About
Hear from public health thought leaders in a conversation about health disparities and health equity in Chicago and how rapid access to social service benefits can lead to lower uncompensated care costs and improved patient outcomes. Event content will include presentation of results from surveys and research collaborations with leading institutions to demonstrate the urgency around lowering patient barriers to preventive care.
Agenda
  • Discussing the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2020
  • Assessing the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health in Chicago
  • Sharing results of our clinical social worker survey on barriers to rapid enrollment of vulnerable populations into social services
Presenters
1594317962-21dfe420e73fbf62
Congressman Danny K. Davis
Representing the 7th District of Illinois
Danny K. Davis was chosen by the people of the 7th Congressional District of Illinois as their Representative in Congress on November 5, 1996. He has been re-elected by large majorities to succeeding Congresses.

In the 116th Congress, Representative Davis has been reappointed to the Committee on Ways and Means. Congressman Davis is a member of several Congressional Caucuses including the Congressional Black Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, the Urban Caucus, the Community Health Center's Caucus, the Congressional Sugar Caucus, the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Re-entry.

Congressman Davis has distinguished himself as an articulate voice for his constituents and as an effective legislator able to move major bills to passage. He has developed a unique and energetic style of communication and interaction with his constituents setting up dozens of advisory task forces to consider significant questions of public policy. He hosts several weekly television and radio shows which feature audience call in and produces regular written reports to every household in the district. In addition, he maintains weekly office hours in the district and is widely sought after as a speaker at conferences and events.

In the 116th Congress, Representative Davis is resolutely committed to preserving democracy, protecting social security, maintaining our nation’s gains in civil and human rights, women’s rights, voting rights, protection of the environment, consumer and labor protections, reducing inequality, and ensuring quality, affordable health care for all, while maintaining his long time focus on issues of job creation, poverty, healthcare, education, youth and criminal justice reform.

Prior to his election to the Congress he served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners having been elected in November 1990 and reelected in November 1994. Previously, he served for eleven years as a member of the Chicago City Council as Alderman of the 29th Ward.

Before seeking public office, Congressman Davis had productive careers as an educator, community organizer, health planner/administrator and civil rights advocate. He has received hundreds of awards and citations for outstanding work in the areas of health, education, human relations, politics and advocacy including six honorary Doctorate Degrees from well known colleges and universities. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and has spent time in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and in South and Central America.

Born in Parkdale, Arkansas, on September 6, 1941, Congressman Davis moved to the Westside of Chicago in 1961, after having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arkansas A.M. & N. College. He subsequently earned both Masters and Doctorate degrees respectively from Chicago State University and the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1594319274-95ca73f36ef6024b
RADM (ret) James M. Galloway MD, FACP, FACC
Community Health Research Advisor, Former Assistant U.S. Surgeon General
Dedicated to improving the health of our nation and serving the underprivileged, Dr. Galloway is a cardiologist, public health physician, consultant, media commentator, and published author. Dr. Galloway provides his leadership and expertise to various healthcare systems, nonprofit service organizations, and innovative enterprises in the public health space.

Previously, Dr. Galloway served as Assistant Surgeon General for the United States, Chairman of the Federal Executive Board, a national leader in pandemic preparedness and response and the White House selection to lead the health response for Deepwater Horizon. Prior to this he was the National Senior Cardiologist for the Indian Health Service.
1594319686-ad56c77bbae4f066
Karriem Watson DHSc, MS, MPH
Associate Executive Director, UI Health Mile Square Health Center
Dr. Karriem S. Watson, DHSc, MS, MPH is a Community Health Scientist who serves as the Associate Executive Director of the Mile Square Health Center, a group of Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) affiliated with the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. He also serves as the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement for the University of Illinois Cancer Center at UIC (UI Cancer Center) and has a faculty appointment in the UIC School of Public Health as Research Assistant Professor.

His research is focused on cancer prevention and control and mitigating the impact of social determinants of health on chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. His research and publications are deeply rooted in community engagement and health equity and expanding diversity in clinical trials. He has NIH funding to address breast cancer disparities among African American women and cancer screening among racial/ethnic minorities. He also has funding from the Chicago Department of Public Health to support tobacco cessation and lung cancer screening and funding from Bristol Meyer Squibb Foundation to support colorectal and cervical cancer screening among underserved populations.

He serves as Board Chair of Community Campus Partnerships for Health and serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force for the UI Health Department of Medicine. In addition to his passion for health equity, Dr. Watson has a passion for mentoring and engaging youth underrepresented in science and biomedical research. His contributions earned him recognition by the Chicago Urban League as an “Innovator in STEM.”
1594320153-e09556ec939f35a5
Stephen B. Brown, MSW LCSW
Director of Preventive Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System
Stephen Brown, MSW LCSW, is a faculty member and Director of Preventive Emergency Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health).

He earned his first degree in business marketing in 1984 from Northern Illinois University. During the next 13 years, he worked at Motorola’s Computer Systems Division as systems engineer, account executive, and product marketing manager. In 1998, he went on sabbatical to complete a second undergraduate degree in psychology at Northwestern University and a Master of social work at Loyola University.

In 2005, Stephen began work in healthcare as an emergency room social worker at the University of Chicago. During that time, he observed that the underlying drivers of healthcare utilization (what we now call the social determinants of health) were being ignored. He was promoted to Director of Preventive Medicine in 2008 and built a program to provide care coordination for emergency room frequent users.

Stephen came to UI Health’s Department of Emergency Medicine in 2011 to establish a program to identify and manage healthcare super-utilizers. He is the Program Director for Better Health Through Housing, a demonstration pilot that is raising awareness in Chicago for the need to recognize homelessness as a dangerous social condition and to scale the nationally-validated Housing First model. The program transitions patients who are chronically homeless into permanent supportive housing.

His previous tech experience enables him to work with health IT, city, state, and federal officials to break down data silos and in doing so will empower better data-driven public policy. He is the co-author of a recent Health Affairs article entitled “Mr. G and the Revolving Door: Breaking the Readmission Cycle at a Safety Net Hospital."
1602003153-824ce878212f08fd
Terry Mason, MD
WVON 1690 AM Radio Host
The event will be moderated by Terry Mason, M.D., WVON 1690 AM radio host.
Registration is full. If you have already registered, please log in or use the link from your registration confirmation email.