— Championing ‘Generational Health’ as the Association for Generational Wealth

CHICAGO, IL — The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) proudly announces the appointment of Neli Vazquez Rowland as its new President, effective July 1, 2025. A visionary leader and nationally recognized social entrepreneur, Vazquez Rowland brings nearly three decades of pioneering work transforming lives and strengthening the healthcare continuum through bold, integrated solutions.

A finance professional by training, Vazquez Rowland is best known as a trailblazer who built one of the nation’s most complete, fully integrated infrastructures and person-centered ecosystems addressing the root causes of homelessness. Starting in 1994, she applied her business acumen to develop phased housing, behavioral healthcare, nutrition, economic development, and social enterprises designed to heal families, including reentry populations, youth, and military veterans. Long before these ideas were mainstream, she championed measuring outcomes and demonstrating a double bottom line — proving the return on taxpayer investments through data and impact.

At the tip of the spear of the opioid epidemic, Vazquez Rowland was among the first to identify the link between prescription painkillers and heroin addiction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-developed Chicago’s and America’s first dedicated COVID-19 Medical Respite Center in partnership with Rush University Medical Center — earning her the Crain’s Healthcare Hero, the IOMC Global Humanitarian Award, and the Chicago Innovation Award for Best Response to COVID.

Beyond direct service innovation, Vazquez Rowland authored and helped pass landmark legislation that elevated homeless providers as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure — securing emergency funding during pandemics and expanding access to Medicaid resources. She also authored the original 1115 Medicaid waiver concept in Illinois to enable smoother transitions from institutional healthcare to community-based care, housing, and wraparound services.

After nearly 30 years at the helm of her nonprofit, she has stepped down to dedicate her next chapter to elevating IOMC’s legacy and expanding its reach. 

“My goal is to position the Institute of Medicine of Chicago as the trusted convener where thought leaders, policymakers, academia, business, institutional healthcare, and community organizations come together to create real solutions that serve everyone — no matter where they start in life,” said Vazquez Rowland. “To build true generational wealth, we must first secure generational health.”

As she assumes her new role, Vazquez Rowland extends an open invitation to members of the healthcare community — and those in adjacent fields — to join IOMC in shaping the future of care at this pivotal moment in healthcare history. “I am a listener and a doer,” she added. “I believe when we bring the right people to the table, we can do extraordinary things for the generations that follow.”

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago is an independent, non-profit forum for Chicago’s health leaders to share knowledge, and drive collective action to improve health and well-being for all residents.

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), since 1915, is an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization of distinguished leaders in the health field who collaborate to improve the health of the public. Drawing upon the expertise of a diverse membership and other regional leaders, the IOMC addresses critical health issues through a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including education, research, communication of trusted information, and community engagement. Visit www.iomc.org.  

Media Contact:

Institute of Medicine of Chicago

Deborah J. Hodges 

media@iomc.org

Interviews available upon request. 

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A new law signed Monday seeks to strengthen safe drinking water standards.
[Health News Illinois].

The proposal, effective immediately, gives the Department of Public Health the authority to impose civil penalties against facilities with non-community water supplies, or those served by their own water supply, that violate drinking water standards. 

The law also clarifies that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is the primary agency responsible for implementing the state’s drinking water law.

The plan passed the General Assembly in May along party lines.

Sen. Karina Villa, a Democrat from West Chicago who sponsored the plan, said Monday the law would protect those who use such non-community water systems at places like schools, factories and restaurants. She said the law will guarantee “every water source we rely on is safe.”

“When people are out in the community, they deserve to know that the water they use is safe,” she said. “Safe drinking water standards must be enforced to secure the health of our communities.”

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New President Pledges Stronger Integration and Collaboration Across Chicago’s Health System

CHICAGO— The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) proudly celebrated its historic 110th Anniversary and Leadership Awards Gala on June 26^th with a record sold-out gathering at Maggiano’s, uniting healthcare leaders, innovators, and partners from across Illinois to honor transformative leadership and chart a bold course for Chicago’s future in health delivery.

