medicine welcomes our fifth cohort of interns in our Equity Intern Program. Courtney L. Savage Hoggard continues her work from Fall 2021, while Sabrina Uddin and Stephanie Robinson, our Spring 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern, join the team. In 2019, Courtney L. Savage Hoggard received a Bachelor of Arts in Health […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2022 Spring Ben Squires Equity Intern
Feb 4, 2022Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our Spring 2022 Ben Squires Equity Intern, Stephanie Robinson. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan. Most recently, she worked as a Research Evaluator for the Prenatal Stress Study at Michigan Medicine, helping to research the effects of prenatal […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Announces Named Fellowship Sponsorships Available for 2022-2023 Class
Feb 1, 2022Looking for a meaningful way to support the next generation of aspiring health professionals? Consider sponsoring a Named Fellowship at the Health & Medicine’s Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program. For 25 years, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program has provided a platform for graduate students to design and implement innovative projects that improve the health […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2022 Policy Agenda for Health Equity in Illinois
Jan 31, 2022On Monday, January 31st, Health & Medicine released our 2022 Policy Agenda for Health Equity in Illinois. Each year, Health & Medicine’s policy priorities shift to adjust to the most pressing public health equity issues that we feel we are best equipped to address, yet one thing remains constant: our commitment to align these priorities […]
What We’re Reading at the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together
Jan 24, 2022Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and Illinois Aging Together campaign are dedicated to advancing policies and structures that improve the conditions in which Illinoisans of all ages live, work, play, and age. Through our work, it is crucial for us to stay abreast of current events, developments, and stories […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes New Deputy Director
Jan 18, 2022On Tuesday, January 18, Health & Medicine welcomed Gita Krishnaswamy as Deputy Director. Gita is responsible for the oversight of day-to-day operations, working with program directors and staff to ensure alignment with our mission and vision. In addition, she will manage implementation of a new strategic plan and closely support Executive Director Margie Schaps. “In […]
Health & Medicine Honors Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 14, 2022“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by human beings for breaking down injustice.” On January 17, 2022, Health & Medicine’s office will be closed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national day of service that allows us to honor and reflect on the life, legacy, and dreams of Dr. […]
Save the Date: Black Men in White Coats Summit
Dec 16, 2021On Saturday, June 4, 2022 the Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) at Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will host its second Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit at Malcolm X College in Chicago. The summit will bring together 500 students, parents, educators, clinicians, and community leaders to inspire youth to consider careers […]
Health & Medicine Seeks Sponsorship for 2022 Forum for Justice in Health Policy Series
Dec 16, 2021Health & Medicine is currently seeking sponsors at a variety of levels for its 2022 Forum for Justice in Health Policy series. Since 2014, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group has hosted the Forum for Justice in Health Policy series to convene people to think about and discuss some of the toughest topics around public […]
Founding Board Members Lon Berkeley and Mike Gelder Share What Health & Medicine’s Working Board is All About
Dec 16, 2021When Lon Berkeley and Michael Gelder were invited by founders Quentin Young and John McKnight to serve on Health & Medicine’s inaugural Board of Directors in 1981, they were simply excited to work alongside other progressive health activists to address a broad range of unmet public health issues through in-depth policy research, follow-up advocacy, and […]
Learn About Illinois Aging Together: A Statewide Movement for Aging Equity
Dec 14, 2021Illinois Aging Together is a statewide movement for aging equity. A campaign of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, Illinois Aging Together is growing support from individuals and organizations across the state and across sectors for aging equity. With collective action, we will advance these goals: Develop and advance a coordinated policy and advocacy agenda for […]
Health & Medicine Launches Our Annual Winter Friends Fundraising Campaign
Dec 10, 2021During this season of giving, Health & Medicine asks friends and collaborators to consider making a gift to support our work building a more compassionate, diverse public health workforce. New and increased donations to our winter fundraising campaign will be matched by a challenge grant, doubling each gift’s impact. Donate today to help us reach […]
Workforce Policy Analyst Testifies Before Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Health Equity and Quality Subcommittee
Dec 9, 2021On Wednesday, December 8th, Angela Eastlund, Workforce Policy Analyst, testified before the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Health Equity and Quality Subcommittee in support of advancing the Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce through voluntary certification and Medicaid reimbursement strategies. Below is a portion of the testimony, which you can read in full here. […]
Health & Medicine Raises $2,700 on Giving Tuesday for Our Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program
Dec 4, 2021Your generosity helped us raise more than $2,700 in one day. Thanks to all of those who participated in our Giving Tuesday campaign on November 30, 2021. Giving Tuesday is an international day of giving, and this year we jumped on board in an effort to raise funds to support our Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows […]
Policy Director Testifies at Press Conference Demanding Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady Deny the Permit to General Iron
Dec 3, 2021On Thursday, December 2nd, the Southeast Environmental Task Force held a press conference demanding that Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner of the CDPH, deny the permit to General Iron. Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director, testified as part of the leadership team for the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County which […]
In Memoriam: Martha Holstein, Health & Medicine Board Member & Consultant Since 1996
Nov 30, 2021Martha Holstein, long time board member, consultant, and friend to many passed away on November 24, 2021. As a feminist ethicist with a primary focus on women as they age, Martha took any chance she could to point out the income and support disparities faced by aging women–particularly women of color–and the need for a […]
Health & Medicine’s Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative Invites You to Kickstart Your Trauma-Informed Transformation
Nov 18, 2021Preventing childhood adversity, building resilience, and promoting healing from trauma throughout life have always been critical to Illinois’ future, and these issues have taken on new urgency as the state addresses the immediate and long-term impacts of COVID-19 and confronts the historical and contemporary oppressions of racism and discrimination. Whether you are a healthcare professional, […]
Health & Medicine Releases Report About Creating a Universal Newborn Support System in Illinois
Nov 5, 2021The time has never been better for exploration of the possibilities for expanding the Universal Newborn Support System (UNSS) model in Illinois. A group of early childhood and maternal and child health advocates, supported by Health & Medicine, McAlpine Consulting for Growth, and Conlon Public Strategies, has studied and developed recommendations as to how such […]
Chicago needs the ‘just cause for eviction’ ordinance
Nov 5, 2021Crain’s Chicago Business piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director. It’s a policy that can reduce evictions, housing instability, homelessness, community displacement, health inequities, and racial and class disparities in Chicago—and the City Council should adopt it now. Read the full piece here.
Health & Medicine Celebrates 40 Years at 2021 Awards Gala
Oct 25, 2021On Thursday, September 30th, Health & Medicine hosted our 40th Anniversary Awards Gala at Ignite Glass Studios. We were thrilled to welcome over 150 in-person guests and 200 virtual guests for a beautiful night celebrating health justice leaders in Chicago, enjoying good food, dancing to music, and connecting with those committed to working towards health […]
Health & Medicine Releases Video Celebrating 40 Years Advancing Health Equity
Oct 14, 20212021 marks a significant milestone for Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. Health & Medicine was founded 40 years ago on July 23, 1981. That’s when 15 scrappy health advocates came together with the lofty goals of creating policy and systems that would improve the health of all Illinoisans by addressing past and present systemic […]
Health & Medicine Observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2021
Oct 8, 2021On October 11th, 2021, for the fourth time in the organization’s history, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Indigenous Peoples of America continue to show strength and resilience in the face of adversity and injustice. They are made up of many different tribes with rich cultures and histories […]
New Research Points to Opportunities for Preventing and Mitigating the Harmful Impacts of Childhood Adversity Among CPS High School Students
Oct 5, 2021The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative (The Collaborative), a program of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, released a brief today on recently published research relying on an existing youth survey to raise awareness about the connection between childhood experiences and health and well-being among Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school students. Childhood experiences, both positive […]
Policy Director Testifies in Favor of Just Cause for Evictions at City of Chicago Subject Matter Hearing
Sep 23, 2021On Friday, September 17, Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine’s Policy Director, testified in favor of the Just Cause for Evictions ordinance during a subject matter hearing held by the Housing and Real Estate Committee of Chicago’s City Council. Epplin was called to testify on behalf of Health & Medicine about the Just Cause for Evictions […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes Fall 2021 Equity Interns
Sep 22, 2021Health & Medicine is glad to welcome our fourth cohort of Equity Interns, Courtney L. Savage Hoggard, Khushbu Shah, and Rachel Donaldson. Courtney is a 2019 graduate of Brown University, where the former student-athlete received a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Biology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. While at Brown, Courtney researched […]
Illinois Aging Together Launches Campaign for Aging Plan to Support Older Persons
Sep 16, 2021Illinois Aging Together is publicly launching its statewide movement for aging equity. The group is campaigning for a strategic action plan for aging, which it hopes to accomplish through state legislation. As Illinois’s population becomes older, there is a significant and growing need––and opportunity––to create a long-term vision for aging in Illinois. Illinois’s population has […]
Health & Medicine’s Position on Vaccine Mandates
Sep 10, 2021Many of our team are engaged with the important work of the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership and other city, county, and state COVID-19 related taskforces. We’re pleased to see many organizations coming out for vaccine mandates and want to clearly state our support for mandates, with very limited exceptions. We believe vaccines are our only way out of […]
Health & Medicine Speaks Out About the Texas Abortion Law
Sep 10, 2021SB8, the Texas law just passed and left in place by our partisan Supreme Court, not only violates abortion precedents, but also attempts to shield illegal statutes from the courts. This law is dangerous to our democracy and dangerous to public health. At least seven other states are reportedly looking to mimic the Texas law, […]
2021-22 Chicago Schweitzer Fellows Fundraise for Health Equity Projects
Sep 9, 2021Our 2021-22 Schweitzer Fellows have created short videos explaining their innovative public service projects that promote health equity in Chicago’s underserved communities and their wish lists of supplies and resources that will help them realize their service project goals. View the videos below and visit the Fellows’ fundraising pages here to learn more and support […]
Students Prepare for Health Careers in Medically Underserved Communities
Aug 13, 2021Students interested in health careers gathered with public health professionals on August 14-15, 2021 to learn, teach, network, and discuss best practices for improving health in and with marginalized communities across Illinois. Co-convened by three urban administrators of Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) — Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) for Northeast Illinois AHEC, […]
