Congressional action in 2010 makes health system reform a mandate at the highest levels of government. Funds have been set aside to expand access to public clinics through new and existing Federally Qualified Health Centers and to fund state-level initiatives to create an interactive health information exchange system. Both of these initiatives provide an opportunity to improve access to primary care and coordinated care through better communication and accountability.

The healthcare resources of the region are vast. Cook County makes the largest investment in publicly funded healthcare of any county in the nation, approaching $1 billion a year. The system provides care for prisoners, the uninsured and the City’s wide array of immigrants with 3 hospitals, 20 clinics, a prison system and the county public health department. The City of Chicago has a network of seven clinics and 12 mental health clinics that provide care to a similar population. Federally Qualified Community Health Centers have nearly 100 clinic sites throughout the region. Yet several factors make it difficult to provide coordinated access to care: increases in the uninsured and underinsured, growing demands for service, increases in the undocumented population and large gaps in affordable dental care. Lack of coordination results in potentially duplicating efforts in some areas and creates gaps in other critical areas, such as specialty care.

Health system change has been a priority of the Trust since the early 1990s. The Trust has supported such projects as the Lawndale Christian Health Center and Heartland Alliance by providing early capital support for founding efforts or expansions of the scope of work. More recently, the Trust has supported expansion programs as demands for basic and extended services have grown along with the needs of underserved and uninsured/underinsured populations.

The strengths of Chicago and Cook County’s health system bear the burden of the needs of collar counties, whose less developed systems must contend with fast moving population shifts and growing need. The funded mandate for Health Information Technology implementation and exchange will create new stresses and opportunities for organization, coordination and expansion of needed services.

The Trust will support efforts led by the public sector and nonprofits to improve access to healthcare for low-income families and individuals. The healthcare accessed can be either primary care or specialty care that improves the quality of healthcare for the uninsured.

RFPs will be released on July 15 and proposals are due on September 1.

Please direct all inquiries to Kuliva Wilburn, Senior Program Officer at

The Chicago Community Trust has been a strong supporter of improved and equitable access to healthcare for the residents of the Chicago region nearly since the beginning of its charitable work. Under the federal healthcare reform legislation, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), Illinois has the opportunity to fundamentally improve the healthcare system for the 8 million people of the Chicago region. The Trust is committed to providing support for the planning and implementation of the provisions under ACA.

The scope of the ACA federal healthcare reform legislation is broad and deep, impacting how health care and support services are delivered, financed and regulated. The changes—some immediate and some rolling out over the next several years—will affect people of all ages, incomes and health status. The bulk of implementation will rest with states. There are many decisions to be made, creating opportunities to shape the law so that it best meets the needs of people in Illinois and the Chicago metropolitan area.

Several organizations, networks and partnerships are positioned to represent the interests of their respective constituencies and support them through these changes. There is a compelling need for all of the interested groups to coordinate the response to the reforms in ways that are most effective, efficient and inclusive.

Since 2009, the Trust has convened stakeholders and funder colleagues to support a coordinated plan to address obstacles and opportunities for implementation of healthcare reform in Illinois.

Successful implementation of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for the Chicago region, as evidenced by the following:

In addition to working closely with foundation partners to support a coordinated strategy to ensure a successful implementation of healthcare reform in Illinois, the Trust will issue a request for proposals to invite national and local organizations with expertise in Medicaid policy, as well as those who understand the private insurance market as it relates to low-income populations most affected by new rules imposed by federal law, to provide support for the implementation of health care reform.

The request for proposals will also seek service delivery models for low-income families and individuals for services covered under the new healthcare reform.

RFPs will be released in November. 

Please direct all inquiries to Kuliva Wilburn, Senior Program Officer at

     Slide presentation (PDF format, does not require PowerPoint)

     Frequently asked questions

     List of organizations attending community sessions

The medical costs of obesity reached an estimated $147 billion in 2008. Obesity is linked to high blood pressure, heart and other blood vessel diseases and type 2 diabetes. Medical costs of diabetes were $116 billion: 2.3 times higher per person than costs for those without the disease. Where people live, how much they earn, their culture and their family history all play a role in obesity. An unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and socioeconomic factors contribute to both obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as to complications of diabetes. Some population groups also are at higher risk, including a number of racial and ethnic minorities.

The current economic crisis plays a role in this problem: when food prices rise, prices for more nutritious foods rise as well, making it more difficult for families to eat healthy foods. The strain of unemployment affects the programs and services that serve a population already working harder to survive.

The Trust has supported several organizations that have conducted important local interventions related to obesity. Thanks in part to the work of Healthy Schools Campaign, Illinois is one of 27 states that have nutritional standards for food sold outside of the cafeteria in schools, and one of 20 states that require weight-related assessments as a part of physical exams.

Despite such successes, Illinois ranks 27th in obesity in the nation, and the children of Illinois are the 10th most obese in the nation; approximately 35% of the state's children are obese. African-American and Latino kids are more than twice as likely to fit this category as other children. In Cook County, 25% of citizens are obese, and nearly 65% are overweight. Consuming fruits and vegetables on a regular basis is a key strategy for reducing the number of calories that children and families consume, but many Chicago residents have limited access to these foods. They are left with foods high in calories and low in nutrients, leading to high rates of obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended 24 policy-based community strategies to prevent obesity, from providing greater access to healthy foods to redesigning communities to encourage more physical activity. In 2009, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RJWF) also recommended several policy-level strategies for addressing childhood obesity, and called for a national strategy to combat childhood obesity that would define roles and responsibilities for federal, state and local governments and promote collaboration among businesses, communities, schools and families to advance key policies. These strategies form the framework on which obesity prevention efforts can reach success.

The Trust's goal is to help all of the region’s children and families eat well and move more. Funding priority will be given to work in communities with highest needs for obesity prevention efforts. Based on our 2012 strategic plan, the following goals are to be achieved by 2020:

Effective strategies will include changes to public policies, school and neighborhood settings, and workplace practices in ways that make our residents healthier, with a particular focus on increasing access to healthy affordable foods and opportunities for physical activity. Community-based programs to change and sustain healthy lifestyles practices must show evidence of successful results. Funding priority will be given to work in communities with highest needs for obesity prevention efforts. Proposals must demonstrate how the work will contribute to the Trust’s obesity prevention and reduction goals as outlined above.

Requests for Proposals will be released in March 2013.

Please direct all inquiries to Kuliva Wilburn, Senior Program Officer at