CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced his appointment of Dr. Garth Walker as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). A board-certified emergency physician, healthcare executive, and nationally recognized public health leader, Dr. Walker brings broad experience across government, healthcare, academic, and nonprofit sectors advancing health equity, strengthening public health efforts, and expanding access to quality care.

“Dr. Garth Walker has dedicated his career to ensuring every Chicagoan has the opportunity to live a healthy life, regardless of the neighborhood they call home,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “From leading public health efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to advancing innovative models of care and addressing the root causes of health disparities, Dr. Walker has demonstrated the leadership and commitment our city needs. I’m thrilled to continue our shared work building a healthier Chicago together by advancing health equity, expanding access to mental and behavioral health services, and investing in communities that have too often faced barriers to accessing the resources and services needed to live healthy lives.” 

As Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Dr. Walker will oversee the department’s operations, programs, and services, guiding efforts to promote health, prevent disease, reduce public health risks, and expand access to critical care. His leadership will support CDPH’s work with community partners and City agencies to advance data-driven solutions, strengthen neighborhood-based public health services, promote health equity, and address the evolving public health needs of Chicago residents.  

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July 15 - 12:00 PM CT - Live Webinar - Expanding Access to Doula Care and Improving Maternal Health Outcomes - Health News Illinois

Sponsored by Institute of Medicine of Chicago 

Doulas and other non-traditional maternal health providers play a critical role in improving birth outcomes and advancing maternal healthcare. Yet, access to these services remains limited for many families, contributing to persistent gaps in maternal health and unequal outcomes. In Illinois, the preterm birth rate was 10.4 percent in 2024, while the state’s infant mortality rate remains above the national average.

Health News Illinois is convening a panel of experts to discuss the ways to increase support for and integrate non-traditional maternal and reproductive health providers to address the state’s larger maternal health crisis.

Panelists:

• Dr. Marina Claudio, interim Chief Medical Officer, Molina Healthcare of Illinois
• Michelle Adeniyi, Director of Maternal and Child Health, Collective Impact, March of Dimes
• Christina Urbina, Executive Director of Women and Children's Health, Cook County Health
• Dr. Dona Perry, Medical Director, Health Care Service Corporation

More details and to register here>

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Public Health & Policy: It Has Wide Support and Costs Nothing. Can This Prior Auth Bill Pass Congress? MEDPAGE TODAY reports on the progress with the Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act.

"I still have hope," said Peggy Tighe, legislative counsel for the Regulatory Relief Coalition, a group of physician specialty organizations advocating for regulatory burden reduction in Medicare, when she was asked about the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act, which was approved last week by the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.

The measure, which seeks more transparency and accountability from Medicare Advantage plans on their prior authorization decisions, must still be approved by the full Ways & Means and House Energy & Commerce committees before it hits the House floor for a vote.

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Infant mortality in the U.S. dropped to a new all-time low in 2025, according to preliminary government data as reported by MEDPAGE TODAY. 

Infant deaths dropped to about 19,350 last year

There were slightly fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, according to the CDC.

While that appears to be a small decline from about 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in the 2 years preceding, researchers say it is statistically meaningful and translates to hundreds of fewer infant deaths per year.

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A new state agency launched on Wednesday focused exclusively on early childhood programs and services, reported by Health News Illinois. 

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood will begin with 385 employees, including 340 from transferring agencies, and will assume the responsibility for administering over $4.3 billion in grants and direct services dedicated to supporting children and families across the state.

The agency will administer programs previously housed at the Illinois State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Children and Family Services. Those include child care services, home-visiting programs and early intervention services.

The department was legislatively created in 2024, with the stated goal of streamlining services, improving coordination and strengthening early learning systems statewide. Teresa Ramos was previously named secretary of the new agency.

“This launch reflects years of work to build a more connected and effective system for children, families, providers, and communities across the state,” she said in a Wednesday statement.

Along with existing services, officials said the agency will also implement several large-scale new initiatives, specifically those that address workforce and early childhood services.

“As a long-time supporter of early childhood education, today marks a major step forward for Illinois’ youngest learners and the professionals who support them,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.

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In 2023, adults younger than 65 with employer-sponsored insurance who received inpatient mental health treatment were most often treated for depressive disorders, while nearly three-fourths of substance use treatment stays were for alcohol-related disorders, according to a KFF  (https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/cost-and-utilization-of-inpatient-mental-health-and-substance-use-treatment/)  analysis. 

The analysis reviewed 2023 Merative MarketScan Commercial Databases and included adults ages 18 to 65 who were enrolled in commercial insurance for at least six months. Only diagnostic categories accounting for at least 1% of inpatient treatment episodes were included. 

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JAMA Network published an Original Investigation -Obstetrics and Gynecology:  Question  Does an electronic health record–enabled direct digital referral from prenatal care improve Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) enrollment compared with providing WIC information only?

Findings  In this randomized clinical trial of 240 pregnant participants, WIC enrollment was significantly higher among participants receiving direct digital referrals to WIC (78%) compared with those receiving written information (65%). WIC enrollment was also significantly higher with registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) referrals.

Meaning  These findings suggest that direct digital referrals from prenatal care to WIC and RDNs represent a scalable strategy to improve WIC enrollment and address health-related social needs during pregnancy.

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MEDPAGE Today reported - New Charter Unveiled for CDC's Influential Vaccine Committee.

A new charter calls on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to consider "non-vaccine interventions" and changes the focus, membership structure, and rules that govern the influential panel.
Societies led by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) warned the updates could threaten access to immunizations and erode trust in U.S. vaccine policy.

"The new charter inappropriately emphasizes potential gaps or limitations in vaccine data, which could be used to delay, rescind, or refuse to make evidence-based vaccine recommendations," the groups said in a statement.

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CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reported that Suicide is a substantial public health problem. In 2024, approximately 49,000 persons died by suicide in the United States, and an estimated 2.9 million persons aged ≥12 years reported having attempted suicide. Emergency department (ED) visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescents increased during 2020–2021, then decreased in 2022; reports based on more recent data, including ED visits for suicide attempts among older age groups, are lacking. National Syndromic Surveillance Program data were examined overall and by sex and age group to identify changes in ED visits for suspected suicide attempts. During 2021–2025, numbers of ED visits for suspected suicide attempts and proportions of those visits among all ED visits for any reason (visit proportions) were highest among adolescents aged 12–17 years compared with other age groups and were higher among females than among males. Compared with 2021, overall visit proportions in 2025 declined 7.0%, with the largest decreases occurring among adolescents aged 12–17 years (20.8% decline) and females (10.7% decline). Visit proportions increased among adults in age groups ≥26 years (range = 1.4%–15.2%). These findings highlight the need for suicide prevention in all groups, particularly in those with high or increasing proportions of suicide attempts. Timely monitoring of suicide-related data and a comprehensive approach that both prevents suicidal behavior by addressing multiple risk and protective factors and also supports those who have attempted suicide are critical for saving lives. 

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Two new reports examining recent US measles outbreaks highlight the challenges of containing the spread of the disease in certain communities in CIDRAP - Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy - University of Minnesota. 

The first report, published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–led team, examines the 2025 measles outbreak in a close-knit community in West Texas. Published this week in Vaccine, the second report takes a close look at the 2025-26 school-based outbreak in South Carolina. 

Both reports conclude that maintaining high measles vaccination coverage is the most effective intervention for preventing measles and limiting disruptions to schools and communities. The two outbreaks were the largest in the country in the past two years, reaching numbers not seen in decades.

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