• 2008 -2009
  • Children’s Memorial Hospital Fellowship
  • Chicago Public Schools - Snoezelen Room
  • Erie Family Health Center
  • PCC Community Wellness Center
• 2007-2008
  • Goldies Place
  • CommunityHealth
  • Thresholds
  • Illinois College of Optometry
  • Norwegian American Hospital
• 2006 - 2007
  • The Women's Treatment Center
  • North Shore Senior Center
  • White Crane Wellness Center
  • Chicago Children's Advocacy Center
• 2005 -2006
  • Clearbrook
  • Lambs Farm Health Services
  • Access Community Health Network
  • Family Christian Health Center
  • Hamdard Center for Health and Human Services
• 2004 - 2005
  • Children’s Memorial Hospital
  • Vision Of Hope Health Alliance
  • Midwestern University
  • Family Christian Health Center
  • Chicago Youth Programs, Inc.
• 2003 -2004
  • Five - Year Plan to Find a Functional Cure for Diabetes
  • CoACH (Coordinating Action for Children’s Health) Care Center
  • Thresholds Collaboration Expands
  • Palliative CareCenter & Hospice of the South Suburbs
  • Easter Seals: Playtime Talk Research Report
• 2002-2003
  • Washington Square funds Weizmann Institute of Science's research to improve the 3TP Method's ability to definitively diagnose benign & malignant tumors.
  • The Night Ministry - "Outreach and Health Ministry - Community Health Program Coordinator."
  • The University of Illinois Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences conducts study entitled, “A fMRI Evaluation of Brain Plasticity Following Low Vision Reading Rehabilitation.”
  • Hematology/Oncology Research Fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital.
  • Cook County Ambulatory and Community Health Network conducts study at 3 school based health centers: “Reducing the Risks of Type II Diabetes in Adolescence: Screening and Intervention in the School Based Health Center.”
• 2001-2002
  • Washington Square Health Foundation Positions School of Public Health for State-of-the-Art Conferencing
  • Public\ Private Partnership meeting to help the uninsured
  • Community Health Corps & Shanti: A Training Partnership
• 2000 - 2001
  • Easter Seals: Talk and Play
• 1999 - 2000
  • Shanti Nation Training Institute
• 1998 - 1999
  • Focus on the Children
  • Washington Square in CyberSpace
• 1997 - 1998
  • Food for Life: HIV Nutritionist
  • PRI Means Community Investing

2008 - 2009
Children’s Memorial Hospital Fellowship

Children’s Memorial Hospital Fellowship

The Washington Square Health Foundation is helping to make great strides in cancer research at Children’s Memorial Hospital through the support of Jamie Dargart, MD, the fourth Washington Square Health Foundation Research Fellow and recipient of this year's Washington Square Health Foundation funded Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Fellowship.

 In May of 2009, Dr. Dargart elected to pursue research during her second and third years of fellowship training in the laboratory of Richard M. Longnecker, PhD.   Dr. Longnecker is a professor in the Department of Microbiology-Immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Director of the Viral Oncogenesis Basic Science Program of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. He leads a successful research program primarily focused on investigations in viral oncology.

Dr. Dargart narrowed her research project to focus on a possible link that viral infections, in particular the Epstein Barr virus (EBV), play in the development of malignancies.  Specifically, Dr. Dargart is looking at the association between EBV and cancers, with a particular emphasis on lymphoma. She is looking at drugs known as small molecule inhibitors, which are designed to inhibit aberrantly activated proteins within cancer cells in an effort to prevent cell division. Previous research has identified a certain protein within the EBV particle, Latent Membrane Protein 2A (LMP2A), which has the ability to initiate a cascade of signals within white blood cells infected with EBV, resulting in cell survival when the cells might otherwise die.

Fellowship training is a central part of Children’s Memorial’s multi-faceted mission. This commitment allows the hospital to train a new generation of medical leaders who are capable, compassionate and inquisitive.  Aimed at the candidate whose goal is a career in academic medicine, the fellowship is considered the most important stage in the development of the physician-scientist specializing in pediatric cancer and blood disorders.  As she continues down this path, Dr. Dargart’s work holds the potential to positively impact the medical community at Children’s Memorial, who will benefit from the new insight she brings to her clinical and research activities, and children and families throughout Chicago, who will benefit first from her discoveries.

2008 - 2009
Chicago Public Schools - Snoezelen Room

Chicago Public Schools

Have you ever heard of a Snoezelen room?  The students at Stockton School, a Chicago Public School located in the Uptown neighborhood, can tell you all about it.  Students with special needs including Autism, Down Syndrome and Developmental Delay are fortunate to have this unique resource in their school.  Through the generosity of the Washington Square Health Foundation and a matching grant from the Chicago Public Schools, as well as additional funding from several private donors, what was once a vision for one speech-language pathologist, has become a reality.  The partnership between the Washington Square Health Foundation and the Chicago Public Schools to come together and fund this state-of-the-art Snoezelen room was made possible through a meeting in the Foundation office between Arne Duncan, then the Superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools,  (now U.S. Secretary of Education) and WSHF Executive Director Howard Nochumson. 

The word Snoezelen is a contraction of the Dutch verbs “snuffelen” (to explore) and “doezelen” (to relax).  This unique multi-sensory environment is designed to calm, relax, stimulate, intrigue and empower students with special needs.  The Snoezelen environment is safe and non-threatening.  Snoezelen aims to create an atmosphere of trust and relaxation through pleasurable sensory experiences.  When you enter the Snoezelen room, everything you see, hear, and touch is designed to stimulate an active response, encouraging a feeling of being in control of your environment and being able to explore at your own pace.  The room radiates a sense of tranquility.

By incorporating specialized sensory equipment including six-foot tall brightly colored interactive bubble tubes, sparkling fiber optics, soft padding on the floor and walls, special lighting, soft music, a ball pit with lighting and music, interactive wall panels, a voice activated fanlight, a musical hopscotch and a projector to display vivid images slowly moving around the room, an ordinary classroom was transformed into a Snoezelen room.

With therapists and teachers as facilitators, the Snoezelen room promotes the following in a stress-free, failure-free environment: communication, social interaction, sensory awareness, exploration, joint attention, self-regulation, eye-hand coordination, independence, and integration of academic skills and self-esteem.