New Study Examines COVID-19 in Cook County Nursing Homes
Aug 6, 2021A new study looking at factors that contributed to increased COVID-19 infection and deaths among older adults in nursing home facilities found that facilities with poor Medicare quality ratings were associated with increased COVID-19 cases and deaths. The study was led by founding Health & Medicine Board member Michael Gelder. It is well known that […]
Meet Our 2021 Health & Medicine Awards Winners
Jul 16, 2021We’re pleased to announce the recipients of our 2021 Health & Medicine Awards representing Chicago-area leaders whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. This year, to celebrate our 40 years of advancing health equity, we are honoring public health champions with over 40 […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Announces 2021-22 Named Fellowship Recipients
Jun 30, 2021Paige-Ashley Campbell, a medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine; Ivy Hernandez Delgado, a Master’s in Social Service Administration student at the University of Chicago; and Karen Montes, a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing, were awarded Named Schweitzer Fellowships—distinctions within a year-long service-learning program that helps […]
Updates on the #DenyThePermit / #StopGeneralIron Campaign
Jun 23, 2021Health & Medicine would like to share an update on the #StopGeneralIron Campaign we have been supporting and rallying health and social justice workers and organizations to support alongside the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County. On Friday, May 7th, 2021, the City’s review of the permit application was put on hold, at least until […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes 2021-22 Schweitzer Fellows
Jun 23, 2021Twenty-eight passionate health professions graduate students have been selected for the distinguished Schweitzer Fellowship, a year-long service-learning program that helps Fellows design and implement innovative projects that help address the health needs of underserved Chicago communities. Named in honor of famed humanitarian and Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program encourages […]
Health & Medicine Honors Juneteenth
Jun 17, 2021“You can’t separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” – Malcolm X, Human Rights Activist and Minister On June 19, 2021, Health & Medicine will be honoring Juneteenth, a day regarded as the oldest national celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States. This […]
Now Hiring: Deputy Director
Jun 1, 2021Job Title: Deputy Director Supervised by: Executive Director Supervises: Director, Workforce Programs; Director, IL ACEs Response Collaborative; Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Director Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Salaried Organization Summary Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG) began in 1981 as an independent, non-profit health policy, research and advocacy center in Chicago working to improve the […]
Trusted Messengers: Year 2 Learnings of Community Health Worker Pilot in Suburban Cook County
May 26, 2021Read the Community Health Worker Pilot Year 2 Outcomes Report here! As the pilot program continues into its third year, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (program coordinator) and Sinai Urban Health Institute (lead evaluator) recently released the pilot’s Year 2 Outcomes report. The report summarizes the learnings and outcomes of the pilot during a […]
Health & Medicine Invites Constituents Across the State to Help Build a More Trauma-Informed Illinois
May 24, 2021The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative (The Collaborative), a program of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, invited both the public and the press to join its virtual event, Building a More Resilient and Just Illinois. Held in conjunction with the third annual Trauma-Informed Awareness Day in Illinois, the event highlighted leaders in Illinois who champion […]
Infographic—American Rescue Plan Funding Opportunities
May 13, 2021On March 25, 2021, the Biden-Harris administration announced a series of public health actions to expand access to vaccines to vulnerable populations through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Below you will find a snapshot of the most recent funding opportunities that are open to eligible applicants.
Why Lightfoot and her public health chief should deny this permit
May 6, 2021Crain’s Chicago Business piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director; Olga Bautista; and Linda Rae Murray, Health & Medicine Board Member. The proposed move of metal shredder General Iron from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side is a textbook case of environmental racism. It has to stop. Read the full piece here.
Health & Medicine Welcomes Max Clermont and Chloe Gurin-Sands to Our Board
Apr 27, 2021Health & Medicine is excited to welcome Max Clermont, MPH, and Chloe Gurin-Sands, MPH, to our Board of Directors. Max Clermont, MPH, Senior Project Lead with Partners In Health, has engaged with Health & Medicine through his management of the Vaccine Corps Partnership, a collaboration of multiple stakeholders from across the Chicagoland community dedicated to […]
Health & Medicine Releases Statement on Killing of Adam Toledo
Apr 20, 2021I just came home from another protest and march against police violence. This one, of course, in response to the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo just a few days ago. The march was, on one hand, inspiring. So many people, every generation, every race and ethnic group, all masked, carrying their homemade posters, chanting together […]
Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program: Celebrating 25 Years of Social Justice in Action
Apr 19, 2021In 2021, we are celebrating our 25th year of the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program at Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. In our 25 years, we’ve worked with over 670 graduate students in the Chicago area, students who have gone on to be the public health, equity, and justice-oriented nurses, physicians, social workers, optometrists, […]
Health & Medicine Celebrates 40 Years Advancing Health Equity and 25 Years of Social Justice in Action
Apr 1, 20212021 marks two significant milestones for Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. Health & Medicine was founded 40 years ago on July 23, 1981. That’s when 15 scrappy health advocates came together with the lofty goals of creating policy and systems that would improve the health of all Illinoisans by addressing past and present systemic […]
Public Health Leaders Demand Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady Deny the Permit to General Iron
Mar 8, 2021Over 500 public health and healthcare workers, students, community activists, and over 70 local and national organizations signed a letter demanding that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Allison Arwady deny the permit to relocate the General Iron/Reserve Management Group (RMG) scrap metal recycling facility to the Southeast Side of Chicago. In the open letter […]
Chicago AHEC Hosts Black Men in White Coats Screening for CPS Students & Teachers
Mar 3, 2021On Friday, March 5th, the Chicago Area Health Education Center (Chicago AHEC) hosted a virtual screening of the Black Men in White Coats documentary for Chicago Public School (CPS) students and teachers with special guest Dr. LaMenta “Sweetie” Conway, CEO, I Am Abel Foundation. Black Men in White Coats (BMWC) is an organization created by […]
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan 15, 2021“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” – Martin Luther King, Jr. As I read through hundreds of powerful MLK Jr. quotes recently, this one stood out to me as perfect for our times. This sentiment is true always, but right now, this moment demands that we speak […]
Patient Community Advisory Committee Publishes Final Report for Elevating the Patient Voice in Research
Jan 14, 2021In summer 2019, a Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award for Conference Support was awarded to the CAPriCORN Patient Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) and Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. The grant enabled PCAC and Health & Medicine to plan and implement the “Elevating the Patient Voice in Research” project, which was designed to increase patient […]
Health & Medicine’s Statement on the Violence in the Capitol
Jan 7, 2021If you’re like me, you’re exhausted, appalled and saddened by the events of yesterday and the insurrection mounted by Trump supporters as they followed his instructions and sieged the Capitol. What we witnessed yesterday none of us have seen in our lifetimes. But this white supremacist insurrection sadly shouldn’t be surprising to us. In fact, we have seen similar rage mounted against Black people, immigrants, women and native populations since the founding of our country.
Now Hiring: Health and Aging Policy Organizer
Jan 1, 2021Job Title: Health and Aging Policy Organizer Supervised by: Director, Center for Public Health Equity Supervises: N/A Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Salaried Organization Summary Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG) began in 1981 as an independent, non-profit health policy and advocacy center in Chicago working to improve the health of all people in Illinois by […]
Health & Medicine Announces 2021 Policy and Governance Priorities
Dec 15, 2020Download the 2021 Policy and Governance Priorities here! Health & Medicine’s policy priorities advance our core values and mission of health equity through research, education, advocacy, and collaborative action. We support communities by seeking redress of root causes of health inequities, focusing on policy, governance, and practice changes at the structural level. Our work is […]
If You Can, Stay Home To Save Lives From COVID-19
Nov 24, 2020With COVID-19 spreading out of control in our communities, we are sharing some sites we consider to be providing the best and clearest information. We hope some of this will be useful to you and help you and those you care about to stay safe and healthy. Please stay home to help save lives. Given […]
Now Hiring: Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce
Nov 17, 2020Job Title: Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Supervised by: Director, Workforce Programs Supervises: N/A Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Temporary, Salaried Organization Summary Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (Health & Medicine) is an independent non-profit health policy and advocacy center in Chicago working to improve the health of all people in Illinois by promoting health equity. Health […]
Now Hiring: Consultant, Center for Public Health Equity
Nov 7, 2020Health & Medicine is seeking a consultant to support policy engagement and research focused on healthcare reform and safety net work. Consultant will provide convening, research, and administrative support on health reform and health safety net policy and planning efforts. Consultant reports to the Director of the Center for Public Health Equity. This is a temporary, 4-month position.
Americans Deserve Time and Equal Opportunity to Vote
Nov 2, 2020At Health & Medicine, we support the growing movement to make Election Day a national holiday. One of the most common barriers to voting cited is the demands of work and life. Making Election Day a national holiday makes it easier for those who otherwise would not be able to take time off of work […]
Health Equity Requires Defunding and Abolishing the Police
Nov 2, 2020Health & Medicine’s Board of Directors voted on and approved this policy position in September 2020. This policy position statement was developed by a committee of staff and board members. Advancing health equity is Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s mission. As part of that mission, Health & Medicine supports the growing call to defund […]
Health & Medicine Launches Giving Tuesday Campaign to Help Fund Equity Internship Program
Oct 28, 2020Health & Medicine launched its 2020 Giving Tuesday campaign with an intimate virtual performance by The Chicago Magic Lounge founding member Luis Carreon. This year’s Giving Tuesday Campaign raises funds for our Equity Internship Program. Help us raise $4,125, enough to support one intern for a 12 week part-time internship. Health & Medicine’s […]
Now Hiring: Director of Workforce Programs
Oct 13, 2020Job Title: Director, Workforce Programs Supervised by: Executive Director Supervises: Chicago AHEC Program Coordinator and Workforce Policy Analyst Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Salaried Organization Summary Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (Health & Medicine) is an independent non-profit health policy and advocacy center in Chicago working to improve the health of all people in Illinois by […]
Health & Medicine Observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020
Oct 8, 2020On October 12th, 2020, for the third time in the organization’s history, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Indigenous Peoples of America continue to show strength and resilience in the face of adversity and injustice. They are made up of many different tribes with rich cultures and histories […]
Health equity requires bold social movements
Sep 24, 2020Crain’s Chicago Business piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director. The city’s Healthy Chicago 2025 improvement plan prominently lists racism as a root cause of health inequities. Read the full piece here.
