Cook County Health, one of the nation’s largest public health systems, and UI Health, the academic health enterprise of the University of Illinois Chicago, have expanded their collaborative partnership into medical education, clinical care and research.
The institutions announced the enhanced partnership Oct. 28, three years after launching their Partnership for Pediatric Care, a clinical affiliation focused on pediatric services, in 2021.
The new agreement centers on executing joint strategies in each area under the oversight of the Joint Academic Affiliation Council led by the College of Medicine and Cook County Health, according to a news release.
Planned initiatives include expanded clerkship rotations for University of Illinois College of Medicine students at Cook County Health, new residency and fellowship opportunities at both institutions, and leadership development pathways for Cook County Health staff.
The systems also plan to grow clinical collaborations, expand provider recruitment efforts and launch caretaking initiatives across more than 16 specialties. Research programs will be jointly developed, with a strategy to enroll Cook County Health patients in shared clinical trials.
“The combined resources of Cook County Health and UI Health — two leading public health care providers in Cook County and in Illinois — across the clinical, educational and research fields will help advance health equity among our shared communities and patient populations,” Cook County Health CEO Erik Mikaitis, MD, said in the release.