When it is time to go to the Snoezelen room, the students are eager.  They go in small groups of two to four students or individually.  Their therapist and/or teacher always accompany them.  They walk upstairs to the second floor with big smiles on their faces.  They know just where to go.  They arrive at the entrance of the Snoezelen room and sit down to remove their shoes.  As they enter the Snoezelen room, the lights are on and the music is playing.  After a minute or two, the bubble tubes are turned on and the lights in the room are slowly dimmed.  The students are free to explore at their own pace.  One student may use the interactive controller to change the color of the bubble tubes while another student jumps on the hopscotch pad and watches the colors light up as they jump.  They are learning about cause and effect in an interesting, fun environment.  One of the favorite items in the room is the vibroacoustic ball pit.  Students are able to sit in the ball pit, “feeling” and listening to music through a speaker actually in the ball pit.  The ball pit also has slowly changing lights underneath the balls.  It is truly a wonderful sensory experience! 

Imagine how the speech-language pathologist and teacher felt when a four-year-old student with autism spoke his very first words of his life in the Snoezelen room.  He said, “Wow…Look!”  They could not believe it.   His mother was SO happy!

Imagine seeing a five-year-old girl who is a selective mute, a student who does not speak in the classroom but does speak at home, take a microphone in her hand and actually sing a song!

Imagine an eight-year-old boy with autism running around the room at full speed for 15 minutes and then discovering the vibroacoustic ball pit, jumping in and relaxing quietly for 10 minutes!

Imagine a very passive student entering the Snoezelen room and standing in one spot for thirty minutes.  The next time the student went to the Snoezelen room, he took a few steps toward the bubble tubes but did not venture far enough to touch them.  Finally, after four sessions, he walked to the bubble tubes, pushed the buttons and changed the colors! 

The Snoezelen room is amazing.  It provides the sensory stimulation that the students need regardless of disability.  It is a wonderful learning environment where students are free to be themselves without having demands placed on them.

Stockton School staff and students are honored and thankful that Washington Square Health Foundation supported this project to create a state-of-the-art Snoezelen room.

2008 - 2009
Erie Family Health Center

Erie Family Health Center

Erie Family Health Center's mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high-quality health care for those in need. Erie was founded in 1957 as a volunteer clinic with physicians from Northwestern Memorial Hospital to serve the residents of the West Town neighborhood. Since then, Erie has developed health programs for all ages, evolving into a full-service community health center. Erie provides comprehensive health services at nine health centers: three large primary health care centers, one adolescent-only health center, three school-based health centers and two dental health centers to over 30,000 patients annually. In addition to providing primary medical care, including internal medicine, family practice, women’s health, and pediatrics. Erie also offers HIV/AIDS services, behavioral health counseling, oral health services, eye care, and health education.

Erie Helping Hands Health Center, located in Albany Park, provides primary health services, including health education, lab services and medications, through over 1,000 visits a month.  Its services include Adult and Senior Services, Behavioral Health Counseling, Case Management, Health and Wellness Programs, Women’s Health Services, Children’s Health Services and Prenatal Health Services. This site cares for patients from 100 different zip codes, including 54 suburban zip codes. Ninety-two percent of the patients are Latino and 78% speak Spanish in their homes. The majority of patients at this site are adult and more than 40% lack insurance.  To meet the growing demand for high quality health services, Erie Helping Hands relocated to a larger, nearby facility in October 2009. The new facility offers 18 spacious exam rooms, twice the number of the previous site, covering 8,500 square feet. The expansion will help Erie meet the growing demand for health care and allow for enhanced education and outreach programs, too.

As part of the relocation, Erie Helping Hands Health Center expanded and updated much of its clinical equipment to ensure that the new facility is state-of-the-art. Generous support from the Washington Square Health Foundation supported the new Erie Helping Hands Health Center by providing for the purchase of a Colposcope and three Fetal Dopplers to increase access to cervical cancer screening and high quality OB/GYN care at the facility.

This equipment strengthens the quality of care offered to patients at Erie Helping Hands Health Center. Women not only rely on Erie Helping Hands Health Center as a place where they receive routine women’s health services, but they can now receive necessary follow-up procedures for their abnormal Pap smears. On-site, Helping Hands providers are able to view and remove abnormal cervical cells—ultimately helping to reduce late stage cervical cancer diagnosis and improving overall gynecological health. The Fetal Dopplers also improve care quality. Listening to the baby’s heartbeat is an important part of prenatal care; it can help identify any possible pregnancy complications.  This equipment greatly enhances Erie Helping Hand Health Center’s ability to provide comprehensive health care services to women, without any delays, improving the quality and efficiency of care.  

Washington Square Health Foundation is a longstanding partner of Erie, supporting our ongoing efforts to increase access to health care and eliminate barriers to care for our patients. The Foundation has previously provided support to our school-based health centers, as well as our innovative diabetes, adolescent health, and prenatal care programming. With this current grant, Washington Square Health Foundation ensures that Erie will advance its women’s health and prenatal care services.

2008 - 2009
PCC Community Wellness Center

PCC’s new Electronic Health Records (EHR) system was launched on February 1, 2010 at the new PCC Austin Family Health Center, located at 5425 W. Lake Street in Chicago.

Founded in 1980, PCC Community Wellness Center (PCC) is a nonprofit healthcare organization providing comprehensive healthcare and support services to the west side communities of Chicago and the near west suburbs. Since then, PCC has grown to encompass eight health centers, serving more than 32,000 patients annually. PCC also provides care at Resurrection's West Suburban Medical Center, Norwegian American Hospital, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, and at Interfaith House, a homeless respite center located in PCC’s service area. The mission of PCC is to improve health outcomes for the medically underserved community through the provision of high quality, affordable, and accessible primary health care and support services. PCC is committed to serving the needs of men, women, and children in all lifecycles, while continuing to specialize in the delivery of comprehensive maternal and child health services to address this unmet need in its community. 

