Advocacy in Action

Volunteer Providers Speak on Health Care Reform

Recently, Jim Webster, MD, professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, former president of the Chicago Board of Health and long time CommunityHealth volunteer, along with Laura Zimmerman, MD, resident physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, were interviewed at CommunityHealth by the Campaign for Better Health Care. Click below to hear their thoughts.

>>Dr. Jim Webster and Dr. Laura Zimmerman speak on health care reform and a public health care option.

CommunityHealth Raises Awareness Among State Leaders

At CommunityHealth, raising awareness on the plight of the uninsured--and the services that we provide to this vulnerable population--as well as influencing public policy is a top priority. To that end, Executive Director Judith Haasis and members of the board governance committee visit the state capital often to meet with top health care policy and legislative leaders.

Most recently, Judy was joined by board member Valery Gallagher (Director, U.S. State Government Affairs, Baxter Healthcare Corp.) and board President Dr. Arnie Widen. During this successul trip in February 2009, the three met with key legislatures to (a) update them on the mission, model and impact of CommunityHealth, and (b) to request support. A follow-up visit, which board Vice President Joe O'Malley also attended, was made in May.

CommunityHealth Representatives Serve as A Voice for the Uninsured

On May 23, 2007, Executive Director Judith Haasis, Dr. Arnold Widen, president, and Dr. Babs Waldman, medical director, delivered testimony before a subcommittee hearing of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, who met to vote on a resolution that would require that the IRIS referral system be reinstated to community partners. The Cook County IRIS program, which is the mechanism through which patients are referred for specialty services, was suspended to community partners on April 16.

As of June 14, the IRIS program has been reinstated for a period of three months, after which a permanent decision will be made about its future.
Read Judith Haasis' testimony to the Cook County Commissioners here.

CommunityHealth Testifies Before State Task Force

Throughout 2005 and 2006, a number of CommunityHealth representatives testified before the Adequate Health Care Task Force. Created by the 2004 Health Care Justice Act, which established access to affordable, quality health care as a state priority, this 29-member task force held public hearings on the status of health care across the state and will present health-reform recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly this October.