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Chicago Wed May 13 2009
UIC Responds to Concerns Over Clinic Closure
Yalda Afshar sent us an upddate on the UIC Healthcare Students Against Disparities fight against the university's decision to close The Center for Women and Families at Pilsen. Afshar, a fourth year medical student and MD/PhD candidate in the Medical Scientist Training Program, wrote in an e-mail to Mechanics that:
In response to the outcry, John DeNardo, CEO of the UIC Healthcare System, has promised future ties with an existing Pilsen community clinic, the Alivio Medical Center. As of our May 1st meeting, DeNardo is discussing the provision of specialty services to the Pilsen community through Alivio, as an alternative to the primary care that the UIC clinic provided.
Furthermore, Dr. Sarah Kilpatrick, vice-dean of the College of Medicine, is working towards medical and nursing student training at Alivio clinics, an answer to UIC student's desires to learn to provide preventative primary care in underserved areas.
Our coalition will continue to have a strong presence, ensuring that UIC upholds its "Great Cities Commitment" to provide Access to Excellence to its urban surroundings. We, as UIC Healthcare Students Against Disparities, a coalition of students from the six healthcare disciplines, will continue to integrate socially conscious health practices into our healthcare education.
In late April, the group held a rally in support of the clinic, which serves several low-income Latina women and children. At the protest, the group collected more than 1,000 signatures protesting the planned closure, according to Afshar.