Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program

A Program of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

29 East Madison St., Ste. 602

Chicago, IL60602

(312) 372-4292

Fax (312) 372-2753

Contact: Magda Slowik, (312) 372-4292 ext. 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Service Minded graduate Students Selected for Prestigious Fellowship

2014-15 Schweitzer Fellows to Carry Out Service Projects in Vulnerable Chicago Communities

Chicago, Ill., May 8, 2014 – Thirty-one exceptional health professions graduate students have been selected for the prestigious Schweitzer Fellowship – a year-long service learning program that empowers Fellows to design and implement projects that help address the health needs of underserved Chicago communities.

Named in honor of famed humanitarian and Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program encourages service-minded students to “make their lives their argument” by addressing the serious health challenges faced by members of society whose important needs are not being met. In collaboration with existing community organizations, each Schweitzer Fellow will provide 200 hours of direct service. The new Fellows will serve a variety of populationsincluding older adults, immigrants, and the homeless through projects that address their health needs. Projects include:

  • Leading workshops on preventive health behaviors and healthy exercising habits for women who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence
  • Expanding services that address the health and well-being of LGBTQ identified senior citizens, promoting health literacy, social support, and wellness practices
  • Facilitating support groups for home care workers to help mediate the occupational stress they experience in their workplaces

The 2014-15 Schweitzer Fellows represent 14 area universities and a diversity of health professions and public service fields including medicine, public health, nursing, pharmacy, law, and counseling. The Program’s interdisciplinary approach exposes students to real-world inter-professional, collaborative care and aims to develop lifelong leaders in service.

“When I first became involved with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship in 2012, I had no idea how influential it would be in connecting my career goals with my commitment to service and health equity for all,” shared Schweitzer alumna Melody Cibock, who participated in the selection process for this year’s Fellows. “What started out as a desire to contribute something more to my local communities evolved into a long-lasting inter-professional network of 'hopeful ambassadors' with a similar mission for social justice and well-being.”

Like Ms. Cibock, 2014-15 Fellows will carry out their community service projects in addition to their academic program requirements, and their participation in the Fellowship represent these exceptional students’ commitment to improving health in Chicago’s most vulnerable communities.

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“Long work hours and intense course work can lead to cynicism and burnout in even the most idealistic health sciences students. Fortunately, the Schweitzer Fellowship is there to help preserve their idealism,”said Dr. Steven Rothschild, a practicing family physician and faculty member at Rush Medical College. Dr. Rothschild also serves on the Schweitzer Advisory Council and is a board member at Health & Medicine, the non-profit health policy center that administers the Chicago Fellowship.

“By working together over the course of their Fellowship year, Schweitzer students strengthen their values of humanism, empathy, and altruism. And aren’t those the qualities that all of us want in the nurses, doctors, and others who take care of us when we are sick?The Schweitzer Fellowship builds a commitment to a lifetime of service, and our society is better off for that,” Dr. Rothschild added.

About The Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program

For almost 20 years, the Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program has provided a platform for graduate students in health related fields to design and implement innovative projects that improve the health and well-being of underserved populations throughout Chicago. This nationally recognized service-learning program has provided over 93,000 hours of community service to more than 100 community organizations and has had a lasting impact on the Chicago-land community.The program's monthly meetings, trainings, and ongoing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration support the Fellows' interest in becoming life-long leaders in public service, combating health disparities throughout their careers. The Fellows for Life Program (FFL) provides continuing leadership development and service opportunities for Schweitzer alumni.The Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship program is one of 13 nationwide, and is wholly administered by Health & Medicine Policy Research Group.

About Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

Health & Medicine is a Chicago based non-profit working to improve the health of all people in Illinois by promoting health equity. Founded in 1981 by Dr. Quentin Young, it was formed as an action-oriented policy center—nimble, independent, and focused on regional health issues. Health & Medicine’s mission is to promote social justice and challenge inequities in health and health care. It conducts research, educates, and collaborates with other groups to advocate policies and impact health systems to improve the health status of all people. Health & Medicine has successfully developed health policy recommendations and implementation strategies for different public and private entities, earning the trust of the legislature, advocates, the media, researchers, and policymakers at all levels of government in Illinois to become the region’s “honest broker” on healthcare policy matters.

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Health & Medicine Policy Research Group 29 E. Madison St., Suite 602 Chicago, IL 60602 312.372.4292