Happy New Year from the Chicago Chronic Condition Equity Network! We’re thrilled by the developments of our first year and eagerly anticipate new insights and progress in our search for community based solutions for health equity in 2023.
In 2022, we launched three community-based programs, Keep It Movin’ (KIM), a program to increase physical activity in the African American community through the Alive Faith Network, Virtual Diabetes Group Visits Across Health Systems (VIDA), a program to facilitate diabetes education and social support through virtual group appointments at ACCESS and Advocate Aurora Health, and EngAGE: Voice-Activated Technology to Improve Mobility & Reduce Health Disparities: EngAGEing African American Older Adult-Care Partner Dyads, a program designed to increase physical activity among homebound African American elders through voice-activated technology and virtual social support.
We also began a program to nurture early career researchers of health disparities. Last year, we granted five Pilot Awards totaling more than $200,000 to Merdijana Kovacevic, Victoria Lee, Saria Lofton, Teresa Moro, and Eleanor Rivera, as well as a Mini-Grant of $3000 to Chuka Emezue. This year, we invite new applications for Pilot Awards, due June 1, and Mini-Grant applications, accepted on a rolling basis starting April 1.
This January, we celebrate C3EN partners West Side United and Rush University Medical Center–members of the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative that is leading the development of Sankofa Wellness Village, just awarded the $10 million Chicago Prize. We also introduce C3EN team member Tricia Johnson, C3EN Community Stakeholder Advisory Council Member Morris Reed, and–in our new section Humans of Chicago–artist, educator, activist, and community member Marvin Tate.
We look forward to engaging more members of our community when we host our first Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, February 8, in the Garfield Park Fieldhouse. Wishing everyone joy and health for the new year!
Elbert Huang and Beth Lynch
CoDirectors of C3EN