The evening featured the ceremonial installation of Neli Vazquez Rowland as IOMC’s new President for 2025–2026. A nationally recognized author, multi-family real estate investor, social entrepreneur and co-founder of A Safe Haven, Vazquez Rowland shared her story as a public health innovator, since 1994 — including her decisive response to the COVID-19 crisis. She highlighted the groundbreaking partnership she led with Rush University Medical Center, with Dr. David Ansell, MD, MPH which created Chicago’s first formal medical respite program integrating institutional healthcare with a community-based organization. This collaboration and pioneering Chicago Innovation Award winning model is now informing the way healthcare systems nationwide address housing and health together.

“As we face extraordinary challenges, it’s more important than ever that we come together,” said Vazquez Rowland. “We have the hospitals, the universities, and our community-based organizations — all the pieces are here. The missing link is streamlining them, strengthening them, and securing the right funding so we can deliver better care, efficiently and allocate resources by funders and insurers, accordingly.

She pledged to listen to the IOMC members and region’s leading subject-matter experts and position IOMC as Chicago’s most influential convener, think tank, and trusted platform for ideas that advance innovation and access.

A heartfelt thank you was given to Courtney Avery, MPH, IOMC’s outgoing President for 2024–2025, for her strategic leadership and dedication to the mission.

The Institute proudly honored six outstanding leaders and institutions whose transformative contributions are reshaping medicine, innovation, prevention, and public service:

2025 IOMC Lifetime Achievement Award

James L. Madara, MD

CEO, American Medical Association

 

2025 IOMC Innovation in Health Care / Delivery Award - Individual                        

Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD

Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center

 

2025 IOMC Innovation in Health Care / Delivery Award - Organization

La Rabida Children's Hospital Behavioral Health & Community Programs

 

2025 IOMC Award for Public Service

LaMenta Conway, MD, MPH

I Am Abel Foundation

 

2025 The Portes Foundation & IOMC Award for Excellence in Prevention of Disease

Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science

 

2025 Portes Foundation Meritorious Lifetime Achievement Award

Alejandro Aparicio, MD, FACP

 

The evening featured a thought-provoking fireside chat with Dr. David Ansell, MD, MPH, and was skillfully emceed by Rob Johnson, President of Rob Johnson Communications. The Institute also celebrated its incoming Class of 2025 Fellows, adding to its legacy of nurturing leadership and collaboration across Chicago’s health community.

We wish to thank our sponsors for their support: Washington Square Health Foundation, Golden Square, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Johnson & Johnson, Cannon Solutions USA, Novo Nordisk, Hektoen, National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, Rob Johnson Communications, and Illinois Association for Behavioral Health Our Dinner Table Sponsors are American Medical Association, Family Christian Health Center, Golz, I Am Abel, Michael Reese Research & Education Foundation, The Portes Foundation, Trilab Health, and UI-Mile Square Health Center.  In-Kind Media – Health News Illinois.

About the Institute of Medicine of Chicago

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), since 1915, is an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization of distinguished leaders in the health field who collaborate to improve the health of the public. Drawing upon the expertise of a diverse membership and other regional leaders, the IOMC addresses critical health issues through a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including education, research, communication of trusted information, and community engagement. Visit www.iomc.org. 

Media Contact: Interviews available upon request. 

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The Department of Public Health said it has confirmed the state’s first case of West Nile virus.

The case in a southern Illinois resident is the earliest a case has been reported in the state since 2016. The individual has been hospitalized due to complications from the infection. (Health News Illinois]

“The fact that we are seeing the first human case of West Nile virus so early in the season serves as a timely reminder — especially for seniors and those with weakened immune systems — to protect yourself from illnesses caused by mosquito bites,” said agency Director Dr. Sameer Vohra.

The virus has been confirmed in 19 counties so far this year.

Last year, there were 69 confirmed human cases of the virus, including 13 deaths. It was the highest number of deaths since 17 human deaths recorded in 2018.

IDPH provides $2.8 million annually for local mosquito control efforts, including vector surveillance and control activities.

