We're excited to honor outstanding individuals at today's 2026 Leadership Awards & Annual Meeting.

2026 LEADERSHIP AWARDS 

IOMC Humanitarian Global Health Award  

Mildred Olivier, MD   

The Portes Foundation & IOMC Award for Excellence in Prevention of Disease  

                                                           Michael Rakotz, MD                                                                                                     

IOMC Innovation in Health Care / Health Care Delivery  

                                                                                                           

        Debra Kissen, PhD, MHSA - Organization   

                                Pamela Ganschow, MD - Individual                           

 

IOMC Award for Public Service    

Sandra Wilks, RN, MSN, CNE

                                    

IOMC Lifetime Achievement Award  

William McDade, MD   

Class of 2026 

New Fellows 

Nutan Atre-Vaidya, MD

Gloria Barerra, RN

MonideepaB. Becerra, DrPH, MPH

James Carlson, PhD

Paul E. Casey, MD

Varsha Chandramoudi, MD

Shelley A. Davis, MUPP

Russel Fiorella, MD

Maria Gomez, MD

Raghav Govindarajan, MD

Shikha Jain, MD

Kenj Oyasu, MD

Heather Prendergast, MD, MS, MPH

Amanda Simanek, PhD, MPH

Aron Sousa, MD

Rolla Sweis, PharmD

Look for more details soon.

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Healthcare disparities remain a pressing challenge across many communities. Ensuring equitable access to quality care requires coordinated effort and sustained focus. As the medical landscape evolves, overcoming systemic hurdles demands innovative leadership, strong community partnerships, and a resolute commitment to public  health. Recognizing the professionals who drive these initiatives is essential for improving population health outcomes. [Winston News Wire]

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) serves as a collaborative hub for health leaders dedicated to reducing these disparities. We are speaking with IOMC leadership, outgoing President Dr. Lorenzo Pence, and incoming President Dr. Archana Chatterjee, to discuss the 2026 Annual Leadership Awards. This interview explores how the Institute honors healthcare excellence and leverages academic partnerships to build healthier communities.

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How the IOMC's 2026 Leadership Awards Are Championing Health Equity and Transforming Vulnerable Communities

Healthcare disparities continue to cast a long and persistent shadow over vulnerable communities, demanding coordinated efforts and sustained focus to ensure equitable access to quality care. As the medical landscape continually evolves, overcoming deeply entrenched systemic hurdles requires more than just clinical excellence; it demands innovative leadership, robust community partnerships, and a resolute commitment to public health. Recognizing the professionals who drive these vital initiatives is an essential step in improving population health outcomes. [Business Outstanders]

At the center of this vital work is the Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC). Serving as a collaborative hub for health leaders since its founding in 1915, the Institute has dedicated itself to reducing healthcare disparities. Through its 2026 Annual Leadership Awards, the IOMC is celebrating the trailblazers of medicine, leveraging academic partnerships, and setting a visionary agenda to build healthier communities across Illinois.

Recognizing Vision and Execution

The 2026 Leadership Awards serve as a reflection of the Institute’s ongoing mission to highlight leaders who are actively reducing health disparities through innovation and collaboration. According to outgoing President Dr. Lorenzo Pence, the awards reinforce the critical importance of partnerships in achieving health equity.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  announced the posting (6.17.2026) of a $96 million funding opportunity for the Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) program, along with $612 million in funding opportunities for additional behavioral health programs. These announcements, which drive forward President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, were made during a press conference following the Secretary’s visit to the Easterseals MORC Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

"Through more than $700 million in new investments, we are advancing President Trump's Great American Recovery Initiative and addressing the addiction and serious mental illness that fuel homelessness across America. These investments will help move people from the streets into treatment and recovery, strengthen families, save lives, and make communities safer," said Secretary Kennedy.

“Every community deserves access to effective behavioral health services that help people prevent addiction, achieve recovery, address mental health challenges, and respond to crises,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll. “Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are a cornerstone of this effort, providing comprehensive, community-based care that helps people sustain recovery and rebuild their lives. Alongside initiatives like STREETS, they advance the goals of the Great American Recovery Initiative by connecting people to treatment, housing, and ongoing support that strengthen communities and save lives.”

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MEDPAGE Today reports on " How Patients Speak May Signal Cognitive Impairment" — Doctor-patient conversations hold clues to brain health. 

Key Takeaways

• Doctor-patient conversations in primary care revealed vocal cues associated with cognitive impairment.
• A model trained on acoustic features of these conversations identified impairment in patients with moderate sensitivity and specificity.
• Measures of pitch, timing, and speech variability were key predictors of cognitive impairment.

More> 

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Becker's Behavioral Health reports that a consensus has formed across five large health systems: Clinical integration of behavioral health is instrumental to improving outcomes across specialties and reducing overall utilization.

Elicia Bunch, vice president of behavioral health at Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth, told Becker’s true clinical integration starts with dismantling the idea that behavioral health is a separate lane.

“Integration isn’t about sharing space. It’s a shared perspective that effective and comprehensive healthcare includes mental health,” she said. “It’s about shared care plans. It’s about shared data within the medical record and really shared accountability for outcomes.” 

Ms. Bunch described a model in which behavioral health clinicians are woven into every care discipline.

More>

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Health News Illinois reported that Illinois is considering regulations on the use of artificial intelligence for an insurance billing practice where a procedure or service is billed at a lower level than what was actually provided, a new report from the state’s medical society said it has been a frequent issue for its members. [Health News Illinois]

The report from the Illinois State Medical Society found nearly three-quarters of the state’s physicians and healthcare professionals have experienced automatic downcoding of appropriately documented claims.

For more details, also visit Health News Illinois. 

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Nearly $25 million will go to 434 Illinois pharmacies in the first distribution of funds from the program established under last year’s law to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. [Health News Illinois] 

The program is designed to assist pharmacies most at risk of closure or financial strain, specifically those in rural and low-income communities with high Medicaid populations and with fewer than 10 locations.

“With pharmacies facing growing financial pressures, Illinois is stepping up to strengthen and support these critical providers and ensure working families across the state continue to receive the care they rely on close to home,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.

Every eligible pharmacy will receive $56,892. The funds can be used to support existing operations, as well as initiatives such as expanded pharmacy hours, telepharmacy services, remote consultations, and medication delivery to help residents overcome barriers to care.

The program is administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.

“Community pharmacies are vital to the healthcare system, especially in rural and underserved communities across the state,” said IRMA CEO Rob Karr. “IRMA is proud to partner with Gov. Pritzker and DCEO to support Illinois pharmacies as they continue providing medications, vaccinations and trusted care.”

See the full list of recipients here.

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The Chicago Tribune reports that a new device may help reduce water-flow lead exposure in schools and homes. According to the CDC, exposure to lead (from whatever source) can harm a child's health and cause adverse effects such as damage to the brain and nervous system.  More>  

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Netherlands ranks No. 1 for mental health and often among the happiest countries in the world by Unicef's latest report on child well-being. More> 

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