The University of Chicago Medicine Health Care System and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine have been honored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for their commitment to identifying and addressing community needs through engagement, partnership and collaboration.
The American Association of Medical Practitioners (AAMC) has awarded the Chicago organization the 2024 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Engagement for prioritizing community engagement, particularly through medical education, research, and clinical care.
“By integrating community engagement into every aspect of medical education, research and clinical care, the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago and the University of Chicago Medical School have demonstrated deep commitments to improving the health and well-being of all individuals living on the South Side of Chicago,” the American Psychiatric Association (AAMC) said in its announcement.
“Through our mission, vision and values and across all of our strategic initiatives, The University of Chicago Medicine and the Pritzker School of Medicine are committed to advancing health equity within the communities we serve,” said Dr. Mark Anderson, dean of the Department of Biological Sciences and Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, in a statement. “We are deeply honored by this recognition from the AAMC, which reflects the values and strengths of everyone within our institution and the partnerships that help inform and shape how we engage with the community.”
Medical students learn about health inequities and social determinants of health through coursework and volunteering at six student-run free clinics and in the Street Medicine Outreach Program. They also get directly involved through programs like Medical Careers Exposure and Emergency Preparedness, which expose historically underrepresented youth to careers in medicine and have trained more than 7,000 individuals in emergency preparedness since 2018.
Earlier this year, the Pritzker School of Medicine launched the Phoenix Curriculum, an updated educational framework designed to empower students to serve as patient advocates, integrating self-directed learning, research, clinical experience, and community engagement from day one.
At the graduate medical education level, residents from a variety of specialties collaborate with community members to address health needs through the Community Champions Graduate Medical Education Program, in partnership with the Urban Health Initiative, the Chicago Medical School’s Department of Community Health that works to improve health equity for more than 880,000 residents on Chicago’s South Side and the southern suburbs. Now in its fourth year, the Community Champions program trains approximately 30 residents from 12 departments each year to work in communities dealing with a disproportionate burden of chronic and serious illness and high rates of intentional violence.
“Receiving this award underscores our efforts to ensure that our outreach programs and initiatives in medical education and clinical care prioritize health equity and reflect our commitment to serving our diverse communities,” said Dr. Vineet Arora, dean of medical education, in a statement. “We are inspired to continue this important work with and for the community and to encourage the next generation of health care professionals to grow as leaders and advocates for health equity.”
As a founding member of the South Side Healthy Community Organization, a collaborative, coordinated network of 13 local health care organizations including safety net hospitals, health care systems, and federally qualified health centers, the University of Chicago School of Medicine uses its resources to better connect existing health organizations, increase access to care, and improve health outcomes for South Side residents.
The AAMC Spencer Foreman Award for Distinguished Community Involvement was renamed in 2007 to honor Dr. Spencer “Spike” Foreman, who established the award in 1993 while serving as president of the AAMC.
Founded in 1876, the American Society of General Practitioners represents 171 accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada, more than 400 teaching hospitals and health systems, and more than 70 academic societies. It is dedicated to transforming health through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaboration.
