Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • ESG: THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPERATIVE
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Digital Health
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Transformation
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Unwell in America
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Safety & Quality
June 21, 2020 09:06 PM

36 Chicago-area hospitals name racism a 'public health crisis'

Stephanie Goldberg, Crain's Chicago Business
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    Chicago's largest hospitals and clinics officially named racism a public health crisis today. In an open letter—coincidentally shared on Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.—36 organizations committed to improving health equity across the city.

    In addition to supporting programs that help people of color find healthcare jobs, each organization is pledging to provide anti-racism training for staff and create new policies that promote equity, among other commitments.

    "We have a lot of work to do," said Dr. David Ansell, senior vice president for community health equity at Rush University Medical Center, one of the participating hospitals. "The commitments need to get specific and it's not going to be easy."

    The group, which collectively treats more than 8 million patients, includes large Chicago-based hospital chains like Rush; safety nets like Loretto Hospital that treat large numbers of low-income patients; and a number of government-funded clinics like Esperanza Health Centers.

    Many of the organizations initially came together as part of the city's Racial Equity Rapid Response Team, addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. Black and Brown people in Chicago and other cities are dying from the virus at much higher rates than whites. Meanwhile, long-standing disparities in access to food, housing, education, safety and wealth have led to a 30-year difference in life expectancy between upscale Streeterville, near downtown Chicago and low-income Englewood, on the city's west side.

    Police brutality is another social factor that affects health. In the wake of George Floyd's killing—and the deaths of countless other Black people across the country—hospitals and clinics "must double down on our efforts," the letter says.

    Impending commitments will address both patients and workers. For example, a policy might ensure that people on Medicaid, as well as those without insurance, have the same access to health care services as people with well-paying coverage. For workers, it could be a commitment to promote people of color in entry-level positions.

    Not every Chicago hospital and clinic is involved, but Ansell said no institution declined to participate. "If anyone was left off, it was inadvertent," he said. "People just showed up at the table."

    To get started, the 36 organizations have identified seven steps they'll take to address systemic racism, which "is a real threat to the health of our patients, families and communities," the letter says.

    Here are the steps outlined in the group's open letter:

    • Re-examine our institutional policies with an equity lens and make any policy changes that promote equity and opportunity.
    • Improve access to primary and specialty care.
    • Continue to focus on helping our communities overcome chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and asthma.
    • Continue to advocate for investments that create innovative solutions to achieve enduring improvements in access, quality and health outcomes for our communities.
    • Continue our commitment to hiring locally and promoting leaders of color.
    • Renew and expand our organizations' commitment to providing anti-racism and implicit bias training for our physicians, nurses and staff.
    • Advocate for increased funding for social needs, social services and programs that promote social justice.

    Here are the 36 participating organizations:

    Access Community Health Network

    Advocate Aurora Health

    AHS Family Health Center

    Alivio Medical Center

    AMITA Health

    Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

    Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness

    Chicago Family Health Center

    Cook County Health

    Erie Family Health Centers

    Esperanza Health Centers

    Friend Health

    Heartland Alliance Health

    Howard Brown Health

    La Rabida Children's Hospital

    Lawndale Christian Health Center

    Loretto Hospital

    Medical Home Network and MHN ACO

    Mercy Hospital and Medical Center

    UI Health Mile Square FQHC

    Near North Health Service Corporation

    New Roseland Community Hospital

    NorthShore University Health System

    Northwestern Medicine

    Norwegian American Hospital

    PCC Community Wellness Center

    PrimeCare Health Community Health Centers

    Oak Street Health

    Rush University System for Health

    Saint Anthony Hospital

    Sinai Health System

    South Shore Hospital

    St. Bernard Hospital

    TCA Health, Inc.

    University of Chicago Medicine

    University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System

    This story first appeared in our sister publication, Crain's Chicago Business.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Ecri kids main mental health STATIC
    Pediatric mental health, workplace violence are top 2023 safety concerns: ECRI
    A patient safety student with the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine vaccinates a patient.
    Patient safety courses a tough sell at medical schools
    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Digital Health
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Unwell in America
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing