The University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) announced the creation of its inaugural community advisory council (CAC). The CAC will seek community input on health issues of importance to its primary service area and surrounding communities. The application for the CAC was publically circulated among community groups, social media and earned media channels, resulting in 118 applications from community stakeholders across the South Side of Chicago. “We know our communities’ interests and concerns span many issues and needs, and we wanted our advisory council to have the expertise and varied perspectives to help us respond to those needs,” said Brenda Battle, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Care Delivery Innovation at UCM. Response to the application was so great that organizers increased the size of the council from an original intended size of 15 to 20 members. The council is expected to begin meeting later this fall. At that first meeting, the group will determine its bylaws and official processes. In the months following, the group’s responsibilities will include providing input and advice to UCM regarding priority health and social determinant challenges. The CAC will be charged with developing and staffing sub committees intended to address adult health, maternal and child health, and trauma care and violence prevention challenges. The inaugural Community Advisory Council members are:

• Salim Al Nurridin: Healthcare Consortium of Illinois, Chief Executive Officer
• Susan Alitto: Chicago Hyde Park Village, Board Member/Founding President
• Damon Arnold: Blue Cross Blue Shield IL (HCSC), Medical Director II
• Torrey Barrett: Life Center COGIC/K.L.E.O. Center, Pastor/Executive Director
• Julian DeShazier: University Church, Senior Pastor
• Alex Goldenberg: Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP), Executive Director
• Judith Haasis: CommunityHealth, Executive Director
• Christopher Harris: Bright Star COGIC/Bright Star Community Outreach, Pastor/CEO
• Candace Henley: The Blue Hat Foundation, Founder/Director
• Jennifer Herd: Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), Senior Health Policy Analyst
• J. Brian Malone: Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Executive Director
• Sherida Morrison: Demoiselle 2 Femme, NFP, Founder/CEO
• Ayoka Mota Samuels: Gary Comer Youth Center, Center Director
• Amalia NietoGomez: Alliance of the SouthEast (ASE), Executive Director
• Burrell Poe: Compassion It Chicago, Director
• Shari Runner: The Chicago Urban League, President and CEO
• L. Anton Seals: DePaul University/Seals360Group, Neighborhood and Community Specialist/Founder
• LeVon Stone: CeaseFire, Program Director, CeasFire Chicago
• Richard Tolliver: St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church/St. Edmund’s Redevelopment Corporation, Rector/President/CEO
• Susana Vasquez: IFF Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Resource Development

The Chair of the Council, Julian DeShazier, will also serve on the Dean’s Committee on Community Engagement.