In 2009, the Washington Square Health Foundation granted a Program Related Investment (PRI) to PCC. Through this valuable partnership with Washington Square Health Foundation, PCC was able to begin the implementation process for an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system. In April 2009, PCC joined the blazing trail for EHR implementation to promote accessible, continuous and coordinated family-centered care with the support of health information technologies. The EHR and Practice Management system of choice for PCC was GE Centricity. GE Centricity is the first EHR to be certified by the National Committee of Quality Assurance.

In partnership with the Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services, PCC recognized the importance of sharing resources, integrating services, and improving the quality and efficiency of patient care. PCC worked with the Alliance to customize GE’s Centricity EHR system to include the spectrum of health services provided at each PCC health center, as well as clinical decision support and performance measures tied to evidence-based practice guidelines.

PCC successfully launched the new GE Centricity practice management software in July 2009. This new software is going to help PCC reach many goals such as improving physician and staff productivity, improving patient satisfaction, and making data capture capabilities and reports easier. On February 1, 2010, PCC’s new Austin Family Health Center was the first site to launch the new GE Centricity EHR system. Within the next year, PCC will be implementing the EHR system at the other seven PCC health centers. Overall, PCC and the patients its serve will benefit tremendously from the support of the EHR system by enhancing and streamlining the delivery of patient care. PCC’s new EHR system is going to improve quality of services in several key areas, such as patient safety, risk management, and chart documentation.

For more information about PCC, please visit www.pccwellness.org

2007 - 2008
Goldie's Place

Goldie's Place patient receives dental care in the new dental facility.

A generous grant from the Washington Square Health Foundation is providing Goldie’s Place with critical equipment for a modern four-chair dental clinic serving Chicago’s homeless and economically disadvantaged.  The grant will help underwrite the high cost of a digital x-ray machine and an autoclave sterilizer.

Opening of the expanded dental clinic at 5705 North Lincoln Avenue in May 2008 represents the culmination of a program enhancement effort that began two years ago.  The Washington Square Health Foundation grant is an essential component of the overall plan to increase the number of homeless patient visits by 55% by the end of 2008 as part of a gradual expansion to 800 patient visits annually by the end of 2010, representing nearly a four-fold increase in capacity.  The new clinic is also the catalyst for an emerging partnership between Goldie’s Place and the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago that will establish a first ever student-run dental clinic operating in tandem with the Goldie’s Place Volunteer Dental Care Program.

The Goldie’s Place Volunteer Dental Care Program has provided exams, cleanings and treatment to over 1,100 homeless persons since its inception in 1997.  The experience of the last eleven years demonstrates that dental care can make a significant difference in general health along with a major improvement in self-esteem and the ability of a homeless person to connect with a job.  Dental care is a crucial component of the transformational experience that Goldie’s Place seeks to make in the lives of the homeless.

Programming at Goldie’s Place focuses on a two-pronged effort to help the homeless move toward stability and a better life.  Through the Employment Assistance Program, homeless people find jobs through personal coaching, instruction, and job development.  The Supportive Services Program focuses on assistance that enhances a presentable appearance and increased confidence: no-cost dental care and a clothing closet stocked with lightly used business and on-the job clothing.   These services are essential to the Goldie’s Place core mission of self-sufficiency through employment because they enhance the self-esteem and assurance necessary to successfully approach hiring companies.

The Washington Square Health Foundation has been a long-term partner with Goldie’s Place.  In 2002, the Foundation supported the transition from a “M.A.S.H” type portable dental facility with one volunteer staff dentist to an improved dental facility with two permanent, plumbed dental operatories.  With this help, Goldie’s Place recruited additional volunteer dentists for the program, and established a partnership with Heartland Health Outreach / Spang Center for Oral Health.   Now, after several years of successful program delivery, the Washington Square Health Foundation is supporting the next stage of growth at Goldie’s Place. 

With a new and larger space and an expansion from a two-chair to a four-chair dental facility with independent access from the rest of the office, Goldie’s Place will have the potential for a six-day per week clinic operation with evening hours. This arrangement will also enhance the privacy and dignity of client services.  The program will not only accommodate a larger number of patients but also a much broader opportunity for participation by volunteer dentists.  This clinic represents a major addition to current services.

2007 - 2008
CommunityHealth

Staff nurse at CommunityHealth engages patients in a "Get Fit" class which focuses on health education and fitness.

Located in Chicago’s West Town, CommunityHealth is the largest FREE clinic in Illinois and one of the largest in the United States.

For 15 years the health center has been providing primary and specialty services (now totaling 23) at no cost to the uninsured and underserved in Chicago. The health center is privileged to have a long-standing relationship with the Washington Square Health Foundation. In 2007 – 2008, the foundation generously supported CommunityHealth’s Expanded Case Management Quality Improvement Initiative with a generous grant.

Every year, more and more of CommunityHealth’s resources are directed to diagnosing and treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. These illnesses affect almost 50% of the 7,000 patients seen at CommunityHealth annually. This is not surprising as Latinos and African-Americans, groups that are inordinately afflicted with these diseases, represent 75% of the patients seen at the health center. The Expanded Case Management Quality Improvement Initiative is key to the health center’s ability to help patients manage these conditions when they exist and prevent them from occurring in those at risk.
 
Under the supervision of the director of clinical relations, CommunityHealth’s nursing staff, which consists of a nurse practitioner and two RNs, carries out the initiative which incorporates case management into all nurse patient appointments that include, along with checking vitals and reviewing medications and lab results:

• Setting health goals and monitoring progress toward those goals; educating patients on healthy behaviors and referring them to appropriate on-site and off-site education classes (see photo featuring CommunityHealth’s “Get Fit!” class); and ensuring that patients are getting appropriate and timely preventive screenings;
• Reviewing Patient Health Diaries (a booklet given to patients to help them track their medications, blood pressure, weight, cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c levels, diet, etc.) on an ongoing basis;
• Scheduling patients with the same nurse for every appointment when at all possible to provide continuity of care; and
• Utilizing a database program that permits nurses to input information obtained from patient visits and measure and monitor what effect expanded case management services have on health outcomes.

