Blog

  Earlier this month, Emily Hendel (Director of Clinical Services) and Miriam Barger (Care Coordination Manager) spent a week in Guatemala, visiting San Lucas and nearby villages in the region to provide health care. The journey was coordinated by Minnesota...

This month, as we recognize both World Health Day (April 7th) and Earth Day (April 22nd), it's the perfect time to emphasize the inevitable truth that we need to care for the Earth in order to care for ourselves and each other. Climate change is the single biggest...

Sylwia Balata has been an outstanding volunteer at CommunityHealth for just about four years now! As a Polish interpreter and lab technician, she is deeply connected to both the patient and their care team. Sylwia was born in a city in Poland near the Ukrainian border...

Way back in 1868, a group of German, Scottish and Swedish settlers founded the Onward Presbyterian Church. Over the next century, the church evolved into an essential resource for immigrants in Chicago, serving as a school, a refuge, and a community center for...

We're only about 80 days into 2022, but according to the American Cancer Society, the U.S. has already seen a total of 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer. Though colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in...

Our students overwhelmingly agree that it is the connection to our patient population that makes volunteering at CommunityHealth such a uniquely fulfilling experience. We asked them to share their fond memories, and they responded with enthusiasm! Check out the...

Around 40% of our volunteers come to us through our partnerships with Chicago-area institutions such as Amita St. Joseph Hospital Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, and many more. These hard-working...

Meet Terros Dilworth, a lab technician and veteran from Glendale Heights! Terros completed his laboratory training while enlisted in the Air Force and earned the title of Staff Sergeant, which indicates his skill level and the specific NCO supervisory responsibilities...

As part of CommunityHealth’s commitment to patient-centered care, we formed a Patient Advisory Council last year to hear directly from the communities we are serving. Though we have long conducted annual patient satisfaction surveys, we needed to create a platform for...

In May of 2020, The Center for American Progress (CAP) reported that 10.6% of Black Americans and 16.1% of Hispanic Americans were uninsured (compared to 5.9% of white Americans without health insurance). CAP also noted that, in the U.S.: Nearly one out of every four...

We're so happy to shine this month's spotlight on Sergio Gonzalez, a long-time volunteer at CommunityHealth. In the course of his eight years with us, he has taken on many roles, including Spanish interpreter, Patient Education volunteer, Patient Advisory Board...

Kicking off this year's Volunteer Spotlight series is the fabulous Gabriela Betancourt! Gabriela hails from Central Wisconsin and currently attends University of Chicago. She joined CommunityHealth in September of 2020, back when our volunteer program was virtual....

Each December, we recognize the dedication of our volunteers with a holiday party and awards ceremony. Though the festivities had to be hosted online this year, the event was nonetheless a heart-warming reminder of just how incredible our volunteers are. A definite...

In our final Volunteer Spotlight of 2021, we spoke with Dr. Babs Waldman, who has been with CommunityHealth for over 20 years! Dr. Waldman is an integral part of the CommunityHealth team, serving as our Volunteer Medical Director in addition to seeing her own patients...

My first day at CommunityHealth was November 11, 2019. It is hard to believe that it’s been two full years, and just as difficult to believe that it has only been two full years. After all, I started as the CEO just 121 days before the World Health Organization (WHO)...

Everyone knows that a healthy diet is one of the best forms of preventative medicine. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of our most common diagnoses at CommunityHealth, and both conditions are significantly impacted by the food an individual eats. A proper diet...

In December of 2020, CommunityHealth lost long-time staff member Sara Villanueva. Her absence in the clinic is felt every day, but the warmth of her memory is alive and well. Sara worked at CommunityHealth for 13 years, overseeing the Front Desk before becoming the...

This month we talk with Dr. Joseph Hennessy, 2020 recipient of the Ilene Goodman Award. Dr. Hennessy is an Internal Medicine physician who completed medical school and training at Rush University, where he has been an attending physician since 1990. He is also on...

MATTER and YWCA Metropolitan Chicago recently partnered to provide mentorship and support to a handful of innovative startups that focus on eliminating the social, economic, and cultural barriers that prevent many Chicagoans from receiving adequate health care. Back...

We opened our first telehealth microsite at Onward Neighborhood House back in April. After about half a year of providing service in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood, let’s check in on how the microsite is doing! The microsite was designed to bring health care even...