Police Violence Is a Public Health Crisis
Sep 23, 2020As Chicago reels from the all too frequent occurrence of police shooting people in our city neighborhoods and throughout the nation, and the city sees more punitive responses to protestors implemented, the staff at Health & Medicine is compelled to speak out and join with organizations like Black Lives Matter Chicago, Assata’s Daughters, and Good Kids Mad City in their calls for the defunding of the Chicago Police Department. Police violence is a public health crisis.
Health & Medicine’s Commitment to Living our Values as an Equity Committed Organization
Aug 12, 2020 Written By: Ann Duffy, Melissa Martin, and Margie SchapsHealth & Medicine has been focused on and committed to health equity and social justice since its founding in 1981. While semantics have changed over these nearly forty years, our steadfast commitment to these values and our mission to challenge inequities has been solid. We challenge ourselves to look internally and ask how we are creating policy and practice for our own employees and board members that reflects the values of equity and social justice. This blog post is intended to start a conversation with you, our community. We invite you to look at what we’ve done to promote internal equity, share your own internal equity practices, and bring to attention anything we may have missed.
Director of Health Equity Provides Testimony at Cook County Board Public Hearing
Aug 3, 2020On July 16th, 2020, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Department of Budget and Management Services hosted a public hearing to present the FY2021 Preliminary Budget Forecast.
Meet our 2020 HMPRG Awards Winners
Jul 31, 2020We’re pleased to announce the recipients of our 2020 HMPRG Awards representing Chicago-area leaders whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. You can watch the recording of the virtual 2020 HMPRG Awards Gala here! Lifetime Achievement Award: Frank E. Chapman Jr., Chicago Alliance Against […]
Black Lives Matter
Jul 31, 2020Black Lives Matter At Health & Medicine, we believe that Black Lives Matter and that racism is a public health crisis. Since our inception in 1981, we have been committed to equity, and we will continue to do our part to work to dismantle systems built on racism and oppression and interrogate the ways that […]
No Cops in Schools – Madison Hammett
Jul 23, 2020 Written By: Madison HammettThe Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative is compelled to speak out about the presence of police in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and in all schools across our state through the use of School Resource Officers (SROs). Together with organizations like Assata’s Daughters, Black Lives Matter Chicago, Brave Space Alliance, Community Organizing and Family Issues, Good Kids […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes 2020-21 Schweitzer Fellows
Jun 24, 2020Twenty-eight passionate health professions graduate students have been selected for the distinguished Schweitzer Fellowship – a year-long service learning program that helps Fellows design and implement innovative projects that help address the health needs of underserved Chicago communities. Named in honor of famed humanitarian and Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows […]
Our Role in Police Violence and the Culture that Permits It – Personal Reflection by Michael Gelder, Health & Medicine Founding Board Member
Jun 23, 2020 Written By: Michael Gelder, Founding Board Member of Health & MedicineWe have to realize ending police violence requires committed, long-term effort by people of all skin colors to achieve what we’ve been marching for since the murder of George Floyd—a system of public health and safety that respects the rights of every human being. This system includes the right to health care, adequate nutrition, quality […]
Juneteenth 2020 – Dr. Linda Rae Murray
Jun 16, 2020 Written By: Linda Rae Murray, MD, MPH“To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious, is to be in a rage almost all of the time. So that the first problem is how to control that rage so it won’t destroy you. Part of the rage is this: it isn’t only what is happening to you, but it’s […]
I feel rage and grief, and I assume all of you do too.
Jun 2, 2020I feel rage and grief, and I assume all of you do too. As Rev. Otis Moss said at the City’s press conference, we are living with two simultaneous viruses, the COVID-19 virus and the 1619 virus. For one of these, we are putting our best scientific minds to work to find a cure; our […]
Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit Inspires Local Youth to Pursue Healthcare Careers
May 15, 2020On Saturday, March 7, 2020, just before the COVID-19 crisis made events like this seem surreal, Health & Medicine’s Chicago AHEC hosted the Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit at the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation. The summit brought together over 450 students, parents, educators, clinicians, and community leaders to inspire youth to consider careers […]
Observing Illinois’s Second Trauma-Informed Awareness Day
May 6, 2020May 15th is Illinois’s second annual Trauma-Informed Awareness Day. Established by Illinois House and Senate resolutions in 2019, Trauma-Informed Awareness Day recognizes the impact of childhood adversity and highlights the importance of prevention, community resilience, and trauma-informed care. In addition to establishing Trauma-Informed Awareness Day, the resolutions promote two other important strategies: 1) that policy […]
Nominations Open for the 2020 HMPRG Awards
Apr 16, 2020Nominations are now open for our 2020 HMPRG Awards. Health & Medicine has been astounded at the breadth and depth of support we have seen throughout the Covid-19 crisis, and how many people have come together to support those most at risk. Help us celebrate the public health champions in our community who transform and […]
Health & Medicine Responds to Covid-19
Mar 17, 2020Health & Medicine is a proud founding member of Protect Our Care Illinois, which has crafted this letter to the Governor laying out actions he and his administration can take now and in the near future to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the residents of Illinois. We will continue to work […]
COVID-19 Resources
Mar 10, 2020Here are some resources we find useful about COVID-19 (coronavirus) from our colleagues at the American Public Health Association. “As the world’s attention is increasingly focusing on the novel coronavirus outbreak, APHA’s goal is to help spread accurate, timely and helpful information to the public health community and the general public. Among the Association’s newest […]
Keep the Cook County Health board independent
Feb 14, 2020Chicago Crain’s Business piece by Don V. Villar, Laurence Msall; and Margie Schaps, Health & Medicine Executive Director. Toni Preckwinkle’s proposed changes would fundamentally weaken the authority, independence and legitimacy of the board. Read the full piece here.
Health & Medicine Remembers Dr. Gini Bishop
Feb 11, 2020The 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 […]
Director of Health Equity Testifies Before Cook County Board: We Need a CEO Committed to Social Justice and Health Equity
Jan 22, 2020On Wednesday, January 22nd, the following testimony by Health & Medicine’s Director of Health Equity Wesley Epplin was presented to the Health and Hospitals Committee of the Cook County Board of Commissioners about Cook County Health CEO, governance, and finances. Epplin urged the Board to choose a CEO committed to social justice and health equity […]
New Report: A Checkup for Cook County’s Safety Net: A Qualitative Review of Health Reform
Dec 17, 2019The Affordable Care Act (ACA) precipitated a decade of reforms and reactions that have made a distinct impact on the Cook County health care safety net. “Reform” in health care encompasses a complex interplay of changes, forces, structures, and agents—including official legislation and rulemaking as well as the responses of government agencies, health care providers, […]
Health & Medicine: Highlights from 2019
Dec 16, 2019Thank you for your support as we continue to bring people and organizations together to develop solutions to the health equity, health policy, and health systems challenges we face. Here are some highlights from 2019: Center for Long-Term Care Reform Ensured that aging issues are prioritized by the Pritzker administration by releasing Long-term Care Reform […]
New Report: Trauma-Informed Approaches for Supporting Families with Opioid Misuse
Nov 25, 2019The opioid epidemic is one of the foremost health and social issues in the United States. As the country grapples with the best way to support and treat individuals who misuse opioids, it is critical that attention is also paid to the families affected by the opioid epidemic and particularly to the impact on children. […]
Now Hiring: Workforce Policy Analyst and Schweitzer Program Associate
Nov 20, 2019Position Title: Workforce Policy Analyst and Schweitzer Program Associate Supervised by: Director, Chicago Area Health Education Center and Director, Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program Supervises: N/A Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Salaried Organization Overview: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (Health & Medicine) began in 1981 as an independent non-profit health policy and advocacy center in Chicago working […]
Health & Medicine Observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Oct 10, 2019On October 14th, 2019, for the second time in the organization’s history, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Indigenous Peoples of America continue to show strength and resilience in the face of adversity and injustice. They are made up of many different tribes with rich cultures and histories […]
Health & Medicine Remembers Long-Time Board Member Art Kohrman, MD
Sep 24, 2019It is with great sadness that we share that long-time Board Member Art Kohrman, MD died Thursday afternoon, at home and peacefully, surrounded by his family. Art was an active, engaged board member of Health & Medicine since 1986. In addition to being active on all of our efforts to study and reform the Illinois […]
Schweitzer Summer 2019 Newsletter Released
Sep 17, 2019Our latest Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Newsletter provides updates on recent Schweitzer activities including: An update from our Seed Grant Fellow’s Scholars de Salud Mentoring Program A spotlight on Advisory Council member Dr. Sue Etminan, and how the Fellowship has impacted her and her health career Information about Amber Smock, the inspiring 2019 Schweitzer Leadership Award Winner […]
Remembering Marca Bristo, Inspiring Leader in the Disability Rights Movement
Sep 10, 2019Health & Medicine grieves with fellow social justice advocates on the loss of our dear friend Marca Bristo. Marca was a fierce leader in the disability rights movement, always insisting that addressing the interests and needs of the disability community would benefit us all. This is a true public health view—what is right for the […]
‘We must stand together for justice.’ Health & Medicine Opposes Public Charge Rule Change
Aug 15, 2019Health & Medicine Policy Research Group condemns the latest cruel attack by the Trump Administration on immigrants and low-income people by releasing their final “public charge” rule, set to go into effect on October 15th. This rule will punish people seeking permanent resident status in the United States if they use—or are deemed likely to […]
New Report: Addressing the Absence of African American Men in Chicago-Area Medical Schools
Jul 30, 2019Developed in response to a grant from Otho S. A. Sprague Memorial Institute, this report focuses on one specific health workforce challenge: the absence of African American men in medicine. As a health workforce policy and practice leader in Illinois, Health & Medicine recognizes that the workforce challenges we face locally and nationally are multifaceted. […]
Schaps Testifies Before Cook County Board: CCH is glue that holds health safety net system together.