CommunityHealth’s emphasis on treating the whole person and supporting medical interventions with an array of on-site education and mental health programs are bringing a message of hope and empowerment to patients at the health center.  As stated by CommunityHealth’s volunteer medical director Babs Waldman, M.D., “the health center’s goal is for our patients and their family members to become aware of chronic diseases they may have and to actively manage their conditions.  The more involved our patients are in their diagnosis, and the more they take charge of their treatment plan, the better they do.”  The Expanded Case Management Quality Improvement Initiative is the core of that agenda empowering patients to take an active role in adopting behaviors that lead to better health and enhanced well being.

More information about CommunityHealth can be found at www.communityhealth.org

2007 - 2008
Thresholds

Thresholds member is examined by Thresholds nurse in the new IHC-North clinic.

Founded in 1959, Thresholds is Illinois’ oldest and largest nonprofit psychiatric rehabilitation center, annually serving more than 7,000 people with serious mental illness, with 30 distinct programs at 75 sites throughout the metropolitan Chicago area and the surrounding Kankakee, Lake and McHenry counties. Washington Square Health Foundation started Threshold's primary care services 20 years ago with a grant for a nurse to provide health care to Threshold's members, which helped support a program providing general physicals to incoming mental health patients.

Through a recent Program Related Investment from the Washington Square Health Foundation, Thresholds has been able to renovate space and relocate the Integrated Health Care (IHC)-North clinic in the North Center neighborhood.

While previously housed on the third floor of a busy Thresholds program site, with limited space and maneuverability, the IHC-North clinic is now easily accessible at street level, just north of its prior location, with a separate, secure entrance, a private reception area, and several bright, large examination rooms. Open since October 2008, this new space is welcoming members in search of high quality, integrated care, and making it possible for them to receive the necessary attention and support to improve their physical and mental well-being.

Thresholds offers an extensive array of services, including housing, employment, education, psychosocial rehabilitation, and primary physical care, among others, with the goal of providing as many supports and services as desired or needed by the agency’s members – the preferred name for those who use Thresholds’ services – as they work towards recovery and the leading of successful, productive lives. 

Recent reports show persons with serious mental illness (SMI) dying 25 years earlier than counterparts in the general population.  This is due largely to treatable medical conditions and modifiable lifestyle factors.  Those with SMI living into their later years have a disproportionately high rate of serious illness, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease, several times that of the general population.  Moreover, people with SMI are more likely to seek care while in crisis at noisy public sector clinics or hospitals that are often unwelcoming, and therefore receive health care that is episodic and fragmented, or often avoid all primary health care.

To address these concerns, Thresholds’ Integrated Health Care (IHC) clinics annually serve hundreds of people with severe and persistent mental illness by providing high quality, coordinated primary and mental health care in quiet, safe settings.  Since 1998, in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing (CON) and supported in part by the Washington Square Health Foundation, Thresholds has offered three IHC clinics which are housed in Thresholds facilities and staffed by the CON’s Institute for Healthcare Innovation, including advanced nurse practitioners in mental and primary health care, with their students.  At the clinics, primary and mental health care services are tailored to each individual member’s unique blend of complex needs and challenges. 

Because the IHC clinics are located within agency facilities, Thresholds members are notably more comfortable during their visits.  Consequently, they demonstrate a greater likelihood of returning for follow-up appointments, and their general physical health is generally better than that of members who use public sector clinics and emergency rooms for primary health care services, or those who do not seek services at all.  In 2007, in partnership with Mile Square Health Center, the clinics successfully obtained Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) status, a significant, positive step towards financial viability and sustainability.

For more information about Thresholds, please visit www.thresholds.org. To read the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s recent article on the IHC clinics, please click here.

2007 - 2008
Illinois College of Optometry

Vision of Hope Health Alliance patient receives an eye exam.

Lack of health care and health education are frequent barriers that keep people from seeking health care.  

The Illinois College of Optometry and its clinical division the Illinois Eye Institute developed the Vision of Hope Health Alliance (VOHHA) to help people in need to address these barriers.  The objective of the VOHHA is to provide comprehensive eye care to uninsured, low-income adults and to connect these patients with primary healthcare providers when necessary.  

VOHHA re-engages uninsured adults into the healthcare system, using primary eye care as a point of entry. 

Programs like VOHHA are needed to address barriers that keep people from accessing healthcare.  The VOHHA program is in its fourth year of operation and has provided 3,121 people with important eye care services.  VOHHA has influenced both eye care and general medical care choices for low-income, uninsured adults and provided important services for partnering agencies in Chicago.   Support from the Washington Square Health Foundation and other funders have made the VOHHA program possible.

In November 2003, grants from the Washington Square Health Foundation and other local foundations enabled ICO and its partners to begin piloting the Vision of Hope Health Alliance (VOHHA) to coordinate the treatment and management of ocular and systemic disease among underserved populations.  The success of the pilot project positioned the VOHHA program for an application to the Local Initiative Funding Partners (LIFP) program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).  The Washington Square Health Foundation served as the nominating funding partner and led a successful site visit in April 2005.  In June 2005, ICO was named one of seventeen recipients (out of 295 initial applicants) of an LIFP grant from RWJF.  The grant provides up to $500,000 over four years in matching funds which will result in $1,000,000 dedicated to expanding the VOHHA program to serve people in need.  The most recent grant from the Washington Square Health Foundation helped to secure the matching funds for Year Four of the program.

There are many barriers that prevent people from seeking healthcare.  However, problems with vision may motivate patients to visit an eye care professional for eye glasses.  These visits provide opportunities for eye care professionals to educate patients about the importance of routine preventive eye and medical care and to make appropriate referrals.

“Sheri” was one such patient.  Sheri was working temp jobs, she did not have health insurance, and her position (and income) was unstable.  The glasses she owned were very old and had broken many times.  She knew that she didn’t see the best out of her glasses and that they looked horrible.  However, Sheri could not afford to buy new eye glasses.  She reached a point when she knew she had to obtain new eye glasses even if it meant that she went into debt.  Fortunately, Sheri was referred to and qualified for the VOHHA program.  Through VOHHA, she received an eye exam and eye glasses at no out-of-pocket cost to her and, since she didn’t have a primary care provider (PCP), she was referred to a partnering Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) where she could receive primary medical care at a reduced cost.  After her eye exam, Sheri was told her eyes were healthy.  However, at her primary medical exam, she learned that she had type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Sheri was surprised to find this out because she had no symptoms.  Currently, Sheri’s diabetes is under control.  Sheri is happy to report her health is very good and her vision is great!  Sheri is a smart woman but she was not educated about the importance of routine eye and general medical care.  When she came to VOHHA, she was worried about her glasses and willing to go into debt for new glasses.  Yet she was seemingly not worried about the health of her eyes or general health.  Through VOHHA, Sheri is now aware of the importance of preventive medical care and has been active in managing her diabetes.   