CommunityHealth is thrilled to welcome our newest staff member, Paola Seguil! Today is her first day as the CommunityHealth Director of Clinic Operations. Paola is a healthcare improvement leader with 8 years’ experience in coaching and supporting clinical staff and...

This month we're learning more about Mary Bianchi Harrington, our 2020 Primary Care Provider of the year! Mary hails from Wilmette, IL, and is a Family Nurse Practitioner. She wears many hats at CommunityHealth - read on to learn more! If you could have any...

The COVID-19 vaccine has been available to adults since April 2021, under emergency use authorization. The vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech was fully approved by the FDA two months ago. As of October 18th, 2021, 57% of the United States is fully vaccinated. Areas...

It's no secret that the world seems pretty bleak right now. Despite the strides we've made nationally in vaccination distribution, COVID-19 is still ravaging the world. The rate of new cases globally is more around 36 times higher than it was back in March 2020, when...

In this volunteer spotlight, we learn more about Associate Board Member Meghan Phillipp! Our 2020 Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year, Meghan hails from the northside of Chicago and is the Executive Director of the Health Care Council of Chicago and Managing Director of...

We talked with Dr. Jewel Younge, our 2020 Clinical Preceptor of the Year, about her experiences at CommunityHealth, her background in education and healthcare, and what she gets out of working with us. Dr. Younge is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of...

September 15th was the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month! With over 200 volunteers fluent in Spanish, and 60% of our patients identifying as Hispanic, CommunityHealth is proud to be so strongly connected to Hispanic/Latinx communities across Chicago. If you're...

After 18 long months of empty seats. . .   . . .we've got onsite interpreters again! In March of 2020, CommunityHealth transitioned to a fully remote interpreting program to maintain the safety of our volunteers and patients amidst the pandemic. We're so proud of...

Greetings, CommunityHealth readers! My name is Alice Woo. I'm a recent graduate of Vassar College, and in July I joined the CommunityHealth team as the new Development and Communications Coordinator. Part of my job is writing for the CommunityHealth blog about our...

All In™ Cabaret presented by the CommunityHealth Associate Board September 22, 2021 | 7PM CST   The CommunityHealth Associate Board presents the annual All In™ Cabaret, a night of comedy and entertainment! We're so excited to feature puppet performer Chad the...

Recognizing Innovation's Vital Role in Helping Providers Improve Access and Outcomes co-presented by Accenture  September 23, 2021 | 4PM CST   Think about how easy it is to grab your phone and call up a friend, order a meal, or schedule a ride. Now imagine it...

Mental Health First Aid Training co-presented by American Muslim Health Professionals September 18, 2021 | 11AM CST   In continuation of our emphasis on mental health, CommunityHealth is proud to partner with the organization American Muslim Health Professionals...

Rethinking Space and Place for Care co-presented by Empowering Church Health Outreach September 16, 2021 | 11AM CST   The location where patients must go to receive care is at the heart of accessibility, and that means it's time to redesign the traditional place...

Cultivating Resiliency for Individuals and Communities in a Post-Pandemic World co-presented by Health Care Council of Chicago September 14, 2021 | 11AM CST   Mental health has been long-overlooked in the realm of health care, but as many people were exposed to...

Fictional Science: Imagining Healthy Futures for All co-presented by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago September 9th, 11am CST   Exactly one month from today is our second All In™ Chicago event!! We are thrilled that Aisha Davis, Director of Policy for the AIDS...

In this Spotlight, we learn more about Dr. LaMoreaux, our fantastic volunteer rheumatologist and 2020 Specialist of the Year! Kind, compassionate, and always willing to share his wisdom, Dr. LaMoreaux is a critical part of our team of volunteer providers and shares...

The Breakfast Summit: COVID-19's Footprint and Chicago's Next Steps September 1st, 9am CST   The annual Breakfast Summit is the first event of the All In™ Chicago series. Though it is happening virtually again this year, the Breakfast Summit is nonetheless an...

CommunityHealth's 7th annual All In™ Chicago campaign begins September 1st, and registration is open!   What is All In™ Chicago? All In™ Chicago is an incredible opportunity for members of our community to share in conversation and education in support of health...

CommunityHealth is now operating a telehealth satellite clinic located in Onward Neighborhood House, a social service organization in the medically underserved Belmont Cragin neighborhood. The first of its kind in Chicago, the site uses the power of telehealth to...