By Invitation Only 

Philanthropic and health system agencies, corporations, city, county and state stakeholders

Sept. 25, 2020 | 9:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M. CT | Virtual Meeting

On behalf of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), we want to personally thank you for your interest and commitment to making the Cook and collar counties a welcoming community for all. In these uncertain times, all of us need to leverage opportunities to make our future better. We invite you to join us in convening thought leaders to forcefully confront the economic and racial inequities that people of color have for far too long experienced on September 25, 2020 at 9 AM to Noon.

The Focus Group is the first series of virtual meetings leading up to an October 23, 2020 State of Health of Chicago. Their participation is requested on Friday, September 25, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. This gathering is aimed to garner your needs as a philanthropic and health system agencies, corporations, city, county and state stakeholders. 

THE ISSUE

These are challenging times for our city and the country. The impact of the virus on the everyday lives of individuals, communities, and particularly people of color is devastating and unprecedented. The economic consequences have been catastrophic with the increasing rise in homelessness, missed rent, unpaid bills, foregoing medical care, lack of food—the list goes on.

The public call for action against systematic racism has added urgency and clarity, requiring decisive and bold action. A neutral convener is needed to ask uncomfortable questions and gather experiences that met or failed to reach those at risk regarding COVID-19 or future pandemics.  

For more details, visit here.

Sincerely, 

Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker, MD, MPH, President and Chair, Institute of Medicine of Chicago

AJ Wilhelmi, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Hospital Association

Raul Garza, Vice-President, Chief Executive Officer, Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness

Cheryl Larson, Chief Executive Officer, Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH)

 and Jason Parrot, President of the Board of MBGH and Vice President, Boeing Senior   Manager   Global Healthcare & Well Being Strategy

Howard Nochumson, Executive Director, Washington Square Health Foundation

This opportunity is funded by the Portes/Michael Reese Education and Research Trust Foundations

By Invitation Only 

Sept. 4, 2020 | 9:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M. CT | Virtual Meeting

On behalf of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), we want to personally thank you for your interest and commitment to making the Cook and collar counties a welcoming community for all. In these uncertain times, all of us need to leverage opportunities to make our future better. We invite you to join us in convening thought leaders to forcefully confront the economic and racial inequities that people of color have for far too long experienced. 

This is the first series of virtual meetings leading up to an October 23, 2020 State of Health of Chicago. Participants will meet on Friday, September 4, from 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. meeting. This is the first of two focus groups aimed to garner your needs as a coalition, funder for not-for-profit, or data gatherer and analyst. 

THE ISSUE

These are challenging times for our city and the country. The impact of the virus on the everyday lives of individuals, communities, and particularly people of color is devastating and unprecedented. The economic consequences have been catastrophic with the increasing rise in homelessness, missed rent, unpaid bills, foregoing medical care, lack of food—the list goes on.

The public call for action against systematic racism has added urgency and clarity, requiring decisive and bold action. A neutral convener is needed to ask uncomfortable questions and gather experiences that met or failed to reach those at risk regarding COVID-19 or future pandemics.  

THE IDEA

The Institute of Medicine Chicago (IOMC) has and continues to have a long-standing interest in and a commitment to addressing the health inequities and disparities that exist in our region. IOMC, over the past two years, has examined ways in which social determinants of health (SDOH) are addressed in various communities; what interventions have made a difference; and, what could possibly be launched in the Cook and collar counties to address these root causes.  

We propose gathering the community and thought leaders to explore tough questions regarding the root causes of economic and racial inequalities and to explore what can be done to improve the efforts currently underway which would, if implemented, make a difference in the wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities during the current pandemics (COVID-19 and mental health) and future pandemics.

For more information, visit here.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker, MD, MPH, President and Chair, Institute of Medicine of Chicago

AJ Wilhelmi, President & CEO, Illinois Health and Hospital Association

Raul Garza, Vice-President, Chief Executive Officer, Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness

Cheryl Larson, Chief Executive Officer, Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) & Jason Parrot, President of the Board of MBGH and Vice President, Boeing Senior Manager Global   Healthcare & Well Being Strategy

Howard Nochumson, Executive Director, Washington Square Health Foundation

This opportunity is funded by the Portes/Michael Reese Education and Research Trust Foundations. 

If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Irmiter, PhD, Executive Director, IOMC at infostaff@iomc.org.

Join this upcoming webinar 'Aligning Population and Community Health To Advance Health Equity: Rush’s Response to COVID-19,' co-hosted by our Center for Health and Social Care Integration and the Illinois Health & Hospital Association on Wednesday August 12 (11am-12pm). Details and registration info here.