“Ellen” faced a different set of obstacles.  Working as a live-in nanny and housekeeper, she earns room, board and $100 per week.  She knew she had problems with her vision but “pretended” to see because she was afraid she would lose her job if her employer knew of her vision problems.  Her employer, “Mary”, had noticed Ellen did not seem to be cleaning as well as she had in the past.  Another time, Mary found an object in her baby’s mouth and Ellen was unaware.  Mary talked to Ellen about these issues and Ellen finally admitted her vision problems.  Fortunately Mary was supportive of Ellen.  Through a friend, Ellen learned of and was referred to VOHHA.  She reported a lack of recent eye care and general medical care.  She was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes, which caused her to suffer from significant visual impairment.  Since VOHHA does not cover cataract surgery, another charitable program was found through which Ellen obtained cataract surgery.  Ellen was also diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension at her general medical appointment.  After the cataract surgery, Ellen went to her employer in tears.  “It is raining,” she said.  Mary did not understand.  “Yes, it is raining,” she said.  “I can see the rain,” answered Ellen.  She could not remember the last time she had seen rain.  Ellen faced barriers not only due to the cost of healthcare but she feared she would lose her job if the truth about her vision were known.  Fortunately, Mary empathized with Ellen and her situation.  Ellen’s fear did not come true.  Fearing loss of employment is an obstacle that keeps some from accessing healthcare and receiving needed treatments. 

This program was presented at the 2008 American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting.  The PowerPoint presentation can be found here:

2007 - 2008
Norwegian American Hospital (NAH)

Norwegian American Hospital staff pose with new Digital Stress Echocardiogram machine made possible through Washington Square Health Foundation funding.

Norwegian American Hospital (NAH) is located in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community.  The NAH scope of service includes inpatient acute care, emergency care, diagnostic services and primary care in a 200-bed hospital and full-service professional office building. 

For more than a century NAH has maintained a dynamic presence in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community, keeping pace with advances in health care and responding to the community’s changing needs.

NAH was established in 1894 by a group of community volunteers from Humboldt Park’s predominantly Norwegian population and began providing health care services to newly arrived Scandinavian immigrants.  Over time and as the community changed, the objective of NAH has remained focused on providing high-quality, affordable and culturally-appropriate health care services.  Currently, many NAH patients are under or uninsured and NAH relies on assistance in order to be able to continue to provide health care services for the community.

NAH received a generous grant from the Washington Square Health Foundation which allowed them to purchase a new Digital Stress Echocardiogram machine.  This grant made it possible for NAH to replace their outdated VHS echocardiogram equipment and integrate a new digital system with the current NAH Information System, allowing access and integration with the Electronic Medical Records System.  In addition, cardiologists now have a greater ability to better diagnose testing through digital technology which will provide clearer results, easier access and eliminate an obsolete storage method. 

2006 - 2007
The Women's Treatment Center

TWTC staff member talks with TWTC client who is holding her daughter.

The mission of The Women’s Treatment Center (TWTC) is to provide women with a continuum of care, recovery tools, and parenting skills to maintain a sober lifestyle as they rebuild their lives and futures and mend the bonds with their families. TWTC is one of the few programs in the country that allow women to bring their children with them into residential treatment. They provide a unique continuum of care that allows them to support women in recovery for up to two years, as they move from dependence on substances toward independent living, education, careers, and responsible parenting.

In Fiscal Year 2007, TWTC served 1,457 women and 284 children.  The majority of women served (74%) were African American, 19% were Caucasian, 6% were Hispanic, and 2% other. 97% of clients lived below the federal poverty level.  42% of clients who had children with them during residential substance abuse treatment had open cases with DCFS. 19% of clients were on probation or parole when admitted to TWTC. TWTC clients come from every county in the state to participate in substance abuse treatment. Additionally, TWTC has a partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections that each year allows 15 mothers with young children serving drug-related offenses to undergo substance abuse treatment and complete their prison sentences at their facility.

The Washington Square Health Foundation provided TWTC with a grant that has enabled them to create an Early Childhood Mental Health Program. TWTC has retained the services of a Family Systems Psychologist and a data entry clerk. Funding from other sources has also enabled them to retain the services of a Pediatric Psychiatrist.  The psychologist provides family therapy services to children and their parents, based on the assessments and observations of the Parenting Program staff. This program seeks to extend their current continuum of care by providing therapy services to women and their children during and after they leave the residential substance abuse treatment programs. Substance abuse by a parent places a child at great risk for physical, mental health and academic problems. Most of these women and children have received very limited mental healthcare services prior to admittance.  TWTC is in a unique position to intervene in the lives of the children at an early age and for a sustained period of time because the families are in residence for as long as two years.

The primary goals of the project are: to improve the capacity of children [ages 0-5 years] with trauma, behavioral or mental illnesses to develop skills for emotional regulation and to improve the ability of mothers to manage the mental and behavioral health of their children ages 0-5 years. From the initiation of the project on 10/1/07 to 11/19/07, the Parenting Program staff screened 100% of the children at TWTC after two weeks in residence. The staff are also administering the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) at the end of the first month in residence to those children the MHST found to be in need of mental health services. [The DECA for 0-2 year olds is designed to evaluate the attachment style of the mother and children. The DECA for 2-5 year olds measures protective factors and behavioral concerns of children ages 2-5 years and is designed to identify children with behavioral problems and to develop intervention plans based on individual profiles.] Staff has screened 64 children with the MHST and 21 children with the DECA.

TWTC believes that these early childhood mental health screenings and treatments will enable at-risk children to have the support they need to succeed in school and to develop healthy bonds with their family. The educational, medical and development services children receive at TWTC may be the first such services that they have received in their lives. Illinois will be able to reduce future expenses for the provision of special education for the children who do not receive 0-3 development and mental health interventions; foster care or juvenile detention for those children who are neglected.

