Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

Illinois Birth Justice State Strategic Plan Summit
2025-09-25 | IL
Join us on September 25th for a powerful gathering to shape the future of birth justice in Illinois. This event will bring together community-based perinatal providers, birth workers, advocates, and stakeholders from across the state. Our goal is to build a community-driven strategic plan that centers on the voices and needs of those most impacted by birth inequities.
Day 1 is open to the public, with presentations and breakout sessions. Space is limited, so register now!
Day 2 is invite-only, for community-based workers who provide services to unjustly served communities using a birth justice approach.

Get your ticket today!

2025 Health & Medicine Awards Gala
2025-09-17 | Bridgeport Art Center’s Skyline Loft, 1200 W 35th Street, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Health & Medicine is excited to announce our 2025 Awards Gala at Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago! Join us on September 17 from 6 – 9:00 p.m. as we celebrate the winners of our annual awards for Illinois leaders who exemplify Health & Medicine’s mission to build power and momentum for social justice and health equity in Illinois. Our awards gala is our only fundraiser of the year, providing general operating funds that allow us the flexible funding we need to respond to emerging issues and remain nimble and independent in our work.

Please join us in celebrating this year’s Health & Medicine Awards winners in the categories of Health, Medicine, Policy, Research, Group, Lifetime Achievement, and Emerging Leader. The event will feature social time with wine, a signature cocktail, food stations by The Fat Shallot, and a presentation and acceptance of awards.
Get your ticket or become a sponsor today!
Tickets are $250, and sponsorships range from $650 to $50,000.
Trailblazer / $50,000 Sponsorship
18 Gala tickets
Most prominent name and logo placement on all event marketing, materials, and signage
Verbal recognition from the podium; special acknowledgment during event
Champion / $25,000 Sponsorship
12 Gala tickets
Prominent name and logo placement on all event marketing and materials
Verbal recognition from the podium
Pioneer / $15,000 Sponsorship
10 Gala tickets
Verbal recognition from the podium; recognition in all event marketing and materials
Leader / $10,000 Sponsorship
8 Gala tickets
Verbal recognition from the podium; recognition in all event marketing and materials
Visionary / $5,000 Sponsorship
6 Gala tickets; recognition in all event marketing and materials
Innovator / $3,500 Sponsorship
4 Gala tickets; recognition in all event marketing and materials
Advocate / $1,500 Sponsorship
4 Gala tickets; recognition in all event marketing and materials
Friend / $650 Sponsorship
3 Gala tickets; recognition in all event marketing and materials
Sponsorships received by August 15, 2025, will be listed in the program booklet. For any inquiries about the awards or the Gala, contact Shannon Sweetnam.

Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate, connect, and drive momentum for health equity in Illinois. Click here to register.

Solidarity Summit: A People's Agenda
2025-05-17 | SEIU Healthcare, 2229 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
We will not be divided!

You are invited to the Solidarity Summit: A People’s Agenda, a Chicago-area in-person gathering. The current national government’s cruel policies make the struggle for human rights all the more urgent and far more difficult. Only by acting together in solidarity will the people prevail over oppression and make justice a reality.
Politicians scapegoat people to unjustly cast blame on those who they have chosen to otherize and oppress. These attacks focus the public’s attention on an invented “other,” distracting us from the collective struggle for justice to be fought against the ruling class and oligarchs.
Do you want to see a multi-racial and multi-cultural society of people living with all of our human needs fulfilled and each of our human rights and dignity intact? Do you want to fight the forces of reaction? If so, please join us at this event.
This cross-community gathering will be a train-the-trainer session focused on disrupting the use of immigration as a wedge to divide communities.
We ask participants to be willing to put this toolbox to use by:

Hosting conversations in your faith institutions, block clubs, unions, and other civic organizations.
Using the provided tools and materials for engaging people in healthy conversations about supporting immigrants and long-term residents of our communities alike, developing a stronger sense of solidarity in action for demanding human rights for all.

While this event is free to attend, we are accepting optional donations at checkout to offset the costs of the summit.
Click here to register.
Details

Saturday, May 17, 2025

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (lunch provided)
SEIU Healthcare
2229 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60608
Parking is available in the back and on the street.

Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship Celebration of Service
2025-04-10 | DePaul University’s Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N Fremont St., Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Please join the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship at our annual celebration honoring the achievements of our Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows! Co-sponsored by DePaul University’s Master of Public Health program, this event is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and impactful service our Fellows have contributed to the Chicagoland community.
Celebrate with us at DePaul University’s Cortelyou Commons (2324 N Fremont St, Chicago, IL 60614) as we showcase our 2024-2025 Schweitzer Fellows on Thursday, April 10, 2025, from 6 – 9 p.m. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Please secure your ticket by Tuesday, April 1, 2025, as space is limited. Registration is required.
Your support plays a crucial role in the success of this event! While there is no cost for admission, we invite those interested to sponsor the celebration to help defray costs and contribute to this meaningful occasion. For more information, contact Shannon Sweetnam, Director of Development and Communications, at ssweetnam@hmprg.org.
Click here to register!

