Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/863733
HE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS HOSPITAL & HEALTH SCIENCES SYSTEM opened the doors of a new community health center in October 2016, in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. The UI Health Pilsen Family Health Center Lower West provides families and individuals of all ages with comprehensive health care, from immunizations and physical exams to prenatal care and complex medical care. The 6,400-square-foot renovated facility features nine exam rooms and a laboratory for blood draws and basic testing. "Providing quality patient care is at the core of UI Health's mission, and we are particularly proud to work with the Pilsen community to ensure that its residents are being cared for close to home," said Robert Barish, MD, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago. About 43,000 people live in Pilsen, and well over half are Hispanic, primarily Mexican-American. Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos — the largest health study of Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. to date — show that this diverse population has a unique set of health risk factors for diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and kidney disease. The Pilsen health center, which will offer family medicine and primary care at the outset and plans to expand into other specialties, joins the University Village Clinic at Maxwell Street as the second community-based clinic operated by UI Health. The center is staffed by eight full-time employees and bilingual, board-certified family medicine physicians. Clinical staff have expertise in primary care, preventive care and women's health — including prenatal care and delivery— and the care of newborns and children. "UI Health is committed to being a partner to the Chicago community, and we are very interested in being better connected to our neighbors in Pilsen," said Avijit Ghosh, PhD, CEO of UI Health Hospital and Clinics. I L L I N O I S M E D I C I N E | 5 T Holding the ceremonial ribbon during the opening ceremony in October were (left to right) artist Alejandro Romero; Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Robert Barish; 25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis; UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis; UI Health CEO Avijit Ghosh; Consul General of Mexico Carlos Jimenez Macias; 12th Ward Ald. George Cardenas; and Associate Vice Chancellor for Community Based Practice Robert Winn. The 6,400-square-foot facility provides nine exam rooms and a laboratory for basic testing. UI HEALTH OPENS COMMUNITY CLINIC IN PILSEN P H O T O : U I C N E W S S E R V I C E S P H O T O : U I C N E W S S E R V I C E S T P H O T O : U I C N E W S S E R V I C E S HE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS HOSPITAL & HEALTH SCIENCES SYSTEM was ranked in the top 10 hospitals in the Chicago area and in Illinois for 2016-17 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital, ranked 23rd regionally and 27th in the state last year, rose to the No. 8 spot in both categories this year. "These rankings reflect the continuous efforts of our staff to improve patient safety and outcomes and to create a better patient experience from the moment they walk in the door, to the time they leave the hospital and on to follow-up care," says Avijit Ghosh, PhD, chief executive officer, UI Health Hospital and Clinics, the primary teaching facility for the College of Medicine. The rankings, produced by U.S. News with RTI International, are based on such measures as patient survival, infection rates and nurse staffing. UI Health's otolaryngology/ear, nose and throat program made the list of ranked specialty programs for the first time this year. "To be ranked in the top 10 hospitals in Chicago and across the state means that our patients, including a significant underserved population that has traditionally carried a disproportionate burden of disease, is getting some of the very best care available," says Robert Barish, MD, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The leap forward in the rankings can be attributed to the success of numerous programs focused on improving outcomes for both inpatients and outpatients, says Jodi Joyce, BSN, RN, MBA, associate vice chancellor for quality and patient safety at UI Health. "We are excited that the change in our ranking is a direct reflection of improvements in the care that our patients are receiving," she says. UI HEALTH MAKES STATE'S ELITE EIGHT