South Side Forum on Food Access and Nutrition Culture
(November 14, 2022)
The South Side Forum on Food Access and Nutrition Culture will be hosted virtually on Zoom on Monday, November 14, 2022 from 10-11:30am CT. During the Forum, we plan to bring together food justice advocates, community-based organizations, hospital and healthcare systems, Healthy Chicago Equity Zone and Cook County Department of Public Health partners, and others working on food access and nutrition security on the South and Southwest Sides of Chicago and Suburban Cook County.
The purpose of this event is to:
- Showcase local work to address food access and nutrition security
- Highlight collaborative strategies and best practices
- Partner hospitals and healthcare systems with local leaders and organizations to action plan
- Create space for networking and build sustainable partnerships
If you are interested in joining us, please register in advance via Zoom: https://bit.ly/3CEsZlj. You can also see more information in the event flyer. We welcome you to share the flyer with any other partners who may be interested in attending.
Racism and Food Access and Nutrition Culture – Two-Part Series
(September 2022)
The Illinois Public Health Institute hosted this two-part virtual discussion series to explore how racism, oppression, and colonialism have shaped American food access and nutrition culture and what providers can do to challenge these systems. The series was supported by the Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC) Program with funding from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.
Session 1 Recording – One Bad Apple: How the Lack of Knowledge About Black and Indigenous Food Histories Informs our Nutrition Work
Session 2 Recording – Eating with Our Neighbors: How to Identify Injustices and Create Change in Food and Nutrition Programs
Food is Medicine Capstone Project – Tanner Wilson
(April 2022)
The Alliance for Health Equity (IPHI) collaborated with Tanner Wilson, an intern from DePaul University who is currently completing her graduate studies in public health. During Tanner’s internship with the Alliance, she conducted a national and local literature review, and co-led interviews with local food is medicine leaders. Tanner organized a presentation on barriers, opportunities, and best practices for food is medicine programs. This presentation covered recommendations for hospital and healthcare system partners looking to partner with growers and producers, strengthen evaluation, and leverage tools (like community mapping) to strengthen food is medicine initiatives.
Reducing Wasted Food in Illinois Hospitals and Healthcare Systems
(April 6, 2022)
The Alliance for Health Equity (IPHI) co-hosted a roundtable discussion with Jennifer Nelson of Seven Generations Ahead and the Illinois Wasted Food Action Alliance that focused on wasted food programs across hospitals and healthcare systems. A panel of speakers presented on best practices across food surplus prevention, food rescue and donation, and food scrap composting programs, and participants had an opportunity to network with speakers in breakouts.
Roundtable Panelists:
- Graciela Guzman and Cosmos Ray – Chicagoland Food Sovereignty Coalition
- Luwana Johnson – Franciscan Shelter
- Erlene Howard – Collective Resource Compost
- Mary Niewski – University of Illinois Hospital
- Jennifer Grenier and Nicole Wynn – Loyola University Medical Center
- Ian Hughes and Erica Block – Rush University Medical Center
- Stephanie Katsaros – Bright Beat
From Food is Medicine to Food is Justice
(February 23, 2022)
The Alliance for Health Equity (IPHI) co-hosted a presentation at the 17th annual Chicago Food Justice Summit (hosted by the Chicago Food Policy Action Council) with Dr. Saria Lofton, PhD, of University of Illinois, Chicago College of Nursing, and Laurie Ouding, RN, of Rush University Medical Center.
This presentation engaged participants in a dialogue about how food is medicine programs must take an equity and racial justice approach to address the structural problems that lead to hunger. Panelists described how we must challenge traditional food is medicine models by shifting to a collective care approach where communities most affected by health disparities are able to access fresh, culturally relevant, and locally harvested food. The majority of the session focused on an open discussion with participants to co-design innovative approaches for food is medicine programs.
SNAP & Medicaid Dual Enrollment
(April 21, 2021)
The Alliance for Health Equity (IPHI) co-hosted a webinar with West Side United focused on enhancing SNAP & Medicaid Dual Enrollment for hospitals and health system partners. The session objectives included: identify approaches and clarify steps for coordinated Medicaid and SNAP dual enrollment in healthcare settings; describe the benefits of dual enrollment, such as increased efficiency and a stronger application; and share tips for initiation and implementation of the dual enrollment process and dispel myths around challenges.
Intended audiences include healthcare system benefits coordinators, social workers, billing departments, and all others who assist with patient billing and benefit enrollment.