2006 - 2007
North Shore Senior Center

Grants from the Washington Square Health Foundation have allowed the North Shore Senior Center (NSSC) to initiate wellness and fitness programs on site in their apartment buildings for at-risk, older residents of public housing. 

North Shore Senior Center (NSSC) programs support the independence and well-being of older adults, enhance their dignity and self-respect, and promote their participation in all aspects of community life.

Well-being is pursued zealously at NSSC. Eighty percent of NSSC’s resources go to providing social services to older persons -- many of whom are frail, disabled, or suffer from dementia or abuse and/or have little income.  And active older adults participate in more than 90 Lifelong Learning classes and events, which promote health and well-being.  Indeed, NSSC has a long track record of offering health education and physical fitness programs, including Tai Chi, aerobic exercise, chair exercise programs, and more.  NSSC even has a fitness center at one of its main facility, which is replete with exercise equipment and is staffed by fitness instructors.

It became apparent, however, that many of our low-income clients living in public housing did not have the opportunity to participate in comparable health-promoting programs.  Yet their needs are great.

Monthly wellness programs and weekly physical fitness sessions help participants make more informed health decisions and adopt healthier lifestyles.

The wellness programs 1) help participants better understand health and medical subjects and 2) teach them how to negotiate the healthcare system. But passive learning is not enough.  To attain and maintain health, seniors must engage in physical activity.  Because sedentary seniors are at risk of obesity and illness such as diabetes and heart disease, each week, a physical exercise facilitator meets with participants for 45-minute seated exercise.

The greatest achievement of these programs, however, is participants’ attitudinal change.  Participants report that they feel more confident and more capable of managing their own bodies and their own health.  This feeling of mastery is the key to motivating better self-care and the adoption of healthier lifestyles.
 
Each of the programs -- wellness and fitness – has recorded the achievement of measurable goals.  Wellnessparticipants report greater ability to communicate with health care providers, better medication management, and new understanding about healthy diet. Participants are reading and interpreting labels on food packages more frequently.

The regular participants in the fitness program are showing higher energy levels and improved balance and posture. They seem more energetic. Early in the development of the fitness program, it was difficult for many of the participants to use their elastic resistance bands.  If the bands were to be placed under a participant’s feet or around her back, the instructor typically had to help.  Now this has become quite easy for almost all the participants and most are using heavier bands now than they did earlier – a sign of greater strength. 

Yes, the focused goals are being achieved.  But participating in a group offers yet another health benefit. Increased social interaction helps elevate moods and promotes mental acuity.  Indeed, the fitness instructor reports that participants follow her directions more easily.

With the help of the Washington Square Health Foundation, NSSC took its in-house experience in managing health and fitness programs to residents of senior subsidized housing. These health education and fitness activities are designed to help low income; older persons make more informed health decisions and adopt healthier lifestyles.

There is no charge whatsoever to participants, and the program is not self-supporting. Therefore, the support of the Washington Square Health Foundation and other funders has been crucial.
           
Residents of the subsidized apartment buildings gather in the housing common rooms, listen to presentations on health and medical topics, and take part in group discussions. They sit in a circle and share their experiences and expertise. Presentations on subjects such as how to give a medical history, what questions to ask your doctor; immunizations that are appropriate for adults; how to deal with arthritis, the meaning of high blood pressure, signs of stroke, and more.

A program on eating smart offers tips on grocery shopping, managing hunger creatively, and the role of vitamins and minerals in health. The facilitator introduces the group to healthy snacks and refreshments. At the beginning of every meeting, participants sample foods such as rice cakes, Fig Newtons, tabouleh salad or soy milk.  Many say they never tried some of these.
           
Attendees are almost all women, more than half of them are over 75 years of age.  They all show signs of the infirmities of aging that are commonly exhibited by members of disadvantaged minorities: arthritis, back or neck pain, breathing problems, high blood pressure, vision troubles, diabetes, aftermath of stroke. 

Participants’ dedication to the program is impressive. They look forward to coming. Many arrive for sessions with walkers or in wheelchairs. One participant who has the responsibility of caring for her granddaughter brings her to fitness class. 

The exercise instructor conducts weekly 45-minute exercise sessions in the common rooms of senior buildings.  The aim is to increase flexibility, strengthen arms and legs, and improve posture. She says participants also need to experience the pleasure of movement, the reduction of discomfort of arthritis, and they need to become aware of the hazards of inactivity.

In its 51st year, NSSC is providing services to approximately 38,000 persons in more than 23 communities in Chicago’s northern suburbs. NSSC’s social services and its auxiliary activities such as health and wellness programs all have the same goal: to help seniors attain and maintain their independence.  Their quality of life is enhanced and gives them the freedom and strength to share their wisdom and experience with their families and community.

2006-2007
White Crane Wellness Center

White Crane Wellness Center

The goal of the project is to provide a viable alternative to unnecessary or premature institutionalization for at-risk seniors with dementia and related behavioral health conditions.

Through funding for this program by the Washington Square Health Foundation, White Crane is able to implement specialized holistic Alzheimer’s and related dementia care, caregiver support services, and health training for professionals and paraprofessionals who work with older adults who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia.  The services offer a cost effective, community based alternative to institutionalization for seniors and their families.

2006-2007
CCAC 2007 Grant Summary

CCAC’s Professional Outreach Coordinator and its Forensic Interviewing Manager presenting at a workshop at the 22nd San Diego International Child Maltreatment Conference on January 31, 2008.

The Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center’s mission is to unite public, private and community partners to ensure the safety, health and well-being of abused children.  Since opening in 2001, the CCAC has served over 13,000 children reported to authorities for suspicions of sexual abuse and over 1,300 children for suspicions of severe physical abuse.   The Washington Square Health Foundation was one of the CCAC’s first private funders and has remained a valued partner in making certain that these children have access to the services they need to begin the healing process.

Based on its success in responding to cases of sexual and severe physical abuse, the CCAC is currently embarking on a major initiative to improve Chicago’s systemic response to all reports of child physical abuse.  Specifically, it is working to increase the capacity of the system to coordinate multidisciplinary investigations into these reports and provide greater support services for the children. 

