Furthering its commitment to violence prevention and recovery on the South Side, the University of Chicago Medicine has joined U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and nine other major area hospitals in the Chicago HEAL Initiative.
Chicago HEAL — Hospital Engagement, Action and Leadership — formalizes a collaborative network of health care providers and community organizations working to reduce violence and improve residents’ health in 18 neighborhoods on the city’s South and West Sides.
“Tackling the public health crisis of intentional gun violence requires the collective, concerted and sustained efforts of all Chicago institutions,” said Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Chicago and dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine. “Building on our commitment to the health, wellness and safety of our South Side communities, the University of Chicago Medicine strongly supports the strategic vision of Sen. Durbin’s Chicago HEAL initiative and its mission to address the epidemic of gun violence and its root causes, and identify actionable solutions.”
