On January 24, 2025, Health & Medicine Policy Director Wesley Epplin delivered testimony to the Cook County Health Board of Directors, highlighting the urgent need to address immigrant fears and threats caused by unjust ICE raids. His recommendations included: Establishing a dedicated...
Health & Medicine announces an exciting collaboration that marks a transformative step forward for reproductive justice in Illinois. Health & Medicine Policy Research Group is joining forces with the Black Midwifery Collective and researchers from Northwestern University to create...
By Meera Puthenmadom, Anna Yankelev, and Gita Krishnaswamy A 2020 report by the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center forecasts a daunting shortage of nearly 15,000 registered nurses by 2025 (1). With less than 8,000 nurses in Illinois graduating each year, our healthcare system is under immense...
The Healing-Centered Illinois Task Force, established through SB 646 in January 2024, has released a landmark recommendations report outlining a blueprint to advance trauma-informed and healing-centered policies and practices statewide. The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative at Health &...
Immigrant rights are essential for health equity! In today’s harsh political environment, Health & Medicine stands in solidarity with immigrants. We have assembled the below resources from government and nonprofit organizations that provide information for both immigrants and partner agencies....
Health & Medicine Policy Research Group seeks a skilled Instructional Designer to create engaging and accessible visualizations for 19 public health career pathways. This project will support our Health Career Pathways Resource (CPR), a tool designed to increase awareness and access to health...
The Healing-Centered Illinois Task Force, established by SB 646 in January 2024, has released its comprehensive recommendations report, offering a blueprint for advancing trauma-informed and healing-centered policies and practices across the state. The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative at...
On November 7, 2024, Health & Medicine Policy Director Wesley Epplin delivered testimony to the Chicago City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations regarding threats to the Chicago Public Health Department’s budget. “In the shadow of the Federal election results this...
On October 24, 2023, Health & Medicine Policy Director testified before the Cook County Board of Commissioners about the dire need for public health funding. “If there’s one lesson you take away from the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope it is this: People’s lives depend upon us having both a...
We are all aging, all of the time, and virtually all of us care about—and many provide care to— older persons; so, we all have a vested interest in moving toward aging equity. Further, as our population gets older, to successfully provide services to all, every agency of our government and sector...
A group of 80 Chicago-area organizations signed letters requesting significantly increased funding for the Chicago and Cook County departments of public health to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago City Council, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, County Commissioners, and other relevant...
Wesley Epplin, Policy Director at Health & Medicine Policy Research Group Good afternoon. I’m Wesley Epplin. I serve as Policy Director at Health & Medicine Policy Research Group. I direct our Aging Equity Center which has worked for 25 years to create policies and systems that support all...