Thanks to a grant from the Washington Square Health Foundation, the CCAC implemented a new Professional Outreach Coordinator position in 2007.  This position reaches out to agencies, key community stakeholders, and professionals in the medical, law enforcement and child welfare fields about the complexities surrounding the investigative and treatment response to child abuse and the development of an improved multidisciplinary system.   

The Professional Outreach Coordinator aims to create and foster mutual understanding, promote cooperation, and influence behaviors, attitudes, and actions between the CCAC and the other agencies that work closely with children.  The ultimate goal is to improve collaboration between agencies and professionals that work to help children during and after abuse allegations.  The Coordinator’s activities have helped to ensure that the CCAC is clearly presenting its mission, creating visibility of its programs to the community, and developing the partnerships that will be needed to successfully bring improved services to a greater number of children. 

In 2007, the Professional Outreach Coordinator played a key role in the training of over 170 Chicago Police detectives, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigators, and hospital emergency response staff.  She is active in 7 community coalitions, has given tours of the CCAC to hundreds of people, and regularly visits hospitals and other community-based agencies for meetings, presentations and trainings.  

For additional information about the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center and its services, please visit www.ChicagoCAC.org.

2005-2006
Clearbrook

A Clearbrook client and ACES participant, tosses colorful balls into a barrel while a volunteer helps her to count them as they go in.

Washington Square Health Foundation awarded a research grant to Clearbrook, a human service agency that is committed to being a leader in creating innovative opportunities, services, and support for people with developmental disabilities (DD). Part of Clearbrook’s present focus is responding to an increasing number of aging clients. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are two age-related diseases that must be considered when planning for the care of older persons. This is a relatively new concern in the world of DD as life expectancies for this population have only recently increased. This is of particular concern within the 24 hour supervised group homes (CILAs). Currently, Clearbrook is home to 194 adults with DD that are age 40 and older.

The Washington Square Health Foundation’s grant funded a research study by an expert in gerontology, Kathleen Pietschmann, ND, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, to assess the ability of Clearbrook and, by inference, other similar agencies to address the needs of aging DD clients. While the conclusion of the study determined that the care requirements of aging persons with DD is consistent with that of the general aging population, it gave insight into the additional responsibilities of Clearbrook and other similar human service agencies to add significant resources to serve their population as it ages. Specifically, Clearbrook and other similar human service agencies will need to make adjustments in the following three areas: 1) physical/environmental allocations such as chair lifts and increased lighting; 2) staff training procedures to increase knowledge related to dementia and aging; and 3) increases in staff to client ratios.

It is evident from the results of the Clearbrook study that additional funding will be required to meet the needs of increasing DD aging clients. The grant awarded by Washington Square Health Foundation has been instrumental in helping Clearbrook and other similar human service agencies continue to create innovative opportunities for people with developmental disabilities as they age throughout their lifetime.  The complete study and executive summary are found below:

• Executive Summary - Ability of Clearbrook to Address the Needs of Aging Developmentally Disabled Clients
• Complete Report - Ability of Clearbrook to Address the Needs of Aging Developmentally Disabled Clients

Lambs Farm serves a mission of empowering people with developmental disabilities to lead personally fulfilling lives. A critical step toward achieving that mission is providing the best possible care for the Lambs Farm Participants’ health and well-being.

The Washington Square Health Foundation granted funds to support a new health care delivery system at Lambs Farm. As they age, the health and nursing needs of the men and women Lambs Farm serves have been dramatically increasing in both number and complexity, and that trend is expected to continue. The new health care delivery system was developed in an effort to maximize the effectiveness of the Lambs Farm Health Services department, and includes on-site appointments with physicians and other medical providers, training Direct Service Providers (DSPs) to perform first aid and other simple procedures, and preventative health education for Participants.

Lambs Farm has established relationships with a number of providers who are willing to come to the Lambs Farm campus, near Libertyville, IL, to treat Participants. Since on-site appointments do not require additional travel time, the potential number of appointments that could be completed in one day increased; up to forty Participants can be seen in the time it would take for less than five off-campus appointments. The men and women of Lambs Farm required over 4,000 medical appointments in the past year, so on-site appointments will significantly streamline the process. The on-site appointments take place in a recently opened treatment room, equipped in part through the grant from the Washington Square Health Foundation. The familiar on-campus setting helps reduce the Participants’ anxiety levels, and gives them a greater sense of ownership with regard to their health care. Anecdotal evidence shows that many Participants feel more empowered to seek medical treatment when it is available on the Lambs Farm campus. Of course, choosing a physician is a personal decision made by each individual Participant and/or their guardian; while on-site appointments are available, they still have the option of going to a provider off-campus.

Lambs Farm also emphasized the importance of Direct Service Providers (DSPs) using the skills taught in their health and safety training classes instead of relying on a nurse for assistance. All of Lambs Farm’s staff members are trained to provide first aid and CPR. DSPs, who work directly with the Participants, are further trained and empowered to perform certain health-related tasks, such as checking blood glucose levels and taking blood pressures. Practical components of the training classes give DSPs the opportunity to practice their skills and demonstrate their competence. By emphasizing the role of the DSP in performing first aid and other minor procedures, Lambs Farm has increased its nurses’ availability to attend to more advanced, nurse-necessary procedures.

With support from the Washington Square Health Foundation, Lambs Farm has improved its ability to provide for the health and well-being of the men and women it serves, so that its Participants may continue to define their individual paths to fulfillment. For more information about Lambs Farm, please visit www.lambsfarm.org.

Lambs Farm Health Services Training Program for Direct Service Providers:

• Basic Health and Safety #1
  • Outline - Basic Health & Safety #1
  • Slides BH&S #1 - Activities of Daily Living
  • Slides BH&S #1 - Cognitive & Physical Development and Sexuality
  • Slides - BH&S #1 - Eating & Food Safety
• Basic Health and Safety #2
  • Outline - Basic Health & Safety #2
  • Slides - Basic Health & Safely #2
• Basic Health and Safety #3
  • Outline - Basic Health & Safely #3
  • Slides - Basic Health & Safely #3
• Lifting and Transferring
  • Outline - Lifting & Transferring
  • Slides - Lifting & Transferring
• First Aid & CPR- AED Training
• Medication Administration Authorization Training

The Low Vision Laboratory at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences has developed new technology to identify “islands” of healthy residual vision within severely diseased regions of the retina of low vision patients. The laboratory is currently studying the effectiveness of training patients to use these islands in order to read. Funding from the Washington Square Health Foundation has allowed the program to improve by utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as a tool to identify specific cognitive skills that can be acquired in order to increase the success of this rehabilitative program and to identify potential brain activity patterns that are consistent with effective rehabilitation.

