Dear Cook County Health friends and partners,

Last week, Cook County Health launched the second year of the Provident Scholarship Fund, a program designed to support students from, and committed to caring for, underserved communities.

Information about the Provident Scholarship is available online. Applications are now open and will close on Friday, May 26 at 11:59 CT.

I encourage you to share this opportunity with the students in your professional and personal circles. At our press conference last week, we heard from Kammia Carroll, one of the more than two dozen 2022 Provident Scholarship recipients. She spoke about how the program eased the financial burden of nursing school and helped her excel as a new nurse.

The scholarship announcement is particularly important as it comes on the heels of two studies that highlight the need to create more equity in our nation's health care workforce.

This month, a study was published in JAMA Open Network showing that Black people in counties with more Black primary care physicians have a longer life expectancy and lower mortality.

Cook County Health is proud to have a workforce that reflects the communities we serve, but we know that is not common. According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, less than 6 percent of physicians are Hispanic and only 5 percent are Black.

A study from UCLA also published this month in JAMA Open Forum found that Black and Brown prospective medical students face greater financial barriers to medical school, and are more likely to be discouraged by academic advisors from pursuing medicine.

By fostering medical professionals who are from communities where opportunity is not abundant, we hope to create a health care delivery system that is representative of the patients we serve and provides care that is both high-quality and equitable for all.

Having a diverse and dedicated workforce is essential for our communities’ well-being. I am grateful for your partnership in helping us develop our health care workforce by sharing information about career opportunities at CCH, our job fairs, and the Provident Scholarship Fund.

Sincerely,

On April 20, 2023, Cook County officials joined Cook County Health and Cook County Health Foundation leaders to kick off the second year of the Provident Scholarship Fund to support students who are from, and committed to caring for, underserved communities. The scholarship application period is open now and closes on May 26.

The Provident Scholarship Fund will offer $20,000 scholarships to health professional students, including those in medical, dental, physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs. The Provident Scholarship Fund will also offer $10,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors, undergraduate and allied health students, including those nursing, surgical and radiology technology, respiratory therapy and paramedic programs. Up to 60 scholarships, totaling $900,000, are expected to be awarded in 2023. For more information visit: cookcountyhealth.org/about/careers/provident-scholarship-fund.

During the scholarship’s inaugural year in 2022, more than two dozen scholarships were awarded. The goal of this program is to provide opportunities to students coming from communities that historically have faced greater challenges, including access to education, economic opportunities, transportation, food or medical care.

“As evident by the number of applications last year, there is no shortage of students aiming to get into medicine. Yet, students from under-resourced communities face many barriers to entry, particularly financially. This scholarship program intends to alleviate some of those challenges,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Applicants will be evaluated on their academic achievements and consideration will also be given to the candidate’s Cook County zip code and where it falls on the Social Vulnerability Index.

“By supporting medical professionals who are from communities where opportunity is not abundant, we hope to create a health care delivery system that is representative of the patients we serve and provides care that is high-quality, culturally competent, and equitable for all,” said Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha.

The Provident Scholarship is funded thanks to Cook County Government, Cook County Health and the Cook County Health Foundation. To donate to the CCH Foundation, visit cchealthfoundation.org/about/.

“The Cook County Health Foundation is honored to collaborate in support of these students on their journey to be healers. We are thrilled that the financial support we will provide and the mentorship from the health system will help these students and their families for generations,” said Joseph P. Flanagan, Chair, Cook County Health Foundation.

“It is critical that we uplift our future health care leaders in as many ways as we can,” said Valarie Amos, Chief Human Resources Officer, Cook County Health. “I am pleased to say that this year, each scholar will be matched with an experienced staff member mentor at Cook County Health for personal and professional development to support their success.”

The scholarship program is named after Cook County Health’s Provident Hospital. Provident Hospital was founded in 1891 by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. It was the first hospital in the U.S. that was owned and run by African Americans, and it cared for people of all races.

The Provident Scholarship Fund is one of many educational initiatives being supported by Cook County, including Project Rainbow, which aims to inform, inspire and impact children, students and families across the County. For more information on Project Rainbow please visit projectrainbow.cookcountyil.gov/ .

