News Release

June 11, 2020 

CHICAGO—The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) announced its 2020-2021 Board of Governors and 15 New Fellows during its virtual 2020 Annual Meeting held on June 4, 2020. The 105-year-old organization with a long history of promoting health care and wellbeing equity presented ‘Three for Three: How Can We Transform, Drive and Impact the Health Care System Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis.’

The seriousness of the global COVID-19 pandemic hit our local communities. Cook County has over 81, 250 cases and 3,880 deaths, and Chicago has over 47, 500 cases and 2,200 deaths (Cook County Public Health). The State of Illinois has about 126,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and over 6,000 deaths. Regrettably, the confirmed cases and deaths change each day.  Progress is slow; however, is improving due to many efforts. IOMC has made a difference in the past with the 1918 influenza pandemic and is addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The outstanding caliber of our directors and our fellows contribute to the needs of our community and focus on the building a strong intersection of public health, health care, and wellbeing. IOMC is working to eliminate the gaps of care and services in Chicagoland, and will continue to focus on the pressing issues of COVID-19, racism, and the socio-economic needs of the metropolitan Chicago community,” stated IOMC President Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker, MD, MPH.

Congratulations to the 2020-2021 Board of Governors

President     Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker, MD, MPH, NextLevel Health

Dr. Rucker-Whitaker is Founding Chairman and CEO of NextLevel Health; a Medicaid health insurance company dedicated to helping underserved populations access and manages Medicaid services.

Vice President     Raul Garza, MS, MBA, Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness   

Garza is the President and CEO of Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, leading a $75 million system of integrated health care, community wellness, and child welfare services with more than 35 locations, including 23 community health centers across nine counties.

Treasurer     Richard Ferraro, MBA, CPA, Ferraro Healthcare Advisory Group

Ferraro is a trusted advisor to health system decision-makers and related investors, and as a project leader in a variety of engagement capacities on a national level for over 30 years.

Secretary     Lorenzo Pence, DO, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education

Dr. Pence oversees the staff that supports the new Osteopathic Principles Committee and the Review Committee for Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine. Before ACGME, he was with West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, and served in other senior leadership roles. 

2020-2021 Directors

·         Courtney Avery, MPH, Health Facilities & Services Review Board*

·         Caswell Evans, DDS, MPH, University of Illinois at Chicago

·         Claudia Fegan, MD, Cook County Health*

·         Jason Kane, MD, MS, University of Chicago 

·         Cheryl Larson, Midwest Business Group on Health

·         Pat Merryweather-Argues, MA, Project Patient Care*

·         Howard Nochumson, MA, Washington Square Health Foundation 

·         Janice Odiaga, DNP, Rush University*

·         Les Sandlow, MD, University of Illinois at Chicago

·         Mark Shields, MD, Guidehouse

·         Clark Stanford, DDS, PhD, MHA, University of Illinois Chicago, College of Dentistry*

·         Anita Stewart, MD, Blue Cross and Blue Shield

·         Neli Vazquez Rowland, A Safe Haven Foundation*

*New directors

Congratulations to the 2020 New Fellows!

·         Kathleen Bobay, PhD, RN

·         Lauren M. Byrne, MPH

·         Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD

·         Eileen Collins, PhD, RN

·         Catherine Creticos, MD

·         William Ebomoyi, PhD

·         Earl Fredrick, MD, MBA

·         Jay Gandhi, DrPharm

·         Maryann Gierloff, RN, PhD

·         Catherine Kapella, MPH

·         Gayle Shier Kricke, MSW, PhD

·         Sandra Larson, PhD

·         Vemuri S. Murthy, MD, MS

·         Lee Schmidt, PhD, RN

·         Donna Thompson, RN

We would like to thank our sponsors, Northwestern Medicine® and University of Illinois, for their support making the annual meeting a success this year.

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) is an independent 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. With the health of the public at its core, IOMC is building new programs and services to better meet the needs of its members and the Chicagoland community. Visit www.iomc.org.

For more information contact:

Cheryl Irmiter, Executive Director

Institute of Medicine of Chicago   

312.709.2685                                                                                         

infostaff@iomc.org

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2019 Annual Meeting Video 

Join us for the upcoming 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting! 

