Center for Community Health Equity

Our 2023 health equity review paper is almost complete and we are looking forward to sharing it with you!

In this paper, we found age to be a theme and wanted to highlight an article where age was present. The article titled “Childhood Exposure to Firearm Violence in Chicago and Its Impact on Mental Health" described a study where a survey was administered to parents who lived in all 77 Chicago neighborhoods to explore the effect of gun violence on individuals’ childhood and kids' mental health. Chicago children with indirect and direct exposure to firearm violence had more parent-reported mental health symptoms than unexposed children. In the articles focused on the theme of age, the words “adolescent” and “aging” both came up five times. The word “child” came up three times in this review.

Read more from this article here:

Childhood Exposure to Firearm Violence in Chicago and Its Impact on Mental Health To describe how often Chicago children are exposed to firearm violence, the types of exposure, and the parent-reported impact of these exposures on ch…

We are proud to release our newest interview for Voices of Community Health Equity. This podcast is part of our Belonging in Music series, where we work with local artists in the Chicagoland area to record music about their sense of belonging and community in the City of Chicago. Our first guest for this segment was Runner and Bobby, a band made up of three friends who are local to Chicago. The song is the midst of being finalized and will be released soon. Stay tuned for the song's release and more interviews to come from this project!

Listen to the band's interview here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OGnKmcnWboo2VP6urlxv0?si=EnqY4BJ1TJijR1Uf1e1wSg

Learn about Runner and Bobby here: https://www.runnerandbobby.com/

Consider attending the 2026 Leadership Awards & Annual Meeting on June 25th! You are invited to be a part of this inspiring moment and to spark social change and foster a world with fewer healthcare disparities. This event will express heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Lorenzo Pence, DO, and the 2025-2026 Board of Governors for their leadership and lasting impact. The event will also welcome Dr. Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, the incoming 2026-2027 President, along with the new Board of Governors. Join us as we set a hopeful, collaborative agenda for the year ahead—united in our commitment to advancing health equity and reducing disparities for all.

Register here: https://iomc.org/event-6565146

"An estimated 400,000 individuals in Illinois could lose their health coverage due to federal Medicaid cuts that start in October 2026. Cook County Health’s Medicaid Impact Workgroup today announced the launch of Get Medicaid Facts, a microsite and communications toolkit designed to help enrollees, community organizations, health care providers, insurers and public agencies prepare for major upcoming changes to Medicaid eligibility."

Find the toolkit here: https://getmedicaidfacts.com/

Please consider attending the WE BELONG HERE: Gentrification, White Spacemaking, and a Black Sense of Place by Shani Adia Evans book presentation at DePaul University.

The event will take place on Wednesday, May 27th, from 6:00–7:30 pm, in Arts & Letters Hall (2315 N Kenmore Ave, Chicago, IL 60614), Room 102.

We hope to see you there!

Please check out our newest episode of the Voices of Community Health Equity (now on Spotify)!

This spring, we talked with Dr. Molly Netter, who is a dedicated clinician, educator, and researcher whose work bridges family practice, academic instruction, and global health. Dr. Netter told us about her professional journey that has led her to create a partnership between DePaul and Worry Free Health to establish a walk-in clinic for the Woodlawn community and the trust and rapport-building that was built during its creation.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XREa8IXHaTUOnRl7xAFps?si=wVpLsEMOS3-zFLhmPeARGA&nd=1&dlsi=25b70f0059f04f1f

Voices of Community Health Equity: A Conversation with Molly Netter Voices of Community Health Equity · Episode

Please consider joining for a Asset-Based Community Development Training on Wednesday, May 20 from 9am - 12pm US CST on Zoom! More information below:

Join expert ABCD trainers for a highly interactive 3-hour workshop introducing the concepts and applications of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) in the context of local communities. This overview training is ideal for those who are new to ABCD, managers who work with staff practicing ABCD, or funders supporting communities.

Sliding scale registration fees starting at $35 per person.
Register here: https://abcdinstitute.org/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=104994&item_id=2895897&utm_source=ABCD+Institute+Announcements&utm_campaign=5c87336741-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_07_10_04_22_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-bd9a4a0ac5-617119595

The Center for Community Health Equity (CCHE), in partnership with Chicago Scholars, hosted a Belonging Workshop at DePaul University, engaging young leaders in critical dialogue around community, identity, and inclusion. Through guided discussion and interactive activities, students explored what belonging means in their neighborhoods and schools, barriers to connection, and ways to strengthen community ties. The workshop emphasized reflection, shared experiences, and actionable ideas to foster equity and a deeper sense of belonging among Chicago's youth.

As always, we appreciate our partnership with Chicago Scholars and look forward to future workshops!

Our next episode of Voices of Community Health Equity is now live!

We were so excited to talk with Dr. Julia Lippert, a public health researcher whose work focuses on environmental and occupational health through the lens of social epidemiology, health statistics, and community-based participatory research. Her work is deeply rooted in advancing solutions that address health disparities among vulnerable worker populations and underserved communities in Chicago.

Please listen to her podcast at Spotify link below: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Rc75dJPGDZnI7McUy75i0?si=VYwghcaxTtitSYg1t4my-Q

Congratulations to Worry Free Community on a successful inaugural Health Equity summit. The purpose of the summit was to bring policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and community partners together to focus on healthcare market trends, economic drivers, and strategies to then explore how to improve equitable access to care across the Greater Chicagoland region.

Learn more about Worry Free Community at the link: https://www.worryfreecommunity.org/