With summertime murders at a historic low, we can see the impact of investments in youth jobs, mental health, and violence prevention programs—not policing—on violent crime. In a new op-ed, Health & Medicine Policy Director Wesley Epplin shares his support for a community safety surcharge,...
Health & Medicine’s Executive Director, Margie Schaps, recently shared her perspective in the Chicago Sun-Times on the devastating impact of the newly passed “Big Beautiful Bill.” In her letter to the editor, Margie underscores how deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare will harm millions and why...
Last week, Health & Medicine’s Policy Director, Wesley Epplin, joined Illinois Public Media’s The 21st Show to discuss the critical need to protect Medicaid. In a conversation about the future of healthcare in Illinois, he highlighted the devastating consequences of proposed Medicaid cuts and...
Medicaid funding cuts could hit Illinois hard! In a recent full-length article for Crain’s Chicago Business, Health & Medicine’s Policy Director Wesley Epplin warns, “Increasingly, people who were covered by Medicaid would go without preventive care, end up sicker and in the emergency...
The health and well-being of millions of Illinois residents are under attack as the Trump administration and congressional Republicans push forward drastic Medicaid cuts. Health & Medicine’s Policy Director, Wesley Epplin, sheds light on this urgent issue in an op-ed published in The Chicago...
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 2024-2025 Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows are dedicating their time to community projects and expanding their knowledge through literature. From novels and memoirs to scientific analyses and investigative journalism, these works reflect the Fellows’ commitment to health equity, social justice,...
by Karol Dean, PhD, Ronisha Edwards-Elliott, MSW, and A. Gita Krishnaswamy, MEd, MPH Contributors: Mia Hayford, Mia Bonds, and Jessica Coffee A year has passed since the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action in college admissions, and its impacts on community health are becoming...