Jul 29, 2019On Thursday, July 25th, the following testimony by Health & Medicine’s Executive Director Margie Schaps was presented to the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Schaps spoke about the importance of the Independent Board’s management and supervision to the continued survival of the Cook County Health System. Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to […]
Dr. Linda Rae Murray appointed to the Health Facilities and Services Review Board
Jul 22, 2019On Friday, July 19th, 2019, Governor JB Pritzker announced appointments in his administration, including our Board member Dr. Linda Rae Murray. “Linda Rae Murray will serve on the Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Dr. Murray has spent her career serving the medically underserved and is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Illinois School […]
Margie Schaps Testifies Before Cook County Board: “CCHHS plays a critical role in this County with a mission to take care of all in need.”
Jul 10, 2019On Tuesday, July 9th, the following testimony by Health & Medicine’s Executive Director Margie Schaps was presented to the Cook County Board at their Budget Hearing. Schaps urged the Board to approve a budget that will allow the Health System to succeed and flourish while allowing it to fully implement a strategic vision that will […]
Health & Medicine Comments on the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status
Jul 9, 2019On July 9th, Director of Health Equity Wesley Epplin submitted comments on behalf of Health & Medicine strongly opposing the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposed rule to prohibit mixed status families from living in subsidized housing, and demanding that the proposed rule be immediately withdrawn. “Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (Health & […]
Schweitzer Fellow Spotlight: Scholars de Salud Mentoring Program Empowers Students to Pursue Health Careers
Jul 2, 2019Nicole Paprocki, National Health Service Corps Scholar, Medical Student at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Schweitzer Fellow For Life (FFL) from the 2016-17 cohort, received a second FFL Seed Grant last year in order to sustain the three-year Scholars de Salud Mentoring Program. The program was designed and implemented in order to increase […]
Meet our 2019 HMPRG Awards Winners
Jul 1, 2019We’re pleased to announce the recipients of our 2019 HMPRG Awards representing Chicago-area leaders whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. We invite you to join us in honoring our winners at Health & Medicine’s Awards Gala on Sept. 27, 2019 at the […]
Strength and Resilience 50 Years After Stonewall
Jun 27, 2019 Written By: Madison HammettJune 28th marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the so-called beginning of the LGBTQ Rights Movement. The truth is, of course, more complicated than a single raid on a single bar in 1969—similar resistance to police violence against the LGBTQ community had been taking place throughout the country for years—but it was Stonewall […]
Health & Medicine Welcomes 2019-20 Schweitzer Fellows
Jun 25, 2019Thirty-one passionate health professions graduate students have been selected for the distinguished Schweitzer Fellowship – a year-long service learning program that helps Fellows design and implement innovative projects that help address the health needs of underserved Chicago communities. Named in honor of famed humanitarian and Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows […]
#HistoryMatters: Health & Medicine Celebrates Juneteenth
Jun 17, 2019On June 19, 2019, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be celebrating Juneteenth, a day regarded as the oldest national celebration of African American liberation in the United States. While the official date of the Emancipation Proclamation was 1863, Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the remote territory of Texas […]
Honoring Juneteenth: Links, Resources, and Local Celebrations
Jun 17, 2019This year, for the second time in our organization’s history, Health & Medicine is celebrating Juneteenth. Here, we’ve compiled some links and resources about the significance of this holiday. If you don’t already, we hope that you or your organization will consider joining us in honoring this important day. What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is the […]
Health & Medicine Testimony: To Advance Health Equity, We Need Accountability for Racism in Policing and Gang Databases
May 16, 2019On Tuesday, May 14, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Director of Health Equity, Wesley Epplin, testified before the Cook County Board of Commissioners’ Criminal Justice Committee. In addition to testifying on behalf of Health & Medicine, he testified on behalf of the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County (CHE Cook County), for which he […]
Observing Illinois’ First Trauma-Informed Awareness Day
May 15, 2019Health & Medicine and the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative are proud to join with others across the state in observing Illinois’ first Trauma-Informed Awareness Day. Today, our ACEs staff and partners are in Springfield meeting with legislators and speaking about this important legislation. This is a great milestone for building the trauma-informed movement in Illinois […]
Health & Medicine Prepares for Illinois’ First Trauma-Informed Awareness Day on May 15
May 8, 2019The State of Illinois has declared May 15, 2019 as Trauma-Informed Awareness Day to highlight the impact of trauma and the importance of prevention and community resilience. Senate Resolution 99, sponsored by State Senators Julie A. Morrison, Laura Ellman, Elgie R. Sims, Jr., and Laura M. Murphy, establishes this important day and promotes two other […]
Schaps Joins Lightfoot’s Transition Team
Apr 12, 2019Yesterday, Health & Medicine’s Executive Director Margie Schaps participated in a kick off meeting for the Health & Human Services Committee of Mayor-Elect Lori Lightfoot’s Transition Team. Several Health & Medicine board members–including Jennifer McGowan-Tomke of NAMI, Suzanne Carlberg-Racich of the Chicago Recovery Alliance, and Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, Director of the Center for Multi-System Solutions to […]
What Chicago Needs for Health Equity: Imagining an Equity Agenda
Mar 27, 2019Health equity is a process of assurance of the conditions for optimal health for all people. It requires at least three things: 1) valuing all individuals and populations equally; 2) recognizing and rectifying historical injustices; and 3) providing resources according to need. Health inequities will be eliminated when health equity is achieved. — Dr. Camara […]
IL ACEs Response Collaborative Informs Senate Resolution
Mar 5, 2019Illinois State Senators Sen. Morrison and Sen. Ellman recently introduced SR99, Trauma-Informed Awareness Day, citing the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative’s report on the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. The Collaborative and Health & Medicine are excited to inform Sen. Morrison and Ellman’s resolution as part of our ongoing work to put the issues of trauma and resilience on the forefront of the equity agenda in Illinois.
Health & Medicine Releases Long-Term Care Reform in Illinois: 2019 Agenda for Change
Feb 26, 2019Health & Medicine and our Center for Long-Term Care Reform have long been committed to improving the way older adults in Illinois live and enjoy their final years with dignity in their homes and communities. With a new administration in place, Health & Medicine intends to take action to ensure that aging issues are prioritized by the new Pritzker administration, as well as advocating nationally for adequate funding and rational policies to support home and community-based services and supports. To that end, we are pleased to share our Aging in Illinois: 2019 Agenda for Change.
Fellow for Life Webinar: Becoming an Immigrant Welcoming Institution
Feb 1, 2019 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)On January, 24, 2019 Schweitzer Schweitzer Fellows and Fellows for Life from ten chapters around the country hosted their first nation-wide webinar. Chicago Fellow for Life Padraic Stanley discussed policies and changes in practice that healthcare institutions can implement to become more immigrant-welcoming. We're pleased to share the webinar recording here as well as a Welcoming Provider Checklist developed by 2018-19 Chicago Fellows Nhu Do, Dipika Gaur, Lincoln Hill, V Lozano, Maria Isabel Montoya, Molly Narrod.
Health & Medicine Supports Efforts of Local Foundations to Fund West Suburban CHWs
Jan 29, 2019On January 22nd, Community Memorial Foundation and Healthy Communities Foundation announced that they jointly invested $535,000 in a pilot program to engage a community health worker (CHW) network in the Western Suburbs. Funding will be used to support Community Health Workers at Aging Care Connections, Alivio Medical Center, BEDS Plus, Healthcare Alternative Systems, and Mujeres Latinas en Acción. Health and Medicine will coordinate the program which will be evaluated by the Chicago-based Sinai Urban Health Institute.
Meet our Staff: Melissa Martin
Jan 29, 2019 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Melissa Martin, MPH joined Health and Medicine this month as the Director of Chicago AHEC. Melissa has several years of experience working in public health workforce development.
Health & Medicine and CHECookCounty Release Statement Urging Cook County Board of Commissioners to Fully Investigate the County’s Gang Database
Jan 25, 2019On January 23, Health & Medicine and the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County released a statement to the Cook County Board of Commissioners in support of passage of Item #19-0687 An Ordinance to regulate and develop a long-term plan for the use of any Regional Gang Intelligence Database (RGID) and affiliated data. The so-called gang database contains the names of 25,000 people suspected of being affiliated with more than 400 gangs and gang factions and has been criticized by civil liberties groups for having adverse effects on the lives of those listed even after they have left the gang life.
Board Member Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar Appears on Chicago Tonight to Discuss a New Program to Prevent Opioid Addiction
Jan 21, 2019Last week, Health & Medicine Board Member Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar appeared on WTTW's Chicago Tonight to discuss a new Illinois program that aims to prevent opioid addiction by allowing patients to take a prescription for painkillers and use it for cannabis instead.
Everything is Health: Health & Medicine’s Top Reads of 2018
Dec 21, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Not to be left out ofthe year end “best of” lists, here are a few equity and justice related books and articles that Health & Medicine staff, board, and community have enjoyed reading in 2018
2018 Schweitzer Leadership Conference Recap from Evan Fry
Nov 30, 2018 Written By: Guest AuthorI received a lot of inquisitive looks when I told my dental school professors and friends that I would be missing afternoon clinics because I was traveling to Tulsa. “Why Tulsa, of all places?” was the typical question I would get in response. While I did attend college at the University of Oklahoma, Norman is on the other side of the state from Tulsa—in fact, I hadn’t spent any time in Tulsa besides driving through it to or from college. I’m very glad I had the opportunity to venture to Tulsa for the Schweitzer Leadership Summit, however, as I learned tremendously from those in the Schweitzer Fellows for Life (FFL) network and the Tulsa public health community.
