Essential Services
These resources can help you find assistance When setting up aging services, you may have a cloud of questions and concerns. Fortunately, many Chicago-area organizations provide helpful resources for a range of situations. Start by reviewing these service categories to see what type of resources you might need to consider. Review lists of specific Chicago-area […]
Bird Flu’s Flight
As infections and low egg supplies persist, avian flu remains an unpredictable health concern Soaring egg prices, purchase limits, empty shelves — since January, Americans who shop for eggs know the scene well. And as the ongoing bird flu outbreak rages, there’s no end in sight. The avian flu, or bird flu, has been wreaking […]
After the Darién
Venezuelan migrant children and the mental health journey they face This is the story of thousands of families, violently uprooted from their homeland, now struggling to build new lives and opportunities for their children. Schools, community members, and human rights organizations have played a crucial role in addressing their mental health needs and integration. Yet, […]
Ask the Doc
Itchy Privates By Rajal Patel, MD Interview by Stephanie Bouchard Fact checked by Jim Lacy Q: My skin is scaly and itchy in my private areas. What’s going on? A: First things first: If you see something on your vulva, anus, or penis and you don’t know what it is and it’s freaking you out, go see your gynecologist […]
5 Books to Understand the State of American Healthcare
Fact checked by Jim Lacy The state of health and medicine in the United States is complicated, to say the least — from medical professional shortages, to system consolidations; high healthcare costs to rampant misinformation. Americans are experiencing the unsteadiness of this moment in out-of-control medical debt, long waits for appointments, and high levels […]
Understanding U.S. Healthcare Copays
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Copayments, coinsurance, deductibles…. Health insurance could have a dictionary all its own. Copays are out-of-pocket fees that range from a few dollars for routine doctor visits to hundreds or even thousands for prescriptions or specialty care. Copays emerged in the mid-20th century as employer-sponsored health insurance plans gained popularity. Initially, […]
Breakthrough Stroke Therapy Offers Hope
Fact checked by Jim Lacy The effects of stroke, among the top drivers of disability in people over 60, have a new foe in Vivistim. The device stimulates the vagus nerve via a small chip implanted in a person’s chest. The goal: to restore arm function. The therapy is intended for people six months removed […]
New AFib Treatment Slows Its Progression
Fact checked by Jim Lacy OSF Healthcare announced recently that its Electrophysiology Lab now offers people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) a brand-new technology called Farapulse. Within Chicago, only about 10 hospitals offer the radiation-free treatment, including Ascension Resurrection, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and University of Chicago Medicine. Designed by Boston Scientific, Farapulse is an FDA-approved cardiac […]
Mapping the Heart
Fact checked by Jim Lacy If you haven’t yet heard of a cardiac PET-CT stress test, you may soon. More hospitals are investing in this diagnostic tool, which looks like a standard CT machine. The noninvasive procedure enables cardiologists to see whether enough blood is flowing to a patient’s heart. Patients receive a small amount […]
New Health Laws
Cancer Patients’ Bill of Rights Effective January 2025 The Illinois House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution that states all Illinois residents who have cancer — regardless of their financial situation, race, or background — deserve access to timely treatments, clinical trials, and information. About 78,000 Illinois residents were diagnosed with cancer this past year. […]
A Breakthrough in Early Cancer Detection
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Because many cancers have no known biomarkers — molecules found in the body that link to a specific condition — those cancers are often discovered in patients at later stages. But that’s starting to change. Exact Sciences, in Madison, Wisconsin, has identified biomarkers that predict very early-stage cancer, before people […]
Humanity in Healthcare Shouldn’t Be an Oxymoron
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Humanity in healthcare, in the United States at least, feels like an oxymoron. Is that because we expect more honoring and better tending from a field, medicine, focused on keeping humans well? Yet, inherent in doctor visits is threat. Will something be discovered that will devastate me physically, psychologically, familialy, […]
A Big Headache
The insurance assurance Fact checked by Shannon Sparks When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, I felt a wave of relief. “Finally!” I said to anyone willing or close enough to listen, “This is going to expose the massive failures in our healthcare system, and we’ll come out of this better than before.” It really looked that […]
The Vital Vagus
The autonomous nervous system’s longest nerve runs from the brain into the gut, helping the body rest, relax, and digest Fact checked by Jim Lacy Have you heard of the vagus nerve? I certainly hadn’t — until my son, who has a host of food allergies and other health issues, experienced anaphylaxis this past spring. […]
Sleeping Heart
Where cardiology and sleep medicine meet — and how they impact each other Fact checked by Jim Lacy Dana Huelat’s husband and kids noticed something about her sleep last summer: Her snoring and breathing pauses seemed worse. She made an appointment with her primary care physician, who suggested testing for sleep apnea, which causes repeated […]
Destination Zero
The journey to eliminate periprosthetic joint infections Fact checked by Jim Lacy Infections after surgery are always a risk. They can take a toll on the patient’s recovery and quality of life, leading to serious complications if not treated properly. When infections happen in the structures near a joint replacement implant, they can be especially […]
How to Stay Calm in a Stressful News Cycle
Fact checked by Derick Wilder It’s easy to get sucked into the news cycle’s doom and gloom. There’s no shortage of strife: bird flu, upheaval at the major health agencies, measles outbreaks. Just to name a few. There’s also no limit on how we can access the news: newspapers, TV, magazines, podcasts, and the endless […]
The Price We Pay
A snapshot of the United States’ healthcare financials Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Three-fourths of countries worldwide explicitly protect their citizens’ right to health in their constitutions. The United States is not one of them. Not only is healthcare not considered a human right in the U.S., but insurance companies and their shareholders profit off […]
Undoing Debt
As residents stress over unpaid medical bills, Illinois pilot programs pledge to abolish $1 billion of medical debt Fact checked by Jim Lacy Gloria Austin knew she had a problem when a red rash, a line around her stomach, appeared, as pain ramped up. The East Garfield Park resident was 62 at the time. After […]
In the Time of Transplant
Technological developments are changing how we save lives and snub death Fact checked by Jim Lacy By all accounts, Gary Gibbon should be dead. The 67-year-old had been living a full and healthy life in Santa Monica — a pulmonologist, allergist, and immunologist who enjoyed walking along the beach. But in March 2023, he began […]
MD, DO – What Kind of Doctor is This?
