News and Updates

CHICAGO – The South Side Healthy Community Organization (SSHCO), a state-funded nonprofit healthcare collaborative working to close health gaps across Chicago’s South Side, has announced a free doula services program, delivered in partnership with Chicago Birthworks Collective (CBC). The program provides expectant parents who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid with no-cost doula care, including 3 prenatal visits, 2 postpartum visits, birth and postpartum preparation and education, labor and delivery support, and postpartum wellness services. Responding to persistent inequities in maternal health outcomes, this partnership will provide more than 80 families across Chicago’s South Side with free, trusted, culturally centered care throughout pregnancy and beyond.

“Inequities in maternal healthcare on the South Side are not inevitable. They are the result of systemic gaps in access and trusted care,” said Kimberly Hobson, CEO of SSHCO. “Doulas play a critical role in improving continuity of care and ensuring families are heard and supported at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. By investing in this program, SSHCO is embedding that support into the healthcare experience and building a model that addresses these systemic gaps.”

According to the Illinois Maternal Mortality Data Report released last month by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Black women in Illinois were three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than white women during 2021-2022.

SSHCO’s partnership with CBC is designed to directly confront these inequities by ensuring consistent, culturally affirming support at every stage of pregnancy and postpartum care. CBC’s doulas provide emotional support, evidence-based guidance, and advocacy, helping parents navigate complex healthcare systems and self-advocate with greater confidence.

“Too many Black mothers in our communities continue to face preventable risks during pregnancy and childbirth,” said Tayo Oyafemi Mbande, Co-Founder and CEO of CBC. “Culturally competent maternal care is not optional, but essential. Support from our doulas restores dignity to the birthing experience, allows families to feel empowered and safe on their parenthood journey, and ultimately saves lives. We are proud to partner with SSHCO to ensure more families on the South Side receive the care and respect they deserve.”

“Every parent deserves to feel supported, respected and safe throughout their pregnancy journey,” said Keyonna Tompkins, Maternal Health Program Manager at SSHCO. “By partnering with Chicago Birthworks Collective, we are not only removing financial barriers but also ensuring families receive care that reflects their culture, values and lived experiences. This program is about restoring trust and dignity in maternal healthcare on the South Side of Chicago.”

Incorporated in the fall of 2021, SSHCO was established through the State of Illinois’ Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives initiative to address long-standing health disparities by coordinating care across medical and social systems on the South Side. Serving 15 ZIP codes and prioritizing residents who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid, SSHCO operates as a community-wide network, active in clinics and emergency rooms. The organization subsidizes 90 new primary care and obstetrics providers, as well as 50 new specialists, and embeds Community […]

The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries, and the issue continues to be a health crisis here in Illinois.

When we zoom into Chicago, rates are even worse, especially for Black women and those with lower socioeconomic status. Three out of four people living in the South Side and South Chicago are Black. An obstetrical desert continues to plague these neighborhoods, forcing mothers into risky situations.

What’s happening on the South Side?
The South Side of Chicago and the Southland have lost over half of their labor and delivery beds between 2000 and 2020 as hospitals and clinics closed their obstetric units.

UChicago Medicine’s first Chief Obstetrical Transformation Officer Dr. Sarosh Rana points to financial issues. Many hospitals in the area are providing care to a huge population of mothers on Medicaid, Dr. Rana explained.

“They’re oftentimes having to weigh the expenses of keeping a service open to what they’re actually being reimbursed,” South Side Healthy Community Organization’s Sarah Janvier added.

What’s the impact of a maternal healthcare desert?
Because there aren’t many options for pregnant people in the South Side, they often have to leave their communities for care. Janvier said some patients must travel 30 minutes or more to seek care. And not everyone can do that.

“Because of all the constraints around time, having to take time off of work and transportation, they’re making the decision to forgo care altogether,” Janvier said. “Which starts to create complications later on in the pregnancy because they’re not accessing care in an earlier state.”

According to Dr. Rana, Black individuals are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy especially because a disproportionate percentage of the population starts pregnancy with other health problems like hypertension and obesity. And lack of access to high quality health care continues to exacerbate the issue.