2018 Schweitzer Leadership Conference Recap from Nyahne Bergeron
Nov 30, 2018 Written By: Guest AuthorDuring the weekend of November 2-4, 2018, Schweitzer Fellows and Fellows for Life (FFLs) from the groups across the U.S. convened in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Schweitzer Leadership Conference. Before I reached the conference center, I felt the camaraderie from Fellows who were arriving from their respective cities at the Tulsa airport, looking forward to the weekend and excited about the activities ahead.
Highlights from the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting
Nov 19, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)We're pleased to share reflections and highlight from Health & Medicine staff who attended the meeting.
Board Member Michael Gelder Appointed to Pritzker Transition Team
Nov 16, 2018Founding Health & Medicine Board Member Michael Gelder has been appointed to the Healthy Children and Families Committee of Governor-elect JB Pritzker’s transition team.
Schweitzer Fall 2018 Newsletter Released
Nov 14, 2018Our latest Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Newsletter provides updates on recent Schweitzer activities including an update from our Fellow’s community garden project and photos from our summer Schweitzer Leadership Award Event.
Grassroots. Trusted. Nimble. Read Margie Schaps’s Opening Remarks from the 2018 HMPRG Awards
Nov 1, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Many thanks to all those who attended the 2018 HMPRG Awards Gala on Oct. 19th at the Chicago Cultural Center. We're pleased to share our Executive Director Margie Schap's remarks from the event.
Schaps Testifies Before Cook County Board: “We must continue to provide the needed resources for CCHHS to flourish.”
Oct 31, 2018On Monday, October 29, the following testimony by Health & Medicine's Executive Director Margie Schaps on the proposed budget for Cook County Health was presented to the Cook County Board. Schaps urged the Board to approve a budget that will allow the Health System to succeed and flourish while allowing the System to fully implement a strategic vision that will ultimately reduce costs and improve the health of the residents of the County.
Highlights from the Midwest ACEs Summit
Oct 15, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)The Healing Trauma, Healthy Communities Conference took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from September 26th to the 29th. Highlighting the trauma-informed work being conducted in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest, the conference brought together stakeholders from a variety of sectors including medicine, public health, the legal and justice system, and education. Keynote speakers included L. Song Richardson, Dean of the University of California at Irvine’s School of Law, who discussed implicit bias and how to address the trauma of systemic racism, and Rob Anda and Laura Porter, who presented on how ACEs education can lead to self-healing communities and empowerment.
Health & Medicine Condemns Trump Administration’s Proposed “Public Charge” Rule Change
Oct 12, 2018This past Wednesday, October 10, the Trump Administration officially issued a proposed rule change related to “public charge” determinations. This is another abhorrent attack on the health and wellbeing of immigrants and their families that is meant to scare them from seeking access to programs that support healthcare, nutrition, and housing. Health & Medicine Policy Research Group joins immigrants and our partners to condemn this unjust and immoral proposal. As a member of Protecting Immigrant Families-Illinois we urge all of our partners to join us in fighting back.
We Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day—and Call for Recognition and Rectification of Historical Injustices
Oct 5, 2018 Written By: Wesley EpplinOn Monday, October 8, 2018, Health & Medicine will, for the first time, be closed in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We invite you to join us in honoring and celebrating Native Peoples, Indigenous peoples, and First Nations of the Americas.
Health & Medicine to Observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Oct 4, 2018On October 8, 2018, for the first time in the organization’s history, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Indigenous Peoples of America have rich cultures and continue to show strength and resilience in the face of adversity and injustice. They have experienced thefts of their lands, languages, property, and lives since the arrival of settlers from Europe. This struggle for justice continues today, and Native People are often at the forefront of movements against inequities and for their own survival and wellbeing. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Native People and lend our voice in support of all those seeking freedom, sovereignty, and justice.
Action Opportunities to Influence Chicago’s Five-Year Housing Plan
Aug 30, 2018On August 27, 120 people attended the Chicago Forum for Justice in Health Policy: Housing Justice for Health Equity. We thank our co-sponsor, the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, and are glad this was the seventh forum organized by members of the Chicago Housing Justice League, of which Health & Medicine is a proud member. […]
Meet our Staff: Thank you to our summer interns!
Aug 29, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)This summer, Health & Medicine was fortunate to have four interns--(from left to right) Julia Morrison, Jared Cruz, Courtney Severin, and Grace Lee--supporting our work across a range of project areas from our Schweitzer Fellowship to Chicago AHEC and our ACEs programming. Thanks to all our interns for their great work!
Chicago Schweitzer Summer 2018 Newsletter Now Online
Aug 16, 2018Our latest Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Newsletter rounds up our recent Schweitzer activities!
Meet our 2018 HMPRG Award Winners
Aug 2, 2018Too often those in our community working for health and social justice are not given the recognition they deserve. Today, we're pleased to announce the recipients of our 2018 HMPRG Awards representing Chicago-area leaders whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care.
Meet our Staff: Yuliana López
Jul 25, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Yuliana López Yuliana joined Health & Medicine this summer as a Policy Research Analyst. She is a recent graduate of Middlebury College where she earned a degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry with a minor in Global Health.Yuliana’s achievements include being named a BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Scholar and a Hispanic Scholarship Fund Female Scholar […]
Chicago AHEC Visits the Hill
Jul 18, 2018 Written By: Rachel LacklandMy name is Rachel Lackland, the administrative assistant for Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and 2014 Chicago AHEC Internship Alumni Network member. Together with Health & Medicine’s Chicago AHEC team—Sharon Powell, Chicago AHEC Director and former Senior Policy Analyst, Tiffany Ford accompanied me as well—I had the opportunity to join ILAHEC at their NAO […]
Conclusion to Issue Brief Series: Criminalization of People of Color as a Barrier to Diversifying the Health Workforce
Jul 6, 2018 Written By: Chicago AHECChicago AHEC at Health & Medicine is pleased to share this issue brief series on Criminalization of People of Color as a Barrier to Diversifying the Health Workforce. Please read our introduction to the series below and our issue briefs. We will continue to update this page as briefs are released. Introduction Brief One: Disproportionate […]
Meet our Staff: Madison Hammett and Tiffany N. Ford
Jun 29, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Madison Hammett, MPH, MSW Meet our newest staff member, Madison Hammett, Policy Analyst for the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative. Madison joins Health & Medicine from Stroger Hospital of Cook County where she worked as a social worker for the Department of Trauma providing psychoeducation and support to adolescent survivors of trauma. She is also a […]
#FamiliesBelongTogether: Health & Medicine and the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative Releases Statement on Child Separation
Jun 22, 2018Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative strongly condemn the forcible separation of children from their parents and caregivers who have crossed into the U.S. without authorization. As a Collaborative committed to expanding the understanding of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, we know that the loss of a parent is an ACE that results in prolonged exposure to toxic stress and impacts health and wellbeing across the lifespan. To promote healing and build resilience, children must be reunited with their parents and caregivers immediately, as research shows that these relationships are the most important factor in mitigating the impacts of ACEs and toxic stress.
Health & Medicine Welcomes 2018-19 Schweitzer Fellows
Jun 7, 2018Thirty exceptional health professions graduate students have been selected for the prestigious Schweitzer Fellowship – a year-long service learning program that empowers Fellows to design and implement projects that help address the health needs of underserved Chicago communities. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, the Fellowship exposes students to real-world inter-professional, collaborative care and aims to develop lifelong leaders in service. The 2018-19 Fellows include students from 10 area universities and 20 academic programs, ranging from nursing to disability studies and public health. The exceptional class of Fellows was selected from a pool of almost 100 applicants through a competitive process.
What is Juneteenth? Links, Resources, and Local Celebrations
Jun 6, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)This year, for the first time in our organization’s history, Health & Medicine is celebrating Juneteenth. Here, we’ve complied some links and resources about the significance of this holiday. If you don’t already, we hope that you or your organization will consider joining us in honoring this important day. What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is the […]
Juneteenth is African American Independence Day and it’s past time that we celebrate it
Jun 6, 2018 Written By: Tiffany N FordFor the first time in the organization’s history, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be celebrating Juneteenth, a day regarded as the oldest national celebration of African American liberation in the United States. I’m not sure that I can fully describe how valued this decision makes me feel as a Black employee of the organization, […]
#HistoryMatters: Health & Medicine to Celebrate Juneteenth
Jun 6, 2018On June 19, 2018, for the first time in the organization’s history, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group will be celebrating Juneteenth, a day regarded as the oldest national celebration of African American liberation in the United States. While the official date of the Emancipation Proclamation was 1863, Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the remote territory of Texas over two years later on June 19, 1865.
Members of the ACEs Collaborative Participate in National Convening
May 15, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)On April 25th and 26th, Director of the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative (the Collaborative), Lara Altman, attended the Center for Health Care Strategies’ Advancing Trauma-Informed Care convening in New York City. Advancing Trauma-Informed Care is a national initiative led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and its goal […]
New Reports Focus on Helping the Safety Net Navigate the Challenges and Opportunity of Health Reform
May 4, 2018Health & Medicine's Health Equity Initiative recently completed a research project examining how the ACA and state level health reforms can support the move toward health equity and stronger communities in the Chicago area with a specific focus on the Western Suburbs. This research led to two papers that are available now.
This #ILGiveCommunity, be the change you wish to see!
May 3, 2018While 2018 has already presented us with a number of challenges, it has also offered us many heroes. From activists across the country rallying in support of progressive issues to candidates with a renewed sense of purpose, we have no shortage of change makers. Thank you for being one of them, and helping Health & Medicine stand for health equity and social justice.
Action Alert: Protect Consumers from Unregulated Health Plans
May 2, 2018Protect Our Care Illinois--of which Health & Medicine is a member--urges you to take action today to stop junk insurance. We are calling on the General Assembly to pass the Short-Term, Limited Duration Health Insurance Coverage Act, SB2388 SFA1 to protect consumers from these unregulated health plans that don’t meet ACA standards!
#TaxesMakeHealthHappen: Maintaining Illinois’ population? Let’s talk about fair taxes!