Exploring the differences between allopathy and osteopathic medicine Fact checked by Shannon Sparks After ramping up my yoga practice a few years ago, I experienced tremendous pain in my hands. Poses that put pressure on them became intolerable. Even biking was agony; I couldn’t grip the handlebars. Someone recommended a sports medicine doctor to me, […]
Who’s In Charge?
How government agencies influence vaccine policy Fact checked by Derick Wilder Although local health departments set vaccine requirements and schedules, the federal government plays a significant role in vaccine development, approval, and distribution. With Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that process may change. Kennedy has […]
At the Heart of It All
Chicago Health Cardiology Roundtable Our hearts are the engines that propel us, circulating blood to the farthest reaches of our bodies. But just like any engine, time and usage take their toll. For more than 100 years, heart disease has been the no. 1 cause of death in the U.S. Yet, within that same time […]
Good Grillin’
Setting the table for a healthy grilling experience — from set up to clean up Fact checked by Shannon Sparks Summer and grilling go hand-in-hand. But even though we associate this form of cooking with sun and fun, it isn’t without its risks. Grilling meats for too long directly over an open flame can produce […]
Precision Diets
Optimizing the food on your plate to fuel you, rather than deplete you Fact checked by Jim Lacy Your daily nutrition needs are unique to you — the specific foods that help your body function, the tastes and textures that resonate with you, the time your body clock tells you you’re hungry. But did you […]
Wear Your Weights
Weighted vests help build strength and fitness Cindy Porcaro, of Downers Grove, works as a receptionist and is the mother of three adult children. She also prioritizes fitness. Porcaro enjoys walking, yoga, and weightlifting. Recently, she also started wearing a weighted vest, after hearing about it from a fitness influencer. “She said she lost 10% […]
Positive Screen Time
3 phone apps for neurodivergent support For better or for worse, many people find comfort in having their smartphone within reach. On average, per day, we check our phones 205 times and spend more than five hours on them, according to a reviews.org survey of 1,000 Americans. This may arguably be wasted time, but what […]
Crossing Lines
How abortion bans are reshaping medical training and practices Fact checked by Jim Lacy The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022 paved the way for states to ban abortion. On the day of the June ruling, Wisconsin’s four abortion clinics closed their doors. Yet, it wasn’t only the […]
How to Cut Through the Noise
Where to turn for sound health information Fact checked by Jim Lacy If you think it’s harder these days to discern which information to use to make health decisions, you may be right. Normally, there is alignment between the federal health agencies — such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes […]
Calling the Midwives
Fact checked by Jim Lacy Sierra Bartlett wanted a water birth. It was 2021, and she was living in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, 20 weeks pregnant with her first child. She had recently learned that West Suburban Medical Center offered water births with the midwives who attended births there. Hesitant at first, Bartlett, who is […]
Mind, Body, Spirit
How Jewish traditions inform care for adults with disabilities Fact checked by Jim Lacy Shana Erenberg, PhD, listened closely one morning as her friend Baruch Schur shared a concern with her: He needed to move his son Josh out of state due to the lack of disability services in Chicago. Erenberg felt compelled to act. With […]
We Asked…
We asked readers on social media and in our weekly newsletter to share their thoughts about the current state of healthcare in the United States and how it serves them. Here’s what they expressed. How do you feel about healthcare in the United States? “I feel that the privatization of healthcare within such a capitalist […]
Challenging Ableism, Owning My Disability
Fact checked by Jim Lacy I’ve spent most of my life trying not to inconvenience people. After I lost my leg at age 9 due to complications from bone cancer, I began a lifelong mission to “pass.” “Passing” is the act of a minority blending into the majority, either intentionally or not. This could look […]
Cancer’s Younger Scope
More people under age 50 are facing cancer diagnoses, at a stage when they’re just figuring out their lives Fact checked by Jim Lacy A cancer diagnosis at any age is life-altering, but a growing body of evidence reveals a troubling rise in cancer diagnoses among individuals, particularly women, under 50. Women in this age […]
Measles Misery
As the once-eliminated respiratory virus spreads across the U.S., health experts encourage vaccination in Chicago Fact checked by Ros Lederman The United States is grappling with a significant measles outbreak, with 607 confirmed cases across 21 states as of April 3, 2025. The surge has resulted in three known deaths as of April 6. At […]
Op-Ed: Outpatient Shoulder Replacements Are Safe for Most Patients. Here’s Why.
