A Student-Run Health Initiative Inspired by a Hospital’s Commitment to Community Partnership

Introduction: Chicago, Illinois is one of the most diverse cities in the United States. Yet, its history is fraught with inequities which pervade every pillar of its modern infrastructure, from housing and education to healthcare. Established healthcare institutions, like Rush University Medical Center (RUMC), are uniquely positioned to combat historically ingrained disparities. Their physical presence, economic influence, and associated medical schools provide the opportunity and resources to support sustainable health equity strategies such as the Cardiometabolic Health Initiative (CHI). Methods and Results: CHI is a health equity initiative founded by Rush Medical College (RMC) students. Its mission is to provide comprehensive cardiometabolic screenings directly to West Chicago residents. Partnering with RUMC, CHI leverages its medical school cohort as well as the medical center’s resources to provide preventative care to those in need. Since its inception, CHI has screened over 300 West Chicago patients. The preliminary results emphasize the disproportionate prevalence of cardiometabolic disease in this population, and underscore the need for health equity organizations like CHI. Conclusion: The health inequity seen across Chicago is not unique. The same patterns of cardiometabolic disease are mirrored across American cities. CHI serves as an innovative blueprint for addressing urban health inequity. By harnessing the resources of established health systems and their affiliated medical schools, student-run initiatives, like CHI, can improve urban health nationwide.