UChicago Medicine and the Pritzker School of Medicine Receive AAMC National Award for Community Service
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has presented the UChicago Medicine health system and the Pritzker School of Medicine with its prestigious 2024 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Engagement. This national award recognizes our longstanding organizational commitment to addressing the needs of our South Side community through meaningful partnerships, collaboration and community-focused care.
Hyde Park and Chicago's South Side
As a mainstay in historic Hyde Park since 1892, the University of Chicago has proudly hosted, healed and educated the area’s dynamic population for generations. Hyde Park is a vibrant, socio-economically diverse, predominantly African American community.
Steeped in African-American heritage and history, the South Side is marked by deep social bonds anchored by vital neighborhoods and faith-based organizations. However, generations of structural inequality and neglect have contributed to the erosion of the critical social, economic, and health ecosystem necessary to adequately meet the needs of this community.
Today, the South Side of Chicago suffers among the worst economic, health, social, and violence disparities in the United States. Currently, the unemployment rate of those living in the UCM service area (21%) is three times the national unemployment rate. Half of the community members are at risk for food insecurity according to the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s estimates. Residents of the UCM service area suffer significantly higher rates of chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, STIs and HIV.
Community Engagement
- Firm Service Events – Each of the three firms gets a day during ambulatory didactic time when they do a community service event at local organizations together with residents and firm attending leaders.
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South Side Science Fairs – Annual public festival held on the UChicago campus where families from the community come and learn about various science topics. UCIMR partners with the Simulation Center to teach CPR, demonstrating POCUS, and more.
- Student-Run Free Clinics – Residents have the opportunity to precept medical students at clinics in the community that free health services to patients.
- Chicago Street Medicine – UCIMR partners with the UofC chapter of CSM, and residents go on street runs along with medical and social work students to provide medical care to persons experiencing homelessness