A decade ago, most joint replacements, including shoulder replacement, required a hospital stay. That’s no longer the case. Chicago Health is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. The opinions expressed in this op-ed article are the author’s own. In January 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allowed for primary shoulder replacements to […]
No Comment
HHS cuts public comment periods, sparking concerns over transparency Fact checked by Katie Scarlett Brandt The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has revoked a 50-year-old rule that required public input on key regulatory decisions. The move could significantly alter how healthcare policies are shaped. The Richardson Waiver, in place since 1971, ensured […]
Health Data Hunt
5 years on, true counts of Covid-19 deaths remain elusive — and research is hobbled by lack of data Above photo: National Covid-19 memorial wall for the five-year anniversary on March 11, 2025, in London, England. Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures via Getty Images By Dylan Thomas Doyle, University of Colorado Boulder In the early days of […]
After the Darién
Venezuelan migrant children and the mental health journey they face When Texas sent buses of displaced migrants north to sanctuary cities, it was a political move. But there were real people aboard, including thousands of children who had been through significant trauma. How were cities responding to their mental health needs? Chicago Health, along with […]
Dillon’s Law
Proposed bill brings epinephrine training and administration to Illinois residents Fact checked by Catherine Gianaro Illinois residents may soon have access to free training on how to administer epinephrine to someone experiencing anaphylaxis. This life-threatening allergic reaction causes severe swelling, potentially blocking airways and causing suffocation. “There are about four people who die every day […]
Nutrition Misinformation
Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience Above photo: If a health claim about a dietary intervention sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Mizina/iStock via Getty Images Plus The Covid-19 pandemic illuminated a vast landscape of misinformation about many […]
“There’s Just a Lot of Uncertainty”
Ongoing NIH cuts prompt confusion, concern in Chicago medical centers Fact checked by Catherine Gianaro Chicago’s healthcare and research institutions continue to grapple with the effects of the Trump administration’s restrictions on communications, grant review meetings, travel, and hiring. In January, the Trump administration paused all Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) public documents, […]
Funding Science
Medical research depends on government money – even a day’s delay in the intricate funding process throws science off-kilter Above photo: Of the tens of thousands of grant applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health, only around 1 in 5 is funded. Sean Gladwell/Moment via Getty Images By Aliasger K. Salem, University of Iowa In […]
HHS Secretary Power
Health and Human Services secretary influences every aspect of America’s health Above photo: Declaring a state of public health emergency − and mobilizing resources to address it − is a power of the HHS secretary. Frank Franklin II/AP Photo By Angela Mattie, Quinnipiac University The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, […]
Physicians React to Robert F. Kennedy Nomination
Fact checked by Catherine Gianaro U.S. senators will meet this week to discuss whether to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer, as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The department oversees 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the […]
Our Top 10 Stories of 2024
One of the best things about the new year is reviewing our most-read articles from the previous year. This exercise gives us an opportunity to find out what our readers most wanted to read, to remind ourselves of the health events that unfolded, and to review our breadth of coverage and our writers’ talents. […]
A Nation Exhausted
The neuroscience of why Americans are tuning out politics Above photo: Many Americans are choosing not to engage with politics, instead sticking their heads in the sand to protect their mental health. iStock/Getty Images Plus By Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University “I am definitely not following the news anymore,” one patient told me when I […]
Food Mood
The connection between what you eat and how you feel There’s no doubt that food influences how we feel, but how we feel also influences our food choices. “Beyond biological and environmental influences, our emotions, mental wellbeing, and psychological states significantly shape our relationship with food,” says Sylvia Klinger, a dietitian nutritionist, founder of Hispanic […]
Cut the Sugar
No need to overload your cranberry sauce with sugar this holiday season − a food scientist explains how to cook with fewer added sweeteners Above photo: Fall means cranberry season − and sweet seasonal holiday dishes.AP Photo/Sergei Grits By Rosemary Trout, Drexel University The holidays are full of delicious and indulgent food and drinks. It’s […]
November 2024 Social Articles
November 2024 Social Articles 7 Foundations for a Healthy Brain While growing older can bring maturity and wisdom, it can also bring a decline in our cognitive abilities,… Read More Change Makers The groups taking on gun violence directly — and how their efforts are evolving Chicago America’s weak… Read More 10 Great Habits That […]