How is this being addressed?
UChicago Medicine is working with groups like South Side Healthy Community Organizations and federally qualified health centers like Friend Health to bring maternal-fetal health specialists to local clinics without making mothers travel outside of their neighborhoods, Dr. Rana said.

“A mother can go in and have that service done in the same appointment as opposed to seeing her physician at one location and getting an ultrasound at another location,” Janvier said.

On top of health services, this partnership aims to help patients with transportation, housing and food insecurity.

Reset host Sasha-Ann Simons spoke with UChicago Medicine’s Dr. Sarosh Rana and South Side Healthy Community Organization’s Sarah Janvier.

Noting that social determinants of health—like nutritious food and a place to call home—play a big role in health and well-being, the South Side Healthy Community Organization (SSHCO) today announced a significant investment in community resources as a key part of building health equity on Chicago’s South Side. Nearly one million dollars has been committed to local organizations that provide nutritious food, employment services, stable housing, emergency financial support and transportation services focused on getting South Side residents to and from medical appointments.

“We know that residents in certain areas of the city and state, including the South Side, live sicker and die much younger than their counterparts in more affluent zip codes, and we aim to change that for the long-term,” said Kimberly Hobson, CEO of the SSHCO. “As we were forming our plans, we heard loud and clear from the community of the important role social determinants of health play in wellness – people simply aren’t as healthy when they don’t have housing or employment or access to good food. So, a key part of our model from the beginning was developing a way to connect people to resources that can help.”

The SSHCO launched a competitive bid process to seek proposals from experienced South Side-serving social services and transportation organizations. The following organizations were awarded a one-year grant or contract with the SSHCO:

Dion’s Chicago Dream is dedicated to making an impact on food insecurity through Dream Deliveries, its flagship program which brings fresh produce right to the doorstep – providing five days’ worth of healthy food options every week at no cost to recipients. Dion’s Chicago Dream purchases the produce directly, so it is new and fresh for residents in need. The organization, anchored in Englewood, owns its vehicles and hires operations specialists, liaisons, and other workers from the communities they serve.

Christian Community Health Center is an FQHC that links quality health care and housing. CCHC provides supportive housing services that include interim and permanent placements. For SSHCO enrollees, CCHC plans to provide housing and case management services after hospital discharge, and help its clients with ongoing primary, dental and behavioral health care through referrals.

Phalanx Family Services located in West Pullman was chosen to provide employment services, with a focus on building self-sufficiency through jobs. Phalanx offers two dozen youth and adult programs that provide tools and resources required to both obtain and sustain employment. Support includes job readiness training, career search assistance and job placement opportunities. Phalanx also works to reduce the barriers to employment – like expenses for transportation, uniforms, skill development and wrap-around support.

Centro Comunitario Juan Diego (CCJD) provides multifaceted programming to serve the needs of the local South Chicago community, including health support, trainings and health fairs, utility assistance, and food pantry access. With the SSHCO grant, CCJD will increase its capacity in emergency resources to help South Side residents avoid a utility shut off, obtain clothing and footwear, receive emergency food services, and acquire transportation for mammogram screenings when needed. CCJD listens closely to […]

Five South Side groups receive grants to expand wellness programming

Five South Side groups are getting a boost in funding to give residents free services that aim to improve their quality of life.

Reset hears from South Side Healthy Community Organization about the new grant and how the money will help build health equity on the South Side.

GUEST: Lisa Cox, project lead of South Side Healthy Community Organization

LISTEN HERE 

Groups like Dion’s Chicago Dream and Trek World USA have been given grants from South Side Community Health Organization.

April 26, 2023

The University of Chicago Medicine provided $686.2 million in benefits and services to communities on Chicago’s South Side and in the south suburbs in fiscal 2022, according to the health system’s annual Community Benefit Report. This includes $586.7 million through the University of Chicago Medical Center and $99.5 million through UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial. Total investment increased by 13.1% over fiscal 2021.

Community benefit investments include uncompensated care for Medicare and Medicaid patients, financial assistance (charity care), unrecoverable patient debt, medical education and research, and other community support. Financial assistance (charity care) provided through the University of Chicago Medical Center increased 31.7%, up to $27 million.

