Rush University System for Health and BMO Financial Group on Monday announced a $10 million initiative to help foster “heath equity” in Chicago.
“The Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity, our most concentrated investment in health equity yet, will allow us to organize and coordinate all our strategies for eliminating health equities under a single umbrella,” Dr. Omar Lateef, President and CEO of Rush University Medical Center, said.
The goal of the institute is to change the so-called death gap across Chicago, which has only widened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lateef noted that someone born today in the Loop is expected to live to 82, while someone born farther west may not make it to 70.
“In Chicago, your zip code determines how long you live,” he said.
The Rush BMO Institute for Health Equity plans to address the root causes of poor health on the city’s West Side, including poverty, educational attainment and underemployment.
The newly formed institute will focus in part on strengthening education and training programs and combating food insecurity.
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