The new University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System has four key emphases as it moves forward: institutions can lay claim to a powerful combination like that.” The heart of the new health system is Chicago, and Garcia believes that the medical campus’ home on the near West Side can be a key advantage, one that can benefit patients throughout Illinois and the rest of the country. Garcia says the university plans to bring more personalized medicine to the 2 million people in its service area, of whom 35 percent are Hispanic and 35 percent are African-American. “The practices and research within the health system, and the way it serves the Chicagoland area, make it an incubator for programs across the country,” Garcia notes. “Our goal is to be recognized for our programs both within our communities and throughout the state and country.” The solutions that will result from such efforts should help hospitals and health systems around the country better care for underserved and genetically diverse populations, he says. “These types of research opportunities aren’t as readily available in other parts of the country,” Garcia says. “But we need to do a better job of letting the community know about our services and extend our reach into these areas.” Battling health disparities is an overarching theme of the university’s mission, according to Garcia, who believes that the new health system can be a leader in that regard. “We want to bring high-quality, costeffective health care to the state, especially to medically underserved Latinos and AfricanAmericans,” he says. “We truly want to make a difference in Chicago — and beyond.” Illinois Health recently interviewed Garcia about the new direction: Q: Why is the effort to defeat disparities so important? A: This is an issue that truly affects everyone. It affects our healthcare costs. And it affects our culture because we have these growing populations that are unable to receive the basics of stable health. It impacts the ability of people in our community to be productive, to be with their kids, to live and interact on a daily basis with people who have advantages. It’s a divisive factor in urban life. Q: Despite that, the issue of disparities is one that few urban healthcare institutions have tried to address. What is prompting the university to make this a key component in its future?
Innovative Research Research is a cornerstone of the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. By combining resources, the health system has the opportunity to extend studies with community research. “The healthcare landscape is changing,” says Garcia. “The challenge is adapting to these changes.” UI Health System personnel frequently join researchers at the University of Illinois’ Champaign-Urbana campus in studying population health and biochemical illnesses. The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System is recognized in research of alternative medicine, cancer biology, drug development, genomics and infectious diseases, among other areas, and the university is a magnet for graduate study. Among the greatest beneficiaries of this innovative research are members of our community.
Personalized Health Because no two patients are the same, the researchers and specialists at the health system work together to give everyone the individualized care they deserve. Personalized care is determined by the patient’s genetic makeup and lifestyle. In the long run, studies in personalized treatment—for Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity and more—can help to lower drug costs and increase research funding.
Addressing Disparities “We saw the opportunity to bring resources together to successfully address healthcare disparities,” says Garcia. “Health disparities are a problem that has been recognized for decades—without any significant progress. Being in this community, being a research institution and having a public charter, we are in a position to actually make a difference in reducing health disparities in our patients and community.”
Health Sciences Education In addition to its innovative care and research, the health system provides access to health education for young people from diverse backgrounds so they can become leaders, researchers and care providers—another way the health system is addressing health disparities. The health system is comprised of seven colleges: Medicine, Applied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, the School of Public Health, as well as the Jane Addams College of Social Work. With the largest college of medicine in the nation, the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System is changing the future of medicine for students and the patients they serve.
I l l i n o i s H e a lt h
|
11