Apr 17, 2018In honor of tax day, Senior Policy Analyst Tiffany N. Ford and Director of Health Equity Wesley Epplin wrote the following response to recent Chicago Tribune editorials looking at Illinois’ tax system in the run up to the gubernatorial election. Recent editorials on the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates ask the question we are all wondering: “who’s got the […]
Chicago Schweitzer Spring 2018 Newsletter Now Online
Apr 16, 2018Our latest Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Newsletter rounds up our recent Program activities. We invite you check out the newsletter and stay engaged and involved with this innovative service learning program.
Event Spotlight: The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative Welcomes Norwegian Delegation
Apr 10, 2018 Written By: Lara AltmanOn April 6, 2018 the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health – Region 5 hosted Shared Learning in ACEs, Trauma, and Trauma-Informed Approaches from Norway and Illinois, a day-long summit that brought together a delegation of Norwegian government officials, Chicagoland […]
Nominations Open for the 2018 HMPRG Awards
Mar 29, 2018Nominations are now open for the 2018 HMPRG Awards! Honoring individuals and organizations across six categories, the awards celebrate those whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. Nominations are due by June 10, 2018.
Schweitzer Fellow Spotlight: Cuidate Project Connects Families with Nature and Healthy Lifestyles
Mar 28, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)2017-18 Chicago Schweitzer Fellow Maryclaret Ndubuisi-Obi, a student from DePaul University School of Nursing, epitomizes the spirit of the Fellowship through her dedication to service and commitment to health equity. For her Fellowship project, Maryclaret partnered with Roberti Community House (RCH), a community center that serves a distressed neighborhood in Waukegan, where she worked to improve the […]
Health & Medicine Meets with IL Legislators to Promote ACE-Informed Policies
Mar 26, 2018On March 7th, Health & Medicine and our Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative hosted a Legislative Briefing in Springfield with Representatives Juliana Stratton (5th district) and Sara Wojcicki Jimenez (99th district). The briefing provided an overview of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Illinois and how state systems can promote trauma-informed approaches to delivering care.
Learnings from Organizations that are Addressing Trauma
Feb 14, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Augmenting a larger 2016 Environmental Scan conducted by Health & Medicine’s Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative, in 2018 we set out to offer a more in-depth snapshot of organizations working to address trauma. The resulting report–Learnings from Organizations that are Addressing Trauma–-is based on an additional round of 27 interviews included five organizations that were part of […]
ACEs Policy Recommendations at a Glance
Jan 17, 2018 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)Earlier this month, the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative released three revised policy briefs on the impact of ACEs in the health, justice, and education systems including promising practices and recommended actions for change. These briefs were developed by members of the Collaborative—system leaders in Illinois who are working from an ACEs-informed lens to improve systems to prevent and mitigate […]
3 ways Emanuel can slow down gentrification
Jan 12, 2018Chicago Tribune piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director. Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently defended himself from gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy’s charge of purposely gentrifying Chicago. Emanuel expressed concern about Chicago’s reduced black population, asking, “Where are the ideas? Where are the solutions, real solutions to real challenges that make those challenges opportunities?” Since […]
Rauner’s Veto of HB1424 Jeopardizes Services for Seniors, Persons with Disabilities
Jan 10, 2018Governor Rauner’s veto of HB1424 as reported in the Sun Times on Sunday, Dec 31, which was intended to preserve the Community Care Program (CCP) may foreshadow a blow to the thousands of older adults and persons with disability who rely on this program to remain living in their communities rather than moving into a nursing home.
Introduction to Issue Brief Series: Criminalization of People of Color as a Barrier to Diversifying the Health Workforce
Dec 12, 2017 Written By: Chicago AHECChicago AHEC at Health & Medicine is pleased to share this issue brief series on Criminalization of People of Color as a Barrier to Diversifying the Health Workforce. Please read our introduction to the series below and our issue briefs. We will continue to update this page as briefs are released. Issue Brief One: Disproportionate […]
Health & Medicine Remembers Leslie Nickels, MEd, PhD
Nov 27, 2017Health & Medicine is saddened to share the passing of Leslie Nickels, MEd, PhD. Leslie recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Health & Medicine in honor of her many contributions to worker health, safety, and justice. She is also a former board member and made enormous contributions to many Health & Medicine initiatives, most recently our Quentin D. Young Equity Project.
IL ACEs Response Collaborative Releases Environmental Scan
Nov 14, 2017As recognition of the widespread impact of trauma increases, the desire to provide trauma-informed care is at the forefront of a movement to build resilience and prevent and mitigate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Given the growing momentum for change and the need to bolster awareness of promising practices in trauma-informed care, the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative at Health & Medicine researched over 300 programs to develop this Environmental Scan Report.
Health & Medicine Testifies Before County Board in Support of Funded Health System
Nov 6, 2017On Thursday, November 2, Health & Medicine's Executive Director Margie Schaps presented the following testimony at the Cook County Board Budget Hearing. My name is Margie Schaps, and I am the Executive Director of the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group. I want to thank the Board for allowing the opportunity to testify in support of a fully funded Cook County Health and Hospitals system budget. Since 1981, Health and Medicine has been an organization committed to developing and supporting systems and policies that create a healthier society.
Does Chicago really need more police officers?
Oct 6, 2017Chicago Tribune piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director, and Tiffany Ford, former Health & Medicine Policy Analyst. As Chicago grapples with its $259 million budget shortfall, we must ask: How did we get here? Adding 1,000 police officers and paying for Chicago Public Schools security officers contributes a great deal to this […]
New Report Points to Barriers to Mental Health, Addiction Coverage
Sep 19, 2017Today, Health & Medicine in collaboration with a group of organizations including the Kennedy Forum, the Illinois Psychiatric Society, the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association, and others who seek to improve mental health and addiction treatment released a new report pointing to significant barriers to coverage. The report highlights the results of a provider survey asking hospitals, psychiatrists and community providers about their experiences with reimbursement for mental health and addiction services. The survey findings raise red flags about a number of potential barriers to services that families may face and whether Illinois’ health plans are providing mental health and addiction treatment on par with other types of medical conditions, which is required by state and federal parity laws for most plans.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Health Inequities
Sep 5, 2017 Written By: Margie Schaps and Wesley EpplinCrain’s Chicago Business’ and the Better Government Association’s recent report on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration funneling Tax Increment Financing (TIF) dollars to Navy Pier provides an opportunity for health advocates and researchers to ponder TIF usage in Chicago. Unacceptably, the pass-through appears to contradict both the law and the explanation the Mayor gave to the City Council for the $55 million expenditure of public funds.
Health & Medicine Stands with Dreamers
Sep 5, 2017Health & Medicine stands with Illinois' over 40,000 Dreamers and the thousands more across the country. The young people affected by the decision of this Administration to end DACA are our neighbors, our friends, and our co-workers including the many young doctors, nurses, and health professionals who are Dreamers and now, after years of hard work, could lose everything. These young people contribute to the vibrancy of their neighborhoods and strengthen the fabric and health of our communities.
Health & Medicine, Public Health Woke Coalition Testify Before CCCHHS Board on Protecting Immigrant Health
Sep 1, 2017On September 1, 2017 Health & Medicine's Director of Health Equity Wesley Epplin and Board Member Linda Murray, MD, MPH testified at to the Cook County Health and Hospitals Systems Board meeting on ensuring that the health system’s hospitals and clinics are welcoming and affirming spaces for all patients. Both Epplin and Murray reiterated the policy recommendations of the Public Health Woke Coaltion, of which Health & Medicine is a lead member, that CCHHS should adopt to ensure their facilities are truly safe for all patients.
Health & Medicine Testifies in Support of Fully Funded Public Hospital and Health System
Aug 31, 2017On Tuesday, August 29th, Health & Medicine Executive Director Margie Schaps testified before the Cook County Health and Hospitals System with regards to their proposed 2018 budget.
To Address Ageism, We Need to “Reframe” Aging
Aug 25, 2017 Written By: Renae AlvarezOn Friday, August 11th the Health & Medicine Communications and Development team and Center for Long-Term Care Reform Staff attended the American Society on Aging (ASA) Roundtable on, “Ending Ageism and Reframing Aging, Your Role as an Advocate” presented by ASA President & CEO Bob Stein. Stein encouraged the audience to share this work and bring it to our organizations so that we can start conversations around how our society systematically stereotypes and discriminates against people on the basis of their age. I can certainly get behind that. But once the conversation starts, then how do we redress ageism today?
Health & Medicine unites with advocates, aging community to protect services for Illinois’ most vulnerable population
Aug 24, 2017The following is a statement on behalf of Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, Caring Across Generations, and SEIU Healthcare Illinois in response to the withdrawal of rules that would have forced 36,000 vulnerable Illinois seniors out of the Community Care Program and into the unproven and untested Community Reinvestment Program:
Make No Mistake: Health Policy is a Moral Issue
Aug 1, 2017 Written By: Guest AuthorAs a physician and bioethicist, I have spent the last 30 years caring for people during their most vulnerable times, helping them make important health decisions—sometimes life and death decisions. Behind the medical curtain, I witness the capriciousness of the lottery of life. People do not choose their genes, their parents, or the school district in which they grew up. They do not decide to get cancer, heart disease or to have a catastrophic accident. Life happens, and all of us will need health care at some point. When we do, we will likely experience a profound vulnerability. How we respond to one another's inescapable medical vulnerability is the moral question of our time.
Health & Medicine Announces 2017 HMPRG Award Winners
Jul 26, 2017Health & Medicine is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 HMPRG Awards representing leaders in the fields of policy, public health, medicine, research, and advocacy whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. “Today, so many voices for equity are emerging and […]
Trauma among Chicago’s Court-Involved Youth
Jul 19, 2017 Written By: Paula SatarianoJuvenile justice (JJ) populations experience high levels of trauma that have been found to impact their capacity to access healthcare and lead healthy lives. In response, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Court-Involved Youth Project began to collaborate with the Illinois ACES Response Collaborative on policy development and program recommendations for justice-involved youth.