Three for Three: How Can We Transform, Drive and Impact the Health Care System Amid COVID–19 Pandemic Crisis

Distinguished Panel:

• David Centafont, MBA, Leading National Healthcare Expert —Moderator
• Cheryl Larson, President & Chief Executive Officer, Midwest Business Group  on Health
• Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker, MD, MPH, FACP, Chief Executive Officer of NextLevel Health
• Carrie Nelson, MD, MS, FAAFP, System Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Population Health and Health Outcomes,  and Chief Clinical Officer, Advocate Physician  Partners 

The Portes Foundation, in association with The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), is soliciting proposals for research projects in health promotion and disease prevention. Please share this letter with colleagues who may be interested.

Historically, the Portes Foundation has funded grants in the range of $25,000 to $50,000.  Grants are awarded for one year projects. The principal investigator must be a MD, DO, or PhD, have an appointment at a medical school, other health science schools or colleges, or a medical school affiliated hospital or group practice. 

We invite proposals that explore research or implementation ideas important in health promotion and disease prevention. These projects may be investigative in etiologic factors, preventive measures, primary and secondary prevention screening, and education. Projects in patient education or health professions education will also be considered. All projects must include a complete and thorough evaluation component.

All proposals will be peer-reviewed by a scientific committee of The Portes Foundation and the IOMC. The first phase of this process is a Letter of Intent, which should not exceed three pages. It should concisely describe the purpose and rationale of the study, its expected outcome, as well as the basic methods that will be used for evaluating the success of the project.

The letter of intent must be submitted electronically to iomcstaff@iomc.org by AUGUST 1, 2020. In August, letter of interest (LOI) submitters will be notified of the initial determination and, if applicable, a complete formal proposal will be requested and due in mid-September. Acceptance of the LOI only means that the Portes Foundation and IOMC consider the concept within their mission and are now interested in evaluating a complete proposal.

Sincerely yours.

L. J. Sandlow, MD
Chair, Portes Foundation Grant Committee

Board, Institute of Medicine Chicago

  

2019 was an incredible year! Planning, listening, and addressing change needed in the Chicagoland community. We've been busy!  We've made progress in many areas— awards, strategic partners, events and membership. 

Check out the overview of last year's accomplishments.

 Are you interested in volunteering your time or joining a committee?         Contact us here. 

COVID-19 has created a physical health crisis which is undermining most of what anchors us in feelings of safety and well-being. This means that it is also creating a mental health crisis which has acute aspects as we shelter in place, but also longer term implications for the ability of people to return to the normal routine of their lives as that becomes more possible. It’s essential to workforce maintenance that businesses recognize and get ahead of this crisis by ensuring that their members have full access to telementalhealth services. Read full article here.   

IMPORTANCE - Health care workers exposed to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be psychologically stressed.

OBJECTIVE - To assess the magnitude of mental health outcomes and associated factors among health care workers treating patients exposed to COVID-19 in China. Read full article here. 

Please check back with us in the late summer for more details on the 2020 Annual IOMC Annual Meeting. The change is due to the COVID-19 and the full attention of our Fellows and members with our communities.

We are eager to celebrate the Crain's Chicago Business Notable Women in Health Care at our Annual Meeting. At this time, we are fortunate that this incredible women leaders will be joining us: 

• Deatra Howard, Chief Nursing Officer, Loretto Hospital
• Suzet McKinney, CEO and Executive Director, Illinois Medical District
• Marsha Rosner, Charles B Huggins Professor in the Ben May Dept. of Cancer Research 
• Laura Skarnulis, COO, American Board of Medical Specialities
• Audrey Stillerman, Assoc. Director of Medical Affairs, UIC Office of Community Engagement & Neighborhood Health Partnerships
• Karen Teitelbaum, President and CEO, Sinai Health System 
• Terr E. Weaver, Dean and Professor of Nursing, UOI at Chicago, College of Nursing
• Linnea Windel, President and CEO, VNA Health Care

More details about our keynote speaker and honored guests will be available in the near future and to reserve your spot!!

The Stay at Home order for Illinois has been extended until at least April 30, 2020. Information changes quickly and this page is updated when new information becomes available. We are mobilizing every resource at our disposal and collaborating with national, state and local partners to develop a comprehensive and coordinated response to the virus. Do your part. Stay home. Save lives. More >

It is a challenging and unprecedented time for us. Together we can make a difference. Here are websites from reputable organizations that can assist you and your team. This information addresses background and resources on COVID-19 for many professionals – public health, physicians, nurses, administrators, and health care. Download copy here.

This event will be rescheduled to the Fall 2020 -Opioid Crisis in Cook County. Check back with us later for an update. More details