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February 17, 2026
12:00 PM CT
Webinar
A Public Health Opportunity: Addressing the Health Needs of Justice Involved Individuals during Reentry
Check back with us-registration will open soon.
Sponsors-contact us at sponsorship@iomc.org for more information
Overview
Public health and incarceration are inextricably linked. The reentry of returning citizens impacts not only the individuals who have been incarcerated but the overall health of the community.
Health care for those formally incarcerated is crucial for the following reasons:
- Prevents Recidivism
- Improves Health Outcomes
- Reduces Health Disparities
- Supports Community RE-entry
- Ensures Human Rights
- Protects the health of the community
By attending this webinar, you will:
- Understand the health needs during reentry of returning citizen
- Learn about available health care resources to address the unique needs of justice involved people
- Discuss the common physical and mental health of justice involved people
- Explore preventive services, resources, and support services that reduce recidivism
Speaker
Wendi Wills El-Amin, MD
Associate Dean, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Professor, Family and Community Medicine, Center for Family Medicine in Springfield, Illinois.
Wendi Wills El-Amin, MD, is an Associate Dean at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine and provides care at the Center for Family Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. Dr. El-Amin is appointed to the SIU’s Department of Medical Education and the department of Medical Humanities.
She completed her residency in family practice and community medicine as chief resident at the University of Texas-Houston (2001). She earned her medical degree at Georgetown Medical School (1998) and a bachelor’s degree in biology at Hampton University in Virginia (1993).
Dr. El-Amin is board certified in family medicine and is a member of the National Medical Association, where she chaired the Women’s Health Section (2008 – 2019). She has been a community health advocate and activist for over two decades.
Her passion is equity and dismantling the systems that underpin health disparities is unparalleled in our community. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her teaching, and she brings a heart for service, justice and healing to everything she does. Dr. Willis El-Amin has served on the boards of the National Commission of Correctional Health Care, Central Illinois Boys and Girls Club, Springfield YMCA, and the Community Foundation of the Land of Lincoln and is a member of the ELAM 2020 class of fellows.
Suggested Reading
When Prisoners Come Home: Parole and Prisoner Reentry, Petersilia, Joan, 2003, Oxford University Press.
Imprisoned Minds: Lost Boys, Trapped Men, and Solutions from Within the Prison, Maloney, Erik S. and Wright, Kevin A., 2024, Rutgers University Press.
Returning to the Community: Health Care After Incarceration: A Guide for Health Care Reentry, 2024.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan for Reentry: Moving Forward from Incarceration.
Sponsorships Available - Support IOMC's mission!
Send an email to: sponsorship@iomc.org for more details.
* By attending this webinar, you are consenting to photos and videos that may be used in communications.
**All substitutions must be of comparable level.
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