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CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today released the advisory report compiled by the COVID-19 Recovery Task Force, which was established in April to advise city government as recovery planning efforts were underway amidst COVID-19. The Task Force was co-chaired by Mayor Lightfoot and former White House Chief of Staff Samuel Skinner and involved a group of more than 200 industry experts, regional government leaders, community-based partners, and policymakers. Over the past ten weeks, the Task Force members assembled a change study and an advisory report to provide critical insights to help Mayor Lightfoot as her administration works to balance a robust health response with a strategic economic and social response that addresses the unique challenges presented by COVID-19 – many of which underscore the challenges the city faces in the form of structural inequities.  

“I am deeply grateful for the hard work of the Recovery Task Force, and their commitment to doubling down on our mission of building a better Chicago that ends economic hardship, confronts racial inequities and unites all of the City’s residents,” said Mayor Lightfoot. "With their invaluable contributions we will transform the COVID-19 crisis into the once-in-a-generation opportunity that it presents to eliminate the deep, glaring chasms of inequity it has brought to the surface. While we don't know when this crisis will end, we do know that our recovery from it will not be reached with any short cuts or half measures."

The Task Force developed a set of 17 recommendations and four existing initiatives to advance a targeted set of outcomes for Chicago. More>

Researchers are developing models for more targeted closings (and reopenings) that would curb the spread of infection at a less severe economic cost. As COVID-19 cases took off in New York in March, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo imposed a lockdown of nonessential businesses to slow the spread of the coronavirus, calling it “the most drastic action we can take.”   Now researchers say more targeted approaches — in New York and elsewhere — might have protected public health with less economic pain. Read more about this issue in the New York Times article here. ###

Reducing microaggressions and promoting interracial connection: The racial harmony workshop

by Monnica T. Williams, Jonathan W. Kanterc, Adriana Peñad, Terence H.W. Chingb, Linda Oshinb.

Dr. Monnica Williams has published over 100 academic papers, which includes peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, editorials, commentaries, and scientific reports. This page contains most of Dr. Williams' publications which have appeared in peer-reviewed scientific journals and edited volumes. It also includes some recent technical reports and commentaries. Where available, these can be downloaded as PDFs.

These works have an emphasis on psychopathology and cultural experiences. Among the journal articles and chapters are included papers focused on multiple ethnic groups (36), Black Americans (33), primarily White samples (19), Black/White differences (11), Hispanic Americans (5), and Asian groups (3). Seventy-one papers are empirical, with over three-quarters of these using data collected by Dr. Williams and her lab. Primary topics include OCD and related disorders (60), trauma (22), anxiety (19), substance use (10), and depression (7). She also has written 4 books, the most recent of which is focused on microaggressions in clinical care. 

Other articles and publications More>

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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are left to wonder about the impact it will have on our health care system and our wellbeing. It can be difficult to predict our future. Our World of Data provides an context to look as we attempt to manage during this pandemic crisis. More>

“First in violence, deepest in dirt; loud, lawless, unlovely, ill-smelling, irreverent, new; an overgrown gawk of a village,” journalist Lincoln Steffens described the Windy City in 1903.1 From its start as a marshy portage for Native American and French trappers and traders, Chicago grew to a bustling metropolis of 2.7 million by the time influenza arrived on September 8, 1918, when a few sailors at the nearby Great Lakes Naval Training Station fell ill with the disease. A week later, seven army cadets from the Northwestern University SATC unit came down with influenza. Then, a few days after that, cases developed among cadets at the Lewis Institute SATC unit on South Hoyne Street in Chicago itself. The epidemic had begun. More>

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The health of Americans is not as good as it could be, despite large expenditures on healthcare. Our poorer health status creates costs and challenges for individuals, families, communities, and businesses, and can be a drag on the economy, as too many jobs remain unfilled and productivity is adversely affected. Many of our poor health problems are rooted in inadequate investments in prevention and unequal economic opportunities in our communities. In order to improve the health of Americans and help foster a more sustainable and equitable prosperity, the Office of the Surgeon General is implementing an initiative called “Community Health and Economic Prosperity” or “CHEP” for short.  Read about CHEP More> Download the infographic here ###

Social risk factors are deeply linked to health and wellbeing. Left unaddressed, they lead to poor and inequitable health outcomes that the United States healthcare system has to date not adequately been able to address.

For years, stakeholders in the greater Chicago metropolitan area have been doing innovative work to address gaps and improve health across diverse communities. In the last decade, health policy reform, changing demographics, & persistent health inequities...More>  Check out the video here.