“Through these investments, along with extensive community health programming and partnerships, UChicago Medicine has made health equity a strategic priority and a guiding organizational value,” said Brenda Battle, RN, BSN, MBA, who leads UChicago Medicine’s Urban Health Initiative and serves as the health system’s Senior Vice President for Community Health Transformation and its Chief Equity Officer. “We are investing in the health and viability of the communities we serve — now and in the years to come.”

Community benefit programs and partnerships are guided by the Urban Health Initiative, the Medical Center’s division that works with community organizations on health-related programs, research and services. UChicago Medicine’s Community Advisory Council, led by civic and faith leaders, also provides guidance to the Medical Center on key community health concerns, including racial disparities and social determinants of health. The Community Advisory Council provided instrumental guidance around the development of the Medical Center’s Level 1 Adult Trauma Center and Violence Recovery Program, both of which will recognize their five-year anniversaries in May 2023.

UChicago Medicine serves more than 626,000 residents in 28 neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side and nearly 257,000 from 13 ZIP codes in the south suburbs. In these service areas, residents face significant health disparities contributing to shorter lifespans, higher incidence of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and increased risk for trauma from community violence. These residents are also vulnerable to harmful social determinants of health, resulting in higher incidence of unemployment, poverty and food insecurity.

“Addressing deep-rooted health inequities requires leveraging strengths and investments across our health system and research community, and importantly, through partnerships connecting us to those who can benefit from UChicago Medicine’s health programming and resources,” said Battle. “Community partners are critical to the reach and effectiveness of these programs, and we are grateful for their work with us to make high-quality healthcare more accessible and equitable.”

The Community Benefit Report highlights some of these partnerships, including:

• The 13-member South Side Healthy Community Organization collaborative working to increase access to care;
• The street outreach initiative with Metropolitan Family Services and its Peace Academy to address intentional violence;

[…]

March 9, 2023

The South Side Healthy Community Organization (SSHCO) has announced a significant investment in community resources as a key part of building health equity on Chicago’s South Side. Nearly one million dollars has been committed to local organizations that provide nutritious food, employment services, stable housing, emergency financial support and transportation services focused on getting South Side residents to and from medical appointments. The SSHCO launched a competitive bid process to seek proposals from experienced South Side-serving social services and transportation organizations. The following organizations were awarded a one-year grant or contract with the SSHCO:

Dion’s Chicago Dream is dedicated to making an impact on food insecurity through Dream Deliveries, its flagship program which brings fresh produce right to the doorstep – providing five days’ worth of healthy food options every week at no cost to recipients.

Christian Community Health Center is an FQHC that links quality health care and housing. CCHC provides supportive housing services that include interim and permanent placements. For SSHCO enrollees, CCHC plans to provide housing and case management services after hospital discharge, and help its clients with ongoing primary, dental and behavioral health care through referrals.

Phalanx Family Services located in West Pullman was chosen to provide employment services, with a focus on building self-sufficiency through jobs. Phalanx offers two dozen youth and adult programs that provide tools and resources required to both obtain and sustain employment.

Centro Comunitario Juan Diego (CCJD) provides multifaceted programming to serve the needs of the local South Chicago community, including health support, trainings and health fairs, utility assistance, and food pantry access.

Trek World USA was awarded a contract with the SSHCO to provide non-emergency medical transportation to help South Side residents get to and from medical appointments. It is the first Black-owned healthcare technology company offering a digital on-demand non-emergency medical transport platform.

For more information, visit www.southsidehealthycommunity.com

We are excited to announce a second Request for Proposals (RFP) – this one to seek companies who can meet non-emergency medical transportation needs for our patients, a significant barrier to good health on the South Side. Click here to learn more.

We’ve issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for community-based support that can help address some of the critical social determinant needs of our patient population as we work to improve health equity and well-being. Eligible organizations must have submitted a Letter of Intent by October 24, 2022. Click here for more information.

The south side of Chicago has some of the most severe health inequities in Illinois, including greater incidence of infant and maternal mortality and occurrence of heart disease. Fixing the disparity with health outcomes for the state’s Black communities was a priority of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. – NPR Illinois