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Improving Chicago Kids' Health Topic Of Series Of Public Health Talks

 The Chicago Department of Public Health will host a series of discussions on ways to improve the health of Chicago's youth.
The Chicago Department of Public Health will host a series of discussions on ways to improve the health of Chicago's youth.
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PULLMAN — The Chicago Department of Public Health will host a series of discussions on ways to improve the health of Chicago's youths.

The next session is 9:30-11:30 a.m. Monday at James Shields Middle School, 2611 W. 48th St. The town hall meeting will be available in both English and Spanish. RSVPs are not required, but encouraged. Register here.

The goal of the meetings are to gather feedback from content experts and Chicago residents, in particular in Chicago’s African-American and Latino communities, where health disparities are greater among children and teens.

They'll discuss policy ideas and focus on five key areas surrounding young people's health: improving homes, empowering working families, promoting vaccines, reducing obesity and mitigating trauma. 

The department's recent Healthy Kids Spotlight Report shows that even though there has been progress in each area, significant health disparities still remain.

“Chicago has emerged as a national leader when it comes to proposing and implementing innovative policies to improve health," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, referencing the recent award given to Chicago by CityHealth. “There is still more work to be done to ensure young people in every neighborhood and from every background have access to the resources and tools they need to grow up healthy.”

Public health officials will ask for feedback on policies, including improving requirements for lead inspections and encouraging family friendly employment practices. 

The policies were first identified in Healthy Chicago 2.0, the four-year citywide plan to improve health equity. The town hall meetings will also provide residents with opportunities to surface other ideas around the five key areas. The meetings follow a recent Chicago Board of Health meeting where both board members and local advocates provided their feedback.

After the meetings, the department will release a report conveying the feedback from participants and policy recommendations that emerged as part of the discussions.

“Last year, we launched Healthy Chicago 2.0, a new plan to improve health equity across Chicago,” Health Department Commissioner Julie Morita. “These town halls are a key element of that plan, working with residents to identify new ways to help them build better, healthier communities for all our children.”

Upcoming meetings are 6-8 p.m. Aug. 8 at Rowan Park Fieldhouse, 11546 S. Ave., and 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 16, Legler Branch Library, 115 S. Pulaski Road.