Health & Medicine Policy Research Group 29 East Madison St., Ste. 602 , IL 60602 (312) 372-4292 Fax (312) 372-2753 www.hmprg.org Contact: Magda Slowik, (312) 372-4292 ext. 30 [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HEALTH & MEDICINE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 2014 HMPRG AWARDS Awards Recognize Nine Health Leaders for their Work Promoting Health Equity

Chicago, Ill., September 4, 2014 – Health & Medicine Policy Research Group has announced the recipients of the 2014 HMPRG Awards representing leaders in the fields of medicine, policy, public health, and advocacy. The nine 2014 honorees will be celebrated at an awards event on October 14, 2014 in Chicago.

Since their inception in 2006, the HMPRG Awards have recognized 28 individuals and organizations whose work exemplifies Health & Medicine’s mission to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. The award categories –Health, Medicine, Policy, Research, and Group–reflect key prongs of Health & Medicine’s work and policy research efforts. In addition to honoring established health professionals, the awards also recognize an “emerging leader” under 30 and a “young activist” between the ages of 16 and 20. The 2014 winners are:

 Health: Jesus Ramirez-Valles, PhD, MPH, UIC School of Public Health In his work as Director of the Community Health Sciences Program at UIC, Dr. Ramirez-Valles addresses health in the broadest sense piloting research projects on a variety of topics ranging from reproductive health to HIV prevention and economic development for women, youth, and gay male populations.

Daniel Swartzman, JD, MPH, Daniel Swartzman Consulting A Professor Emeritus at UIC School of Public Health, Mr. Swartzman has positively impacted public health in the Chicago-land community and beyond as an award-winning teacher and mentor to thousands of graduate students in addition to being a thought-leader on ethics and public health management.

 Medicine: Raymond Curry, MD, Feinberg School of Medicine An academic and physician, Dr. Curry helped introduce comprehensive diversity and disability training into the Feinberg curricula, supporting the implementation of community-based solutions to reduce health disparities. In addition, his work as a teacher and mentor has helped mold many young physicians.

 Policy: Leticia Boughton, Chicago Community Health Workers Local Network Ms. Boughton’s policy leadership around Community Health Workers (CHWs) has included helping to advance CHW legislation in Illinois as well as leading efforts to pilot the first collaboratively-developed CHW curriculum in the state. Her work has helped highlight the critical role of this emerging workforce.

 Research: James W. Collins, Jr. MD, MPH, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Richard David, MD, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County Neonatologists Drs. Collins and David have conducted groundbreaking epidemiological studies to explore the impact of race and racism on the health and well-being of women and infants, particularly in the .

Health & Medicine Policy Research Group • 29 E. Madison St., Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60602 • 312.372.4292  Group: Helping Her Live a program of the Sinai Urban Health Institute Helping Her Live is a culturally appropriate breast cancer education and outreach program which serves low-income women who are African American and/or Latina and live in some of the poorest, most under- served areas of the City. Since 2010, this innovative program has helped over 2,000 women access care.

 Emerging Leader: Samuel Villasenor, Picture Good Health Program A recent graduate in Health Administration, Mr. Villasenor has piloted a church-based diabetes program for Latino adults, developing curriculum and facilitating town hall meetings for the program. He currently volunteers his time to continue the project in Little Village, improving health in the community.

 Youth Activist: Emma Leff A young leader in promoting health equity, Miss Leff has championed safer sex education for LGBTQ students, helping to fill a critical educational gap for this often marginalized population.

“Our diverse cohort of HMPRG Award winners represents a group of extraordinary individuals and organizations that embody our mission of challenging health inequality and improving social determinants of health,” Executive Director Margie Schaps said. “We are honored to celebrate their achievements and bring additional attention to their important work promoting better health in Chicago.”

Over 100 guests are expected to attend the HMPRG Awards celebration including leaders of Chicago’s business, medical, and civic communities, policymakers, and Health & Medicine supporters. The event will be held at Prairie Production (1314 W. Randolph St.) from 5:30-8:30pm on Tuesday, October 14 and will feature an awards presentation with remarks from the winners. Those interested in attending or setting up interviews with honorees should contact Magda Slowik at [email protected].

About Health & Medicine Policy Research Group Health & Medicine is a Chicago based non-profit working to improve the health of all people in Illinois by promoting health equity. Founded in 1981 by Dr. Quentin Young, it was formed as an action-oriented policy center—nimble, independent, and focused on regional health issues. Health & Medicine’s mission is to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. It conducts research, educates and collaborates with other groups to advocate policies and impact health systems to improve the health status of all people. Health & Medicine has successfully developed health policy recommendations and implementation strategies for different public and private entities, earning the trust of the legislature, advocates, the media, researchers and policymakers at all levels of government in Illinois to become the region’s “honest broker” on healthcare policy matters.

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Health & Medicine Policy Research Group • 29 E. Madison St., Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60602 • 312.372.4292