Greetings IMD partners, stakeholders and friends-
We are ready to welcome fall to the IMD and have some great events coming up. Please don't forget to sign up to join us at the Rise to Shine walk/run, coming up later this month; details are included in this issue. I'd also like to remind everyone that the Growing Solutions Farmstand is open through October 26th to pick up pumpkins and other fall produce.
We are excited to receive 30 trees from the Morton Arboretum to be planted in the IMD. Adding trees in our community can improve air quality, filter storm water, sequester carbon, and provide area residents, patients, visitors, and healthcare workers with access to a greener environment. We are looking for volunteers on October 28th from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM to help us dig holes, plant trees, mulch, and water. Proof of volunteer hours can be provided upon request. If you are interested please email Karen Ewing.
The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways announced the list of 43 projects that will receive funding under the 2022 ‘Invest in Cook’ grant program and we are pleased to announce that IMD is one of the recipients. The funding will be used to complete an active transportation and roadway safety plan for the IMD. We look forward to engaging with stakeholders across the IMD as part of the planning.
|
UI HEALTH OPENS SPECIALTY CARE BUILDING |
The newest clinical building on the University of Illinois Chicago’s health sciences campus opened to patients on September 26. The UI Health Specialty Care Building, at 1009 S. Wood St., is the new home to Illinois Eye and Ear at UI Health and the location of the new Bruno and Sallie Pasquinelli Outpatient Surgery Center. The building is projected to serve 600 to 800 patients per day.
The state-of-the-art facility has nearly 200,000 square feet of surgical and patient care space dedicated to providing an exceptional health care experience for patients and their families.
|
The building includes six floors of patient care space, with eight operating and eight procedure rooms, and 48 surgery bays. It also includes 182 rooms for gastroenterology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, transplant and urology care specialty clinics, and a pharmacy.
The new building also will include new technology and functionality for an improved patient experience, from check-in kiosks to valet parking and intuitive wayfinding.
Photo credit: Joshua Clark/University of Illinois Chicago
|
ILLINOIS ACTION FOR CHILDREN PRESENTS IT TAKES A VILLAGE |
Join Illinois Action for Children on Thursday, October 13, 2022, for a dynamic and meaningful evening shining a light on the many members of our village—community and civic leaders, advocates, donors, parents, and partners—who collectively work every day to ensure all children in Illinois, especially those with the greatest needs, receive the early childhood resources and opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life.
The event will take place at Walden Chicago,
2145 W. Walnut Street and via live stream.
Click here for more information.
|
Our Catalyst newsletter exists in part to promote the great work of our IMD partners and friends. If you have news, events or information about your organization that you'd like us to include in a future edition of The Catalyst, please reach out to IMD Chief of Staff Kate Schellinger.
|
|
JOIN US FOR AN INSIDE LOOK AT HEALTH INEQUITIES PANEL EVENT |
Metro Edge has partnered with the Illinois Medical District to host a Healthcare Panel on Thursday, October 27th from 4-6pm. The topic of discussion will be "An Inside Look: Healthcare Inequities in Communities of Color" which will be moderated by the IMD's CEO and Executive Director, Allyson Hansen. |
Our featured panelists are CEOs of major health institutions in IMD: Dr. Omar Lateef of Rush, Dr. Ngozi Ezike of Sinai Community Institute and Israel Rocha of Cook County Health.
Join us for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, beverages, and discussion on a path forward in healthcare. It's free to attend! Register here.
|
SIGN UP STILL OPEN: JOIN THE CHICAGO LIGHTHOUSE'S RISE TO SHINE ACCESSIBLE RUN/WALK |
Join The Chicago Lighthouse on Sunday, October 23, 2022 for Rise to Shine, the first 5k/10k/1 mile walk in the Illinois Medical District supporting health, wellness, and inclusion in our community! Rise to Shine is certified, chip-timed, accessible, inclusive, and welcomes participants of all ages and levels.
|
The Illinois Medical District is a proud sponsor of this event and we hope you can join us as we bring our community together. You can participate individually or create a team with friends, family and colleagues. All registered participants will receive a cooling performance long-sleeved shirt and custom finisher medal and will be eligible for age category awards. In addition to the race, a Family Dash Bash will be held beginning at 7 am, featuring a kid’s race and entertainment. For details and to register, click here.
|
IMD STAFF SPOTLIGHT: NICOLE VAHL |
Nicole joined the IMD in 2016 as Health & Science Program Manager. Nicole is responsible for leading community health and science programs and activities, working to achieve high levels of collaboration between IMD organizations and drive growth and innovation within those areas. Nicole also oversees grant writing and works with the IMD Advisory Board, Education Council and Sustainability Council. |
Nicole previously worked for the BioWatch program, which is a federal system designed to detect the presence of biological agents that have been intentionally released into the air. Prior to that, Nicole interned here in the IMD with the Chicago Department of Public Health's Lead Program. Nicole can be reached via email here.
|
|
