UChicago Medicine’s Community Health Needs Assessment identifies cancer and heart disease as health priorities for South Side

Newswise – South Side residents have added cancer and heart disease to violence prevention on their list of health priorities, according to results from the 2021-22 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) of the University of Chicago Medicine.

As part of its mission and as a federal requirement for nonprofit hospitals, UChicago Medicine conducts and publishes a CHNA every three years for the University of Chicago Medical Center and UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, which make both part of University Health based on the South Side. system. The CHNA provides essential guidance for UChicago Medicine’s community health investments and efforts. Previous ANHCs helped guide investments in community benefits such as violence prevention initiatives, charitable care, prevention and wellness programs, and public health research – which totaled more than $2.5 billion dollars over the past five years.

Based on community feedback and analysis of a myriad of data, the priorities for the communities served by UChicago Medicine are as follows:

• For the University of Chicago Medical Center Service Areawhich represents more than 626,000 inhabitants and extends over 28 community sectors on the south side:
• Prevent and manage chronic diseases, especially cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Cancer and heart disease are new priorities for the community.
• Building trauma resilience with a focus on violence and trauma recovery and mental health.
• Reduce health inequalities by paying attention to access to care, food insecurity and workforce development.
• For Ingalls memorial service area in suburban Cook County, which serves over 256,000 residents across 13 ZIP codes in Thornton Township and includes Harvey:
• Prevent and manage chronic diseases, especially heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
• Provide access to care and services with a focus on maternal services and mental health.
• Reduce health inequalities by paying attention to access to care, food insecurity and workforce development.

A finding from the report that covers both the University of Chicago Medical Center and Ingalls service areas: Residents of these communities face significant health disparities, with surprisingly high rates of cancer, asthma, diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases. Other key findings from the survey include:

• Residents of certain parts of the South Side are more likely to receive an initial diagnosis of serious cancer (stage 4 or metastatic cancer) than if they live in other Chicago neighborhoods. This is in addition to other alarming facts – that South Side residents are twice as likely to die of cancer as those living just about anywhere else in the country and that cancer is the second cause of death in the region.
• In Harvey and the southern suburbs, the death rate from heart disease is 26% higher among non-Hispanic blacks than among other racial/ethnic groups.

“The CHNA survey and findings confirm the health disparities that we are working to close through renewed investments in cancer care, violence prevention and access to primary care, for n ‘To name a few,’ said Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, Dean and Executive Vice President of the Medical Department. Business at the University of Chicago. “This includes our plans for Chicago’s first free-standing cancer centerwhich will be built on our south side campus and will significantly expand our capacity and resources in cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and research. »

Responding to Cancer Needs

In February 2022, to help address health inequities in its service areas, UChicago Medicine announced a $633 million project to build a 500,000 square foot facility dedicated to cancer care and research on its medical campus on the south side of town. It represents one of the largest investments UChicago Medicine has made for patients and the community and will be the only stand-alone comprehensive cancer center in the state and city.

UChicago Medicine will this week begin soliciting feedback from community members to share their thoughts and ideas on key elements of the proposed cancer center. These contributions will inform UChicago Medicine’s detailed planning for the cancer center and the application this fall to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board seeking approval to construct the building.

“Work is underway to incorporate the voices of patients and community members into the design of the facility, as we seek to create a premier, human-centered experience for our cancer center in future,” said Tom Jackiewicz, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center, which serves as the hub for the UChicago Medicine healthcare system. “We are launching a community engagement effort this summer that includes a survey as well as meetings with faith leaders and South Side residents.”

UChicago Medicine has developed English and Spanish versions of the Community survey of the cancer center project and will work with its Community Advisory Board to organize several meetings with community members.

Addressing Other Inequalities

The CHNA results also confirm ongoing work by UChicago Medicine in violence prevention and trauma resilience. This involves developing partnerships, creating trauma-informed medical education, and engaging in community programs that prevent and treat trauma. Major initiatives include the Abuse Recovery Program, Healing Hurt People–Chicago, and Southland RISE (UChicago Medicine’s Trauma Recovery Program with Advocate Health Care). This month, via Southland RISE, UChicago Medicine will announce $150,000 in funding to select grassroots organizations for their programs designed to keep young people safe during the summer.

In addition, the new report reinforces the work of the South Side Healthy Community Organization (SSHCO), which includes UChicago Medicine and 12 other healthcare providers and aims to serve more than 400,000 South Side residents. The SSHCO – officially launched later in July – focuses on improving access to primary and specialty care, preventive and chronic care management, care coordination and community engagement.

Find out more about CHNA

The CHNA incorporates health and demographic data from primary and secondary sources, as well as extensive community feedback gathered through surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. The attached strategic implementation plan for each service area outlines the strategies, investments and programs that will help meet health priorities between fiscal years 2023 and 2025.

The CHNA reflects 15 months of primary data collection and analysis, obtained through multiple community focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and surveying nearly 1,500 community members about their concerns. and health priorities. It also includes secondary data from multiple sources, including state, county, and city public health and crime data.

In addition to investigating and involving community members, UChicago Medicine has worked extensively with its Community Advisory Boardfaculty, staff, and other stakeholders to determine CHNA’s health priorities.

To learn more about the significant health issues and challenges faced by residents of UChicago Medicine’s service areas and how the health system is working with the community to address them:

• University of Chicago Medical Center (South Side)
• UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial (Harvey and southern suburbs)