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Recent headlines highlight the complexities of advancing health through policy. Federal officials are calling for expanded use of wearable devices and remote monitoring, though experts caution that without proper implementation, the benefits may fall short. Meanwhile, digital health leaders are pushing for better interoperability and policy support amid looming healthcare cuts. [

States like Wyoming and Georgia are grappling with maternal health challenges—from declining births and doctor shortages to the potential of midwives as care extenders. New research underscores the urgency: pregnancy complications are now linked to long-term stroke risk in women and increased seizure risk in children, reinforcing the need for comprehensive, data-informed maternal care strategies. [Baby Scripts]

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While nitrate is a naturally occurring compound that is necessary to plants and animals for survival, its widespread use in inorganic fertilizers has increased the compound’s presence in the environment.

When excess nitrate is consumed by humans, usually via drinking water contaminated by agricultural runoff, the chemical can interfere with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, the study explained.

“There is no safe level of prenatal nitrate exposure,” author Jason Semprini, an assistant professor in public health economics at Des Moines University, said in a statement.

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Over the past few decades, the respective roles of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in making vaccine policy have been reasonably well defined. The FDA focuses on ensuring that the data submitted by vaccine manufacturers support the claims of safety and effectiveness made in the prescribing information and that the vaccines are produced using high-quality standards in appropriate facilities. The FDA is also responsible for issuing guidance on how the vaccine industry can comply with its regulations and recommendations. Its guidance documents represent formal statements of agency policy, and the process underlying them usually involves issuing a draft document, receiving comments to a docket of the Federal Register at www.regulations.gov, and publishing a final version of the guidance after incorporation of any necessary revisions based on the comments obtained. [ New England Journal of Medicine]

The CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) subsequently review the FDA prescribing information and other available information to make recommendations that they consider to be in the best interest of public health. They also post the recommended schedules of immunizations for children and adults. Both agencies share responsibility for vaccine safety surveillance, and this overlapping coverage helps ensure that safety signals are rapidly identified and refined.

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A new variant of COVID-19 is on the rise globally, but the overall risk to the public remains low, according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO). [Medscape]

Although the variant, NB.1.8.1, is increasing in proportion to other circulating variants, routine clinical surveillance data have not yielded any signs of increased severity associated with NB.1.8.1 compared to previously circulating variants, the WHO noted in the report.

In a logistic regression model comparing NB.1.8.1 to LP.8.1.1, NB.1.8.1 had an estimated higher relative growth advantage than co-circulating variants, according to the WHO. However, no evidence has appeared of increased COVID-19-related hospital admissions, deaths per hospitalizations, or all-cause mortality associated with the variant, the WHO report stated.

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The first six months of 2025 have seen major policy pitches for behavioral health, scrutiny of psychiatric medications, and proposed Medicaid cuts. [Becker's Behavioral Health]

Here are the five biggest developments to know: 

1. Behavioral health providers are bracing for the impact of proposed Medicaid cuts. The House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a more than 1,000-page budget reconciliation bill, May 22. The bill cuts Medicaid spending by nearly $800 billion over 10 years, by implementing work requirements for beneficiaries, increasing redetermination frequency and cutting federal funding for states that provide Medicaid benefits to undocumented immigrants. The Senate has yet to vote on the reconciliation bill.
   
   An estimated 7.8 million people would lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 if the cuts passed by the House become law, according to the Congressional Budget Office

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Next week's meeting of the ACIP will offer the public a glimpse of the HHS secretary's hand-picked panel's approach to vaccines. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, has requested an investigation into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismissal of all ACIP members. [KFF Health News]

Stat: Vaccine Advisers To Consider MMRV Vaccines, ‘Thimerosal Containing’ Flu Shots In Pared-Down Meeting 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s handpicked panel of vaccines advisers will weigh in on two long-approved shots at its first meeting next week, an agenda posted on Wednesday shows. The panel will vote next week on recommendations related to “thimerosal containing” flu vaccines, and also reconsider recommendations related to the use of the combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine for children under 5. (Cirruzzo, 6/18)

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