How Health Organizations and Health Workers Can Protect Immigrant Rights
2025-02-20 | Virtual
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Webinar: 4 – 5 p.m. Q&A: 5 – 5:30 p.m.
Immigrant rights are essential to health equity. The current U.S. political context threatens the safety, well-being, and health of many communities, including immigrant communities. These threats both cause direct harm and stoke fear.
What steps can health organizations and health workers take to protect immigrant rights? How can we ensure health facilities and services are welcoming, affirming, and as safe as possible for all?
Co-sponsored by Health & Medicine, the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County, and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, this webinar will provide basic, practical legal information to those working within health care settings on the legal rights, resources, and needed policies, procedures, and training to protect immigrant and refugee populations.
Speakers include Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya; Carrie Chapman, JD; and Steve Rothschild, MD.
The forum is free to attend. Registration is required.
Register here.

Americans Are Angry About Their Health Insurance: The Movement for Single-Payer Health Care
2025-02-13 | Virtual
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Webinar: 9 – 10:30 a.m.
Join us for an important discussion on what a single-payer health care program would look like and learn how to get involved in working for the solution we all deserve. The virtual program will examine the following:

Why are Americans angry about their health insurance?
What is a single-payer national health program?
What’s happening in Illinois to support a single-payer system?
How can you get involved?

Panelists include Bill Bianchi, Board President, lllinois Single Payer Coalition; Claudia Fegan, MD, National Coordinator, Physicians for a National Health Program; and Monica Maalouf, MD, National Board Member, Physicians for a National Health Program.
The forum is free to attend. Registration is required.
Register here.

Health & Medicine Awards Gala
2024-09-12 | Ignite Glass Studios, 401 N Armour St, Chicago, IL, United States
Health & Medicine is pleased to announce our 2024 award winners! These Chicago-area leaders exemplify the Health & Medicine mission to build power and momentum for social justice and health equity in Illinois.
Help us celebrate the public health champions in our community! Join us for the 2024 Health & Medicine Awards Gala on September 12 as we recognize these public health leaders.
Our awards gala is our only fundraiser of the year, providing general operating funds that allow us the flexible funding we need to respond to emerging issues and remain nimble and independent in our work. The event will feature social time with wine, a signature cocktail, food stations by The Fat Shallot, and a presentation and acceptance of awards.
Purchase sponsorships and tickets here.
Health
Geeta Maker-Clark, MD
Endeavor Health, University of Chicago
Medicine
Juleigh Nowinski Konchak, MD
Department of Family/Community Medicine & Center for Health Equity & Innovation Attending Physician, Behavioral Health;
Cook County Health Program Director, Public Health & Preventive Medicine Residency
Peter H. S. Sporn, MD, ATSF, FCCP
Professor of Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care, Northwestern University Medical School and Hospital & the VA Hospital
Policy
Sarah Hess, JD
Senior Attorney, Legal Council for Health Justice
Research
Arden Handler, DrPH
Professor, Director of Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health,
Community Health Sciences University of Illinois Public Health
Group
DuPage Health Coalition
The Mobile Migrant Health Team
Lifetime Achievement
Brenda Battle, MBA, BSN
Senior Vice President for Community Transformation and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, University of Chicago Medicine
Emerging Leader
Anthony D. Douglas II, MD
Resident Physician, University of Chicago
Kandis Draw BA, CHW
Community Education Associate and Research Liaison, The HAP Foundation
To learn more about our award winners, read their bios here.

Virtual Screening: Where Can We Live in Peace?
2024-09-06 | Virtual
Immigration and new arrivals have been used for centuries as a wedge issue. Join us in a virtual viewing of Where Can We Live in Peace? followed by a panel event during Social Justice Week Friday September 6, 2024. The event will be from 6-8:00 p.m.
Register here.

Illinois Aging Together Info Session
2024-08-30 | IL
Join us on Friday, August 30 at 11 a.m. as Health and Aging Organizer Alizandra Medina gives an exciting overview of the campaign and shares ways you can get involved.
What is Illinois Aging Together? It’s a statewide movement for aging equity led by Health & Medicine. We strive to garner support from individuals and organizations across Illinois and different sectors who believe in aging equity.
Register here.

Aging and Disability
2024-08-20 | Virtual
Join Illinois Aging Together on Tuesday, August 20 from 10-11 a.m. CT for a discussion on aging and disability. This free virtual event will feature a presentation from Ryan McGraw, community organizer at Access Living, followed by a group discussion.
Register here.