Presenters:
- Sara Bechtold Medema, Public Benefits Capacity Building Lead, Greater Chicago Food Depository
- Lindsey Arenberg, MPH, Manager of Program Development, Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Updates and Innovation: Providing Opioid Use Disorder Care during COVID-19
(April 29, 2020)
The Illinois Public Health Institute and Chicago Department of Public Health hosted a webinar. The webinar reviewed updated regulations specific to opioid use disorder treatment in office-based settings during the national emergency. Presenters from UI Health and Cook County Health described ways that their systems have adapted to ensure increased access during COVID-19.
Intended audiences include clinicians providing office-based opioid treatment who work in federally qualified health centers, primary care settings, and other integrated treatment programs.
Presenters:
- Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH; American Institutes for Research
- Dr. Nicole Gastala, MD, MPH; Mile Square Health Center, Miles Square Health Center
- Dr. Juleigh Nowinski-Konchak, MD, MPH; Cook County Health
Video recording: https://youtu.be/LIYkbQPBGhA
PDF of slides: Slides_Providing Opioid Use Disorder Care during COVID19_29April2020
Resources for providers: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qJKFcubbaUhew-5YK-EFqbys4mQf5DQnUoqQccRU0e0/edit?usp=sharing
Personal Protective Equipment Excerpt of: Basics on COVID-19 Prevention, Screening, and Infection Control in Homeless Shelters for Shelter Operators and Staff
(April 21, 2020)
The Illinois Department of Human Services in partnership with the Illinois Public Health Institute and healthcare and social service experts hosted a webinar for Illinois homeless shelter staff that provided an overview of basic prevention, screening, and infection control recommendations for the operation of homeless shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The full webinar covered the following topics:
- examples of coordinated approaches between healthcare, social services, non-profit agencies, health departments, and local government agencies aimed at addressing the needs of the homeless population;
- screening, testing, monitoring, isolation, and quarantine protocols; • infection control practices; and
- proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
You can access a video excerpt that covers proper use of PPE here: https://youtu.be/E7gPqqqgeqM
You can view a recording of the full webinar at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2sJ4pGiZiE&feature=youtu.be
For handouts related to PPE please click the links below:
Booklet Guide to COVID-19 | Proper Use of PPE | Masking Guidance | How to Safely Remove Your Disposable Gloves | Additional handouts
2019 CHNA Webinar – Moving the Needle Forward: Collaborating on a County-wide Community Health Needs Assessment
(September 6, 2019)
This webinar presents an overview of the findings from the county-wide, collaborative Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), the priority community health issues that will be addressed by 30+ hospitals, and the implementation strategies based on findings.
More information: 2019 CHNA Webinar Details
Models for Training and Integrating the Peer Workforce in Chicago and Suburban Cook County
(August 16, 2018)
Peer support refers to practical, social, emotional, ongoing support from a person who shares similar experiences with a disease, health problem or condition (Peers for Progress). The peer workforce can include Certified Recovery Support Specialists (CRSSs), recovery coaches, Peer Support Specialists, and Community Health Workers (CHWs) among others. The core competency of the peer workforce is the lived experience that is shared with the clients and communities they serve. During this webinar, models for training, supporting, and integrating the peer workforce into various behavioral health roles will be discussed.
Video Recording: https://vimeo.com/285870902
PDF of Slides: Models for Training and Integrating the Peer Workforce Webinar Slides
Cardiff Pilot Information Exchange and Planning
(August 8, 2018)
The Cardiff Model was developed in the UK to collect data through collaboration with law enforcement, hospitals, emergency services, and communities to predict and prevent violence. This model is now being implemented in the United States. Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Cardiff Model pilot programs in Atlanta Georgia and Milwaukee Wisconsin will present on their progress towards implementing the model. The webinar concludes with discussion of how this model could be implemented by Alliance for Health Equity partners in Chicago and Suburban Cook County.
Video Recording: https://vimeo.com/284226883
PDF of Slides: Cardiff Pilot Information Exchange and Planning Webinar Slides
Food and Healthcare Strategy Webinar
(February 9, 2018)
This webinar provides a snapshot of current healthcare and food access/food security initiatives in Chicago and Suburban Cook County and includes a discussion of key collaboration opportunities for Alliance for Health Equity partners.
Video Recording: https://vimeo.com/255620922
PDF of Slides: Food and Healthcare Strategy Webinar Slides