The Light for April 12, 2022
By Neil Gambow
President Linda Gerber called the 40th meeting of the year to order at 7:30 a.m. on the dot with the ringing of the bell.
Willie Steiner read “Why We Are Rotarians,” followed by the thoughts for the day, focusing on the ideas from Churchill, Tennyson, and Lenin.
Announcements
Rotary Youth Exchange – Logan Johnson reminded us that he needs 4-5 volunteers for a video shoot for the Youth Exchange program on Saturday, May 7, from 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Send him an email at logan.jhnson@rotary.org if you are interested.
Ann Searles – We can watch a recording of
John Wold's funeral by going to
www.stbarnabasplymouth.org and looking through the website for it. If you want to donate: the Rotary Foundation, One Rotary Center, Evanston 60201, with a note of explanation, would work.
Harold Bauer – Reminded us all to consider a contribution to the EVLRC Foundation. Checks can be sent to Kristin Brown, 727 Wesley Ave, Evanston, 60202.
Linda Gerber - We will again be meeting in person, starting in May, in the Rotary International building. More information will be coming regarding protocols, breakfast, and other requirements for attendance.
Chris Joyce – There will be a Young Leaders Committee meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, April 20, at 9 a.m.
Don Gwinn - The painting project for Saturday, April 16, has been postponed. We still need volunteers for the Rebuilding Together program on Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30. Please contact Don to let him know you are interested in helping.
Clarence Weaver - We are partnering with the noon club and Northwestern to build a food pantry. More information on times and dates will be sent out soon.
Bruce Baumberger – The Evanston Fourth of July celebration will include a live parade for the first time since 2019. Be on the lookout for more information, as we will have a spot in the parade.
Bill Glader, Kelly Fidei – Silent auction items are being sought for the Taste of Evanston. Any ideas for donations from our members, including experiences as well as items, will be appreciated.
Program
Topic: Designing People-Centered Health Care
Speaker: Kim Irwin, IIT Institute of Design
Kim leads the Health and Equity Initiative at the IIT Institute of Design's Action Lab. Projects include the design of high-value primary care that communities want and can use, conducted in partnership with Rush University.
The Health and Equity Initiative explores health as a place-based activity that must respond to local environment and social conditions if it is to be community-effective. Projects integrate community groups, healthcare providers, and industry partners into a cooperative development process. Together, they design and test new interventions, services, and strategies that respond to the people and environment where health activities occur–-a strategy for equity and cultural inclusion.
The Equitable Health Care Initiative Lab focuses on equity designs for primary health care, service line and quality improvements and condition-specific interventions in COPD, high-risk pregnancies, and sickle-cell disease. They also focus on active funded research.
The overall focus on equity recognizes that some people get the treatments they need and others do not, depending on the neighborhoods they live in. The only differences between these two groups of people are income level, zip code, and skin color. Her work creates a floor so that there is more access to health care for people that fit their lives.
One program is conducting workshops for teens, mothers, and senior citizens in Chicago neighborhoods, talking about primary health care. For teens, a prevalent need is for mental health peer-to-peer group interventions as indicated. The teens were particularly interested in talking to the grad students conducting the workshops to find out about how they got to college. Senior citizens spoke about the stigma of seeking mental health help.
Another program is helping low-income pregnant women navigate the pre-natal health care system. There are many barriers for these women as they try to keep up with the pre-natal care. A planning program to manage doctor visits has been developed and put in use. One facet of this is the ancillary cost of the care which runs approximately $2,100 for missed time at work, transportation to the doctor’s office and so on.
A third program is designing for hospital home services to provide more equitable access to health care. Patients do much better in their own homes for recovery and mental health. A 12-step process has been documented to provide information on where to focus this service. The goal is to help medicine fit people.
Kim Irwin
Guests and Milestones
Guest
Logan Johnson - Rotary International
Birthdays This Week
Jason Kaiser, April 13
Fran Caan, April 18
Steve Goranson, April 18
Jim McGuire, April 18
Club Anniversaries
Helen Oloroso, 13 years on April 14, 2009
Kelly Fidei, 6 years on April 15, 2016
Bill Vernon, 19 years on April 15, 2003