Fellows Fest 2024
2024-08-12 | Searle Conference Center, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 W Harrison St, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Each year, the exceptional Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows design and implement year-long projects to address a variety of urgent health needs facing Chicago’s underserved communities. As our 2024-2025 Fellows work with their community sites to implement their projects, many anticipate expenses not funded by another source. Fellows Fest is a crowdsourced fundraiser to support these projects.
While additional information on how to support our Fellows’ projects will posted in the coming weeks, early registration for the in-person event is strongly encouraged. Join us for an evening of food, drinks, and the opportunity to support the Schweitzer Fellows! Admission is free of charge, but space is limited. Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
Click here to support the Fellows’ work or register for this event.
Individual fundraising pages will be posted to this page in mid-July—stay tuned for information on our Fellows’ specific projects and fundraising goals! General donations will be dispersed evenly among participating Fellows.
Fellows Fest will take place at Rush University Medical Center’s Searle Conference Center is (1725 W Harrison St, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60612) on August 12, 2024, from 6 – 8 p.m. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Building a Healing-Centered Future: Uniting for Transformative Action
2024-05-23 | Virtual
Join the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative in commemorating Illinois’ sixth annual Trauma-Informed Awareness Day. Join us on May 23, 2024, as we reflect on this year’s theme, Building a Healing-Centered Future: Uniting For Transformative Action.

Celebration of Service
2024-04-16 | Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N Fremont St, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Join us in marking a significant milestone at our annual celebration, where we honor the remarkable achievements of our Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows! Co-sponsored by DePaul University’s Master of Public Health program, this event is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and impactful service our 2023-2024 Fellows have contributed to the Chicagoland community. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

Building a Healing-Centered Future: Uniting for Transformative Action
2024-04-12 00:00 UTC | IL

Housing and Aging: Impacts on Illinoisans Throughout the Lifecourse
2024-04-03 | Virtual
Join Rose Mabwa, PhD — Illinois Aging Together advisory member and Chicago Community Life Director at Community Builders — for an engaing presentation on aging in place, housing options, and the impacts of housing choices on Illinoisans across the lifecourse.

Health & Medicine Awards Gala: Building Power for Health Justice
2023-09-20 | Ignite Glass Studios, 401 N Armour St, Chicago, IL, United States
Celebrate with us as we congratulate our 2023 Award Winners: Nasir Zakaria; Jorelle Alexander, DMD, MPH; Katie Thiede; Diana Lemos, PhD, MPH; Acclivus, Inc; and the Healthy Illinois Campaign.

Fellows Fest
2023-08-15 | Regents Hall, 111 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
Each year, our exceptional Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows design and implement year-long service projects to address a variety of urgent health needs facing Chicago’s underserved communities. As they work with their community sites to implement these projects, many fellows anticipate expenses not funded by another source. We invite family, friends, and the community to support their projects.

Birthing Justice: A Free Public Film Screening
2023-07-12 | Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Join Courage to Love In Action — a collaborative working to improve the health and well-being of families through restorative justice — and the Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative as we watch and discuss Birthing Justice. This powerful film explores the experiences and challenges Black women, families, and advocates face, as well as the systems that lead to disparate mortality rates.

The State of CHW Employment and Funding in Cook County
2023-05-31 | Mount Sinai Hospital, 1500 S Fairfield Ave, Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
Join Health & Medicine, SUHI, and the Illinois Community Health Worker Association (ILCHWA) for in-person presentation on the Community Health Worker (CHW) Common Indicator Employer Survey for Cook County. Listen to top experts speak on funding challenges, opportunities for CHW programs, and ways to get involved in related advocacy efforts.

Building a Healing-Centered Future: A Day of Events Featuring Solutions from the Community
2023-05-25 | Virtual
The Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative proudly joins partners, advocates, policymakers, and community members across Illinois in commemorating the fifth annual Trauma-Informed Awareness Day!
Join us for Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton’s keynote presentation and interactive discussions on health, education and youth, community, and the criminal-legal system.

Primary Care Challenges and Solutions
2023-05-12 | Virtual
Primary care is meant to be the first and most stable point of contact between patients and care providers. Yet with a shortage of providers, the relative lack of racially and ethnically diverse providers, the complications of health insurance, corporate investment in primary care, the ongoing pandemic, and a myriad of other factors, primary care is at a crisis point. Join us for virtual forum focused on the challenges facing primary care.

Celebration of Service
2023-04-18 | Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N Fremont St, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of our 2023-2024 Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows! Co-sponsored by DePaul University’s Master of Public Health program, this event is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and impactful service our fellows have contributed to the Chicagoland community.