Resources to Help with Medicaid Redetermination

Cook County Health has launched a new webpage to provide Medicaid members, providers, and community-based organizations resources about Medicaid redetermination. Redetermination, or renewal, is the annual process when the State of Illinois confirms a Medicaid recipient’s eligibility. Renewals were automatic during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

Our new webpage, Medicaid Redetermination Information, provides information about how to complete redetermination, answers frequently-asked questions, and has materials for organizations to share. Resources are available in multiple languages.

All Medicaid members will have to renew their coverage between May 2023 and April 2024. Each member has a unique redetermination due date. Please encourage your clients with Medicaid coverage to keep their address up-to-date with the State and be on the lookout for their redetermination information.

On Monday, April 24, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth joined Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha to highlight the nearly $900,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending funds that the Senator secured for Cook County Health’s Caring for High-Risk Infants project. 

“Our state and our nation are stronger when we invest in our communities and families—and that’s one of the things Congressionally Directed Spending allows us to do,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’m so proud I was able to secure this critical support for Cook County Health to help upgrade Stroger Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Every family deserves high-quality care for their newborns, and making sure babies have what they need to be healthy and grow shouldn’t be dependent on your income level, the neighborhood you live in or the color of your skin.”

“Thanks to Senator Duckworth’s advocacy, newborns who require special medical attention, including micro-preemies and babies born with serious illnesses, will have access to modern and high-tech equipment that is reflective of the innovative care that is provided here,” President Preckwinkle said.

This funding will help ensure families with newborns in John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit receive the high-quality care needed with the purchase of new, state-of-the-art incubators, infant warmers and other elements of critical care.

“At Cook County Health, we often see some of our region’s sickest patients and the most vulnerable, and that includes our youngest and smallest patients,” Rocha said. “Over the last few years, Cook County Health cared for more than 1,000 tiny lives in our NICU, guided by amazing physicians and care teams. Being able to have access to new equipment, including state-of-the-art incubators, infant warmers and other elements of critical care, is critical for us to be able to carry out our mission of health equity for all.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, several Cook County Commissioners, Cook County Health (CCH) and Cook County Health Foundation leaders recently unveiled community murals at Blue Island Health Center (lower left), Provident Hospital (lower right) and the CCH Professional Building (right).

“Cook County Health continues our commitment to providing equitable, accessible health care by investing and working to make inviting spaces for healing,” President Preckwinkle said. “With these murals, our patients and staff will see warming colors and themes that represent the individuals we serve here.”

These three unveilings are a part of a series of murals planned for all CCH health care sites. Community stakeholders provided input throughout the creation of the mural to build trust and engagement between the health care sites and its communities, build neighborhood pride, and increase awareness of the benefits of the public health care system.

“We are making advancements and investments in our system to make our services more accessible and consumer-centric,” Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha said. “It is essential for our spaces to reflect this commitment to excellence and our dedication to serving our community. We know that a welcoming, visually engaging facility helps reduce patient anxiety, improves satisfaction, and contributes to a holistic healing environment.”

The mural project is made possible by the Cook County Health Foundation and its donors, who provided funding for art installations across the health system.

Visit Cook County Health’s website to learn more. 

Two CCH employees have been chosen to be part of the Getting to Zero (GTZ) Illinois Community Advisory Board! The GTZ-IL CAB will meet to provide meaningful input to partners as they work to implement the GTZ-IL plan to eliminate HIV/AIDS transmission in the state. 

Dee Dee Lehmann is one of the Lead Peer Health Navigators at Austin CBC Program. She provides patient navigation for newly diagnosed patients, PrEP navigation services with the prevention health education team, and is a certified HIV tester.

Lonnie Rowden is a Consumer Development & Advocacy Coordinator for Cook County HIV Integrated Programs (CCHIP), where he serves as the Chairperson for CCHIP's joint Advisory Board and is the staff liaison for CORE Center’s Advisory Board. He facilitates healthy lifestyle programming for CORE's Healthy Aging Initiative (CHAI) patients over 50+ years of age. 

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