Report Release: Efficient Health Workforce Data Collection in Illinois
Jul 17, 2017 Written By: Tiffany Ford and Wesley EpplinIllinois has seen large gains in health insurance coverage in recent years, and in the diversity of its population; however, the State has significant shortages of different types of health professionals in many parts of the state, which can limit healthcare access. Illinois currently ranks 25th nationally in primary care percent of need met, with roughly 60% of its need met. Illinois does not systematically track data on its health workforce, and has an outdated and inefficient approach to collecting data on the providers in the state. The current license renewal data collection is inadequate for determining health professionals’ practice locations, amount of time in practice at each location, and the diversity of the health workforce.
Health & Medicine Urges County Board: Do Not Under-Fund CCHHS
Jul 14, 2017On Wednesday, July 12, Director of Health Equity Wesley Epplin spoke at the Cook County Preliminary Budget hearing for FY2018 on the need to increase the tax allocation for the Cook County Health & Hospital System (CCHHS) in the County budget. The Health System has faced several years of reductions in the County’s tax allocation, and Epplin urged the Board of Commissioners not to under-fund CCHHS, which provides vital health services to our community.
Health & Medicine Responds to Illinois’ Managed Care “Re-Boot”
Jun 30, 2017 Written By: Sharon PostHealth & Medicine’s Center for Long-Term Care Reform responds to the Rauner Administration’s plans for a major Medicaid managed care “re-boot.” This Critical Issues Policy Brief raises three questions for the Medicaid managed care re-boot and calls on State policy makers to work with stakeholders, including MCOs, Medicaid providers, and Medicaid members to address these issues to set a stronger foundation for a new managed care program in Illinois. Read about the Critical Issues here.
Call Your Congressperson Today to Stop the BCRA
Jun 27, 2017Health & Medicine Policy Research Group condemns the recent assault on the health safety net. The Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), like the House of Representatives’ American Health Care Act (AHCA) is an attack on the American people, developed behind closed doors specifically because its provisions are so unpopular. Their hope is the less sunlight shined on this proposal, the more likely it is to pass. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scored the BCRA bill and predicts 22 million people would lose coverage if it were passed, an unprecedented move in the wrong direction. We urge action! Call your U.S. Congressperson to let them know that you want them to help kill the bill!
Behind the Buzzword: What is “Integrated Care”?
Jun 13, 2017 Written By: Sharon PostHealth & Medicine is hosting a forum on Wednesday, June 21 to share lessons from members of our Behavioral Health-Primary Care Integration Learning Collaborative. “Integrated care” has become a buzzword in health policy and we’d like to define what we mean by integration in the Learning Collaborative. We’d also like to describe Health & Medicine’s goals for the forum, which are to engage audiences around the lessons learned in two years of the Collaborative, to advance the discourse around state-wide mental health and Medicaid reforms, and to magnify the voice of people with mental illness and substance use conditions in these discussions.
June 14-Day of Action: Tell Gov. Rauner and Members of Congress to oppose cuts and caps on Medicaid
Jun 13, 2017Senate Republicans are working behind closed doors on their version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Like the House bill, the “revamped” AHCA would throw millions off of health care and gut Medicaid, harming older Americans, kids and their families, people with disabilities, and those seeking treatment for substance use disorders. Health & Medicine and Protect our Care Illinois urge you to take time tomorrow, June 14, to join advocates across the country to help us stop this!
“CCHHS must provide safe, affirming sanctuary in all of its facilities”
Jun 7, 2017On May 26, Health & Medicine's Director of Health Equity Wesley Epplin and Board Member Linda Rae Murray again testified before the Cook County Health and Hospitals System Board, urging the System to ensure that all patients and clients of the CCHHS are provided safe, affirming sanctuary in all of its facilities. Epplin and Murray's remarks follow-up on similar testimony earlier this year.
2017 Schweitzer Leadership Award to Honor Ai-Jen Poo
Jun 5, 2017Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Program and pleased to announce that Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, has been selected for the 2017 Schweitzer Leadership Award. Each year, Schweitzer Leadership Award honors and an individual who has done significant work to mitigate the social determinants of health in their community, and whose commitment to service has influenced and inspired others.
Health & Medicine Releases New Report on “Strengthening the Safety Net in Illinois After Health Reform”
Jun 1, 2017In late 2016, Health & Medicine completed new research on the Cook County safety net in partnership with Loyola and others to capture how this reformed environment has impacted Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), free and charitable clinics (FCCs), and hospitals. Our report, Strengthening the Safety Net in Illinois After Health Reform: An Examination of the Cook County Safety Net, is designed to deepen understanding of a sampling of the safety net in Cook County while providing recommendations for policymakers and philanthropy, as well as identifying areas for further research to guide health reform and policy.
It’s #ILGiveCommunity! Support the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship
May 31, 2017Today is Illinois' day of charitable giving, and we hope you’ll make a gift in support of our Schweitzer Fellows as they give back to our underserved communities by providing health services, education, and resilience-building. You can learn more about their efforts and meet our newest class of Fellows here. Click here to make a donation and support this inspiring Program. #ILGiveCommunity
Health & Medicine and the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Announce 2017-18 Fellows
May 30, 2017The Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship, a year-long service learning program that empowers aspiring health professionals to design and direct innovative community service projects, today announced its newest class of Fellows. The thirty exceptional graduate students selected for the Fellowship proposed impactful community-based projects to address the health needs of underserved Chicagoans.
Learning from National Leaders in Trauma: Lessons from the MARC Convening
May 11, 2017 Written By: Maggie LitgenMobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) is a learning collaborative of 14 communities actively engaged in building the movement for a just, healthy, and resilient world. Coordinated by the Health Federation of Philadelphia with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The California Endowment, MARC Communities are translating the science of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) into policies that foster resilience.
Everything is health: Tracking Legislation in the Illinois General Assembly
May 5, 2017 Written By: Tiffany Ford and Wesley EpplinThe World Health Organization defines health as: “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Health & Medicine Issues Statement on Passage of ACA Repeal
May 4, 2017Health & Medicine’s Executive Director Margie Schaps today released a statement on the passage of the American Health Care Act. We at Health & Medicine stand in solidarity with the over 60% of Americans who believe that the government should be responsible for ensuring health coverage for all Americans. We are horrified by the vote just taken in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act, thereby removing health coverage for 24million people.
Health & Medicine Urges CCHHS Board to take Leadership Role in Protecting Immigrants and other Marginalized Groups
May 3, 2017On April 28, 2017 Health & Medicine’s Director of Health Equity, Wesley Epplin, testified before the Cook County Health & Hospitals Board in response to changes in immigration policies in the County providing recommendations on issues System's leadership and staff should respond to in order to protect patients.
New Online Resources Released to Support Health Workforce for Older Adults
Apr 25, 2017Health & Medicine would like to announce two great resources recently made available online: CATCH-ON and ENGAGE-IL. Our own Chicago Area Health Education Center (AHEC) at Health & Medicine and Center for Long Term Care Reform have teamed up to help review and define these two programs as a way to increase access to learning and professional development opportunities for health professionals; promote health careers development to students; and enhance collaborative, community-based health promotion activities.
CPS, Health Equity, and Illinois’ Revenue Problem
Apr 3, 2017 Written By: Tiffany Ford and Wesley EpplinAs Chicago Public Schools (CPS) continues to struggle with budget cuts—and the system’s recent lawsuit about discriminatory education funding starts winding its way through the courts—we face another attack on our public education system and on Chicago’s youth. CPS leadership, along with Chicago and Illinois elected officials, share the blame for this failure. CPS budget cuts steadily chip away at investments in our collective future—our children—through reductions in teachers, necessary support staff, and outdated textbooks. These cuts worsen opportunity gaps, building on both historical and current structural racism and class inequity enacted through public policy, and are reinforced by our regressive state tax policy. This is an avoidable problem and we expect our elected officials to fix it.
Fighting the Forces of Reaction: The Quentin D. Young Equity Project
Mar 29, 2017 Written By: Sekile Nzinga-Johnson and Karen LodaOn November 19, 2016 Health & Medicine launched a new initiative that honors the life and work of our organization’s founder, Dr. Quentin D. Young. Quentin was a life-long leader in social justice movements. The Quentin D. Young Equity Project (QDY Equity Project) aims to shape the next wave of progressive activists to build on his legacy.
Fighting the Forces of Reaction: The Quentin D. Young Equity Project
Mar 29, 2017On November 19, 2016 Health & Medicine launched a new initiative that honors the life and work of our organization’s founder, Dr. Quentin D. Young. Quentin was a life-long leader in social justice movements. The Quentin D. Young Equity Project (QDY Equity Project) aims to shape the next wave of progressive activists to build on […]
Ending Police Violence is a Public Health Responsibility
Mar 24, 2017 Written By: Tiffany Ford and Wesley EpplinHealth & Medicine hosted a forum this past Friday, March 17th where presenters and attendees explored how public health can aid in prevention efforts and policy change toward counting police-involved injuries and deaths. Our discussion intentionally had a broad focus on decriminalization of people generally, and more specifically on people of color and people living in poverty. In light of this discussion and related inquiry surrounding our choice of topic and speakers, we drafted this blog post to help frame 1) police violence as a public health (and health equity) issue and 2) how we can move toward police accountability.
The Only Choice for Public Education and HBCUs is to Fund Them
Mar 7, 2017 Written By: Sekile Nzinga-JohnsonLast week, Betsy Devos, Secretary of Education, drew a faulty and ahistorical connection by positioning historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as the "real pioneers when it comes to school choice". Devos’ school choice agenda is not a viable choice for most Americans nor were HBCUs founded as an educational choice for Blacks who were systematically denied access to American colleges and universities. They each are representative of unjust policy agendas that disinvest from communities and intensify inequity. Because I value education, I think the Secretary of Education might benefit from learning from a case study on the invaluable impact that a public school education and a HBCU education has on the lives of many Americans, including my own.