This research will provide critical information regarding the plasticity of the brain’s visual system in response to vision rehabilitation. Given the cost of rehabilitation services, it is necessary to determine which aspects of rehabilitation are truly effective in improving the recognition and motor skills necessary for reading and identification of objects in the environment. Knowledge of the brain’s plasticity responses following different reading rehabilitation protocols will allow us to select the most appropriate program for individual patients.

For more information on the study please see the University of Illinois’ article “Washington Square Awards $36,000.00 for Research on Low Vision Rehabilitation”

Children’s Memorial Hospital is the single largest institutional provider of specialized services for all forms of pediatric cancer in the Midwest.

Led by Morris Kletzel, MD, an internationally regarded cancer specialist whose work has led to significant breakthroughs in cancer cure, the Children’s Memorial Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases is one of the premiere programs in the nation. Within the Center, 57 percent of children in the Chicago area diagnosed with brain diseases come to receive the most advanced treatment protocols available.

Here, clinical care and research work in concert to provide an unrivaled breadth and depth of services and the highest level of expertise among its cancer specialists and subspecialists.

Even still, the field of hematology/oncology continues to become increasingly more complex as patients are living longer and as the role of genetics continues to emerge. Thus, a thorough undertaking of pediatric cancer requires the involvement of physicians who have the interest and focus, possess the skills and training, and wish to make an impact on society. In order to have such an impact, young physicians must be immersed in the dynamics of groundbreaking research as well as in the delivery of outstanding clinical care.

Dr. Yazmin Goseienfiao, the recipient of the 2003 Washington Square Health Foundation funded Hematology/Oncology Research Fellowship, a competitive one-year research-based fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital, is putting her training to work in the lab focusing on genetic research and the discovery of certain “cancer genes”.

Dr. Goseienfiao will have the opportunity to take part in ongoing basic science investigations that will enable her to gain a heightened understanding of the underlying causes of blood diseases and cancer and to foster new treatments that will save and improve thousands of young lives.

The increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in adolescents in the United States, particularly in the African-American and Latino populations, is most likely a consequence of rising rates of childhood and adolescent obesity combined with an ethnic predisposition to diabetes. The long-term complications of diabetes (kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, blindness) affect minority populations disproportionately. This makes prevention, early detection and early treatment of diabetes important steps toward the goal of decreasing health disparities between racial groups.

Since obesity (and its’ association with development of diabetes) frequently has onset during childhood or adolescence, youth is an optimal period for preventive intervention. Few studies have been made on either incidence of risk factors or success in disease prediction or prevention via early intervention efforts in youth.

Given the awareness of increased rates of obesity in school populations and the potential advantages of instituting an intervention program through school based health centers, Cook County Ambulatory and Community Health Network established a diabetes screening and prevention project through the school based health centers. This program was administered and monitored through the Hektoen Institute. Dr. Nancy Fritz served as Principal Investigator in collaboration with Project Investigators Dr. Chris Stahl, Mary Driscoll B.S.N., M.P.H., and Dr. Kanika Ghai.

The study and its results were presented at the November 2002 American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting, by Shonta Corbin, Project Coordinator.The presentation outlined the collaboration between Cook County Ambulatory and Community Health Network and the school-based health centers to address the increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes.

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Extended Version of Presentation

DR Angelo P. Creticos, Foundation President and DR William N. Werner, Grant Committee Chairman , who were instrumental in securing Board approval for this grant to the School of Public Health, were acknowledged at the facility’s opening ceremony on June 28. An etched-glass plaque unveiled on the occasion states: “The Washington Square Health Foundation Multimedia Community Conference Center was made possible through a generous grant from the Washington Square Health Foundation to foster community collaborations that are essential to community health and quality of life.”

The conference center will be used for videoconferencing, videotaping, and other educational electronic applications, from the local to the national levels, for conferences, symposia, seminars, and classes conducted not only by SPH faculty and students but also by partner health agencies, community-based organizations, and community groups. Flexible modular furnishings allow the facility to be used equally well by small to large groups.

The Suburban Primary Health Care Council operates the Access to Care program to provide primary care diagnosis and treatment care to the uninsured in their communities. Patients pay co-payments of $5- $30 to the providers of primary care - physicians, laboratories, hospital radiology departments, and pharmacies - while the Council pays the remainder of the discounted fees. Access to Care has been successfully operating since 1988, making it one of the first programs to utilize the services of private physicians in a decentralized network throughout suburban Cook County.

The Access to Care program is a public-private partnership. Most of the funds are public, from county, state, township, and municipalities, as well as private funds from foundations, churches, United Way chapters, etc. Cook County is the program's largest and sustaining donor. The contribution of public funds given to a private charity that can obtain discounts from the private sector, represents a creative use of public funds to make the dollars go as far as possible. Public funds leverage approximately two million dollars in in-kind contributions and discounts from the private sector.

In 2001 patient utilization skyrocketed, leaving the Council with pharmacy bills that used up its working reserves. These reserves were traditionally used to pay bills for patient services in the early months of the year while the Cook County contract approval process took place. Ultimately, however, the reserves are designated for wind-down purposes. It was imperative that the Council replace the reserves for both purposes.

As an outgrowth of its 2001 Board retreat the Washington Square Health Foundation recognized the sever strain that the uninsured are putting on the health care system.

Washington Square also recognized the unique nature of this program and decided to invest in its sustainability, by providing a $300,000, five year Program Related Investment (loan) that will allow the Council to replenish its working reserves over time. Cook County approved and encouraged the Council to enter this relationship. The Suburban Primary Health Care Council is greatly appreciative of the Washington Square Health Foundation's belief in the value of the Council's Access to Care program for the uninsured indigent of Suburban Cook County.