In the latest episode of the Healthy Chicago Podcast, Garfield Park Community Engagement Manager Greg Matthews and Rapid Response Lead for the Community Safety Coordination Center John Jones talk about Cycle Breakers, perception versus reality, and the collaborative efforts behind community safety.

Learn more about the holistic approach and all-inclusive resources of Cycle Breakers: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/cscc/home/cycle-breakers.html

En este episodio, nuestra anfitriona, Solange Piña-Lorca, Gerente de Proyecto de Comunicaciones del Centro de Coordinación de Seguridad Comunitaria (CSCC), conversa con la Dra. Geraldine Luna, Especialista Geriatra del Departamento de Salud Pública de Chicago, sobre recomendaciones importantes para proteger la salud de los adultos mayores durante los meses de invierno, incluyendo qué vacunas deben recibir y con qué frecuencia, así como cómo mantenerse activos y saludables en el frío intenso. Descubre las respuestas a estas preguntas en este episodio del podcast en español de Chicago Saludable.

Illinois’ 48th Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton, talks with Commissioner Ige about topics that are near and dear to both of them: the Black women’s maternal health crisis, the Birth Equity Initiative, and what the State of Illinois is doing to ensure that women and babies have healthy lives around childbirth.

The State of Illinois recently passed the FY25 budget, which addresses years of disinvestment in health and social service programs. It includes funding to assess maternal mortality rates, funds for low-income diaper programs, grants to expand safe and accessible pregnancy support, and more.

Visit Family Connects Chicago for free, in-home nurse visits and support for new families: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/onechifam/home/family-wellness/family-connects.html

Dr. Brian Borah chats with Dr. Estrella “Star” Cervantes, an infectious disease antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist with Chicago Department of Public Health. While Dr. Cervantes’s title might sound complex, the impact of her work is something everyone can relate to.

When Dr. Cervantes would feel sick as a child, her parents would take her to the doctor for a treatment of the familiar pink bubblegum liquid—amoxicillin, an antibiotic. However, during her time in pharmacy school, Cervantes learned of the adverse effects associated with overuse and overprescribing of antibiotics. Now, she leads efforts in antimicrobial stewardship, collaborating with healthcare providers across Chicago to enhance medication safety and ensure that antibiotic prescriptions are used appropriately and effectively.

To find out more about Chicago’s antimicrobial stewardship program, visit: https://www.chicagohan.org/antimicrobial-stewardship-program

Dr. Brian Borah speaks with Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown. If you haven’t visited one of CPL’s 81 library locations lately, you might be surprised – they are more than just books and microfiches; they are a model for neighborhood functionality.

Commissioner Brown talks about one of the largest library systems in the country, which offers tutors, early literacy programs, housing solutions, YOUmedia spaces that helped launch the careers of artists like Noname and Chance the Rapper, and public health assets like Narcan-dispensing vending machines and mental health services.

Visit Chicago Public Library’s site to find your local branch and explore all available resources: https://www.chipublib.org/

"Getting to Zero Illinois" que en español se traduce a "Llegando a Cero Illinois" es un plan que CDPH en conjunto al Depto de Salud Pública de Illinois (IDPH) y múltiples organizaciones han desarrollado para poner fin a la epidemia de VIH en Illinois para el año 2030. ¿Cómo es que se va a lograr? El Dr. Jorge Cestou, Dir. de Investigaciones, Estrategias, y Desarrollo del Buró de Enfermedades Infecciosas de CDPH, nos comparte el paso a paso de cómo se pondrá en marcha este plan en el estado, cuál es su importancia, y los recursos disponibles en Chicago para la detección del VIH.

Matt Richards, CDPH Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral Health, discusses behavioral health in policy between the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois. He is joined in conversation by Dr. Tom Nutter, Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Cook County, and Chief David T. Jones, Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the State of Illinois. The insider discussion covers the nuts and bolts of policy around the behavioral health system and how the three agencies operate independently and collectively to ensure the overall health and wellness of the stakeholders in their respective areas.

CDPH Commissioner Olusimbo Ige is joined by a special guest, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, known for her public health science newsletter subscription, Your Local Epidemiologist. Dr. Jetelina discusses her experience as a public health communicator and what the future holds for tracking and broadcasting information on health-related topics.

In a time when cutting through misinformation and disinterest is more difficult than ever, epidemiologist and data scientist Dr. Jetelina has found ways to directly connect with eager readers. Her Substack newsletter subscription – started in March 2020 to disseminate health information during the COVID-19 pandemic – currently has over 250,000 subscribers, she’s been interviewed by the likes of Vanity Fair, and TIME named her one of the 100 most influential people in health in 2024.

Subscribe to Your Local Epidemiologist here: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/

El verano llegó a Chicago y los días calurosos no se han hecho esperar; las playas lucen abarrotadas, chicos y grandes aprovechan las áreas verdes para refrescarse, y residentes en general buscan la mejor manera de mitigar el calor ya sea con un helado en mano o buscando lugares con refrigeración. Pero, ¿por qué estamos experimentando con más frecuencia días de altas temperaturas y cómo estos podrían incluso tornarse en mortales? Maria Elena Ponticiello, Meteoróloga certificada de Univisión Chicago, nos explica qué es una ola de calor, cómo la presencia del asfalto y de la contaminación contribuyen a que se suscite el efecto de isla de calor urbana, y cuáles medidas están en nuestras manos para combatir el calor.

Commissioner Olusimbo Ige is joined by Director of Illinois Department of Public Health Sameer Vohra and Chief Administrative Officer for Operations & Development at Cook County Health Craig Williams to discuss the collaborative process that initiated the recent containment of a measles outbreak in Chicago.

For guidance on measles, MMR vaccinations and more, visit: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/supp_info/infectious/get-the-facts--measles.html