Health & Medicine Releases Statement to the CCHHS Board Concerning Changes in Immigration
Feb 27, 2017On February 24, 2017 Health & Medicine Board Member Linda Rae Murray M.D. MPH testified before the Cook County Health & Hospitals Board in response to changes in immigration policies in the County.
Justice is, By and Large, Just Racist
Feb 22, 2017 Written By: David FischerIn Illinois, our Juvenile Justice population is largely youth of color.* As we move further into an age of juvenile decarceration, the claim often made by politicians is that only the worst offenders are being held in secure confinement. This can give us the notion that only those young people committing violent crimes—those that pose a “threat” to our community and safety—are being held in secure confinement.
Living our Values: Health & Medicine’s New Maternity Leave Policy
Jan 31, 2017 Written By: Ann DuffyThere's been a lot of talk lately about maternity leave policies in the U.S. We all know by now that America is behind the rest of the world when it comes to offering new moms (and dads) paid time off after the birth of a child. The Family and Medical Leave Act mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave for new moms—but is applicable only to organizations with 50 or more employees. I found out I was pregnant in November 2015, prompting me to read every news item related to maternity leave—many about how horribly we treat new moms in our society. So I decided it was time to try my best to update Health & Medicine's maternity policy.
Setting the Foundation for Health Reform
Jan 24, 2017 Written By: Margie SchapsLast week in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Health & Medicine’s Executive Director Margie Schaps was invited to present on the future of healthcare at Northwestern University. Presenting to students from the Priztker School of Law and the Feinberg School of Medicine, Schaps offered an overview of historic roots of health inequities as well as the impact of the Affordable Care Act and directions for future work. We are pleased to share her presentation here.
Board Member Lon Berkeley honored by HRSA for lifelong commitment to community service
Jan 20, 2017During Health & Medicine's January Board meeting, founding Board Member Lon Berkeley was honored by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Office of Regional Operations for his lifelong commitment and dedication to community service, health equity, and engagement with the underserved community to improve overall health. Rick Wilk, Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA Chicago Regional Office – Region V, presented the commendation to Berkeley on the occasion of his retirement from the Joint Commission where he has worked since 1997, serving as the Project Director for the Community Health Center Accreditation initiative since it was launched in 2011. Prior to his time at the Joint Commission, Berkeley was the Executive Director of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association.
Measuring Structural Racism in Chicago
Dec 21, 2016 Written By: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)On September 7, 2016, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group staff attended a meeting jointly hosted by the Center for Community Health Equity (a joint DePaul-Rush center) and Health & Medicine’s Health Equity Initiative, to help advise the Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Department of Epidemiology on how to both accurately and reliably measure experiences of racism in Chicago. The recommendations and notes in this report are intended to help advance CDPH’s work toward accurately measuring racism, and ultimately aiding in the process of confronting structural racism and advancing toward achievement of health equity in Chicago—both monumental undertakings.
Center for Long-Term Care Reform Backs Enhanced Home- and Community-Based Services for People with Dementia
Dec 14, 2016 Written By: Sharon PostMedicaid pays for both institutional and home- and community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS). In 2014, the federal government issued new rules setting standards for what kind of LTSS setting qualifies as “community-based” rather than institutional. Some services are provided in settings that have characteristics of both institutions and community-based sites, and the new rules establish criteria for distinguishing a truly community-based setting that allows independence for program participants from those that restrict participants’ freedom to interact with the broader community.
Quality Matters: A Managed Care Approach to Disparity Reduction
Jul 27, 2016 Written By: Sharon PostThe Center for Long-Term Care Reform has been monitoring and responding to the roll out of managed care in Illinois Medicaid since the launch of the managed long-term services and supports in 2010. Early in the process of transitioning to managed care, we advocated for transparency, consumer protections, and quality assurance. As managed care has matured and expanded to new areas and populations, notably to include newly eligible ACA enrollees, we have turned our attention to the capacity of managed care to reduce disparities and achieve health equity.
Getting Readmissions Penalties Right: Comparing Medicare and Medicaid Hospital Readmission Reduction Programs
Jun 27, 2016 Written By: Sharon PostThe Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program began four years ago, and has attracted both support for its overall efficacy and criticism for its impact on safety net hospitals. Meanwhile, state Medicaid programs are using readmissions as a performance measure for hospitals and for managed care plans. This paper compares the federal HRRP with Illinois Medicaid’s Potentially Preventable Readmissions Program, and asks what Illinois can learn from the successes and shortcomings of the federal program.
The Long-Term Care System for Older Individuals: From the 1930’s to Today
Jun 27, 2016 Written By: Martha HolsteinWe're pleased to share the opening presentation from our recent forum, Caregiving: The Politics, Ethics, and Realities of Long-Term Care, part of our Chicago Forum for Justice in Health Policy series. Martha Holstein is a former Health & Medicine Board Member and currently serves as a consultant for our Center for Long-Term Care Reform.
Health & Medicine Supports Paid Sick Leave for All Chicago Workers
Jun 22, 2016 Written By: Wesley EpplinHealth & Medicine Policy Research Group supports the policy of paid sick leave for all workers in Chicago. The proposed City ordinance passed the Committee on Workforce Development last week and is being considered by the full City Council this week.
Health & Medicine Supports “Health in All Policies”
May 25, 2016 Written By: Wesley EpplinOver the last year, Health & Medicine has assisted the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) develop Healthy Chicago 2.0, the recently released community health improvement plan for the city. The plan includes pursuit of a “Health In All Policies” approach, a model for ensuring that all parts of policy, programs, and governmental agencies consider health impacts in decision-making.
A healthier Chicago
May 19, 2016Chicago Tribune piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director, and Margie Schaps, Health & Medicine Executive Director. We applaud the Tribune Editorial Board’s “The beauty of a clean slate” for calling on the city to make a critical and long-overdue investment in the vitality of many Chicago neighborhoods. Read the full piece […]
Laura Porter Shares National Perspective on Using ACEs to Shift Policy and Practice
May 12, 2016 Written By: Maggie LitgenIn a talk titled “The Magnitude of the Solution: Building Self-Healing Communities,” Laura Porter, a national expert on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), addressed an audience of over 200 clinicians, researchers, teachers, service providers and other community members on April 27, 2016 about the importance of understanding the impact of trauma on health. The talk was hosted by the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative at Northwestern University’s Chicago Campus through generous support of the Health Federation of Philadelphia.
How to Bridge Chicago’s Divide
May 12, 2016New York Times piece by Wesley Epplin, Health & Medicine Policy Director. Current and historical structural racism, as well as economic and political power inequities, help illuminate the unfairness described in your article. Read the full piece here.
Legislative Brief: Health and Healthcare Workforce-Related Bills
Apr 26, 2016 Written By: Wesley EpplinAn important part of health reform is health workforce policy reform which can help clinicians safely provide care at the top of their license and that new health workforce categories are integrated into health and healthcare systems. As part of our Health Workforce Initiative, Health & Medicine tracks state legislation that is related to health workforce reform.
A Global Perspective: A Look at Japan’s Health Care System
Apr 1, 2016 Written By: Guest AuthorBonnie Ewald, former Program Coordinator with Health & Medicine’s Center for Long-term Care Reform and the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship, left Health & Medicine in August 2015 and has been traveling around the U.S. and abroad since. In this guest post, she shares some public health-related insights from Japan.
The Health & Medicine Community Remembers Quentin D. Young
Mar 11, 2016 Written By: Board and CommunityAs we honor our founder Quentin D. Young and his extraordinary legacy working for social justice, single-payer healthcare, and progressive causes, we invite you to share your pictures, memories, and reflections. We will continue to update this page with remembrances from Health & Medicine Board Members, the community, and all those touched by Quentin.
Remembering the extraordinary intellect and moral compass of Quentin Young
Mar 10, 2016 Written By: Margie SchapsHealth & Medicine's Executive Director Margie Schaps shared the following statement on the passing of our founder, Dr. Quentin D. Young.
Statement in Memory of Health & Medicine’s Founder Quentin D. Young
Mar 9, 2016Health & Medicine’s Executive Director Margie Schaps shared the following statement on the passing of the organization’s founder, Dr. Quentin D. Young. Additional remembrances can be found on our blog. To make a gift in memory of Dr. Young, please click here. “Margie, what have we done today to fight the forces of reaction?” This […]
Lessons from Quentin Young: Bring equity into every decision
Mar 8, 2016 Written By: Michael Gelder, Founding Board Member of Health & MedicineWe're pleased to share a eulogy for our founder Quentin D. Young from founding Board Member Mike Gelder.
Key Lessons from Health & Medicine’s Budget Forum
Feb 17, 2016 Written By: Wesley EpplinOn January 15, 2016, Health & Medicine hosted a meeting of The Chicago Forum for Justice in Health Policy: Creating a New Vision for Illinois’ Budget. Health & Medicine has put together forum proceedings notes as a reference guide for the forum’s content.
A Rebuttal: What Conservatives Get Wrong About Social Security
Jan 22, 2016 Written By: Martha HolsteinIf you watched the recent, Republican debate, you heard New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tell it “like it is” about Social Security. Reforming, that is weakening, entitlements but especially Social Security, has become a centerpiece of the governor’s platform and a demonstration of his fearlessness.
Illinois needs a budget. Gov. Rauner, let’s get it done.
Jan 18, 2016Chicago Tribune piece by Margie Schaps, Health & Medicine Executive Director. It was 37 minutes past noon during Gov. Bruce Rauner’s State of the State address on Wednesday when he finally mentioned Illinois’ lack of a budget. Read the full piece here.
Health & Medicine at CBHA
Jan 8, 2016 Written By: Sharon PostIn December I attended my first Community Behavioral Healthcare Association (CBHA) conference. I saw a few old allies, a handful of new partners from our Learning Collaborative, and made some new contacts. As the Center for Long-Term Care Reform continues to wade into the choppy waters of behavioral health policy, I wanted to share a few of my reflections from the 2015 CBHA conference.
