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Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
Vol. 8, Issue 3

The Pulse of UI Health is an e-newsletter that provides news, celebrations and recognitions from across the university's academic health enterprise. To submit content or learn more please email vcha@uic.edu.

Hospital & Clinics staff celebrating the announcement that UI Health had achieved Magnet Recognition®. (Photo: Jack Martin/UI Health)

On July 23 of this year, the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics was honored with the important milestone of Magnet Recognition® from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Magnet Model provides a framework used by the ANCC to evaluate healthcare institutions across a number of dimensions to determine their excellence in nursing. Among these are the quality of nursing leadership, coordination and collaboration across specialties, and existing processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.

With this credential, UI Health has joined a small, select group of U.S. healthcare organizations that exemplify the best in nursing care. “This is a historic moment for our organization,” said Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Tiesa Hughes-Dillard, who spearheaded the Magnet initiative. “Magnet recognition gives our community the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care they receive at UI Health.”

Hospital & Clinics CEO Dr. Mark Rosenblatt said, “Achieving Magnet recognition is an honor that reaffirms the hard work and dedication of our entire staff and reinforces the core values that guide how we serve our patients every day.”

Joining Dr. Hughes-Dillard and Dr. Rosenblatt on stage at the celebration were UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda, Dr. Robert Barish, vice chancellor for health affairs; Dr. Jon Radosta, chief medical officer; Mike Zenn, senior advisor, enterprise strategic initiatives; Osei Omoike, senior director for nursing strategy & analytics and Magnet program director; and Dr. Eileen Collins, dean of the College of Nursing.

Learn About UI Health's Magnet Recognition® 

Photos from the Magnet Celebration

Patient Edward “Ed” Augustin III tracks his blood sugar during a post-operative appointment at UI Health. (Photo: Jack Martin/UI Health)

Physicians at UI Health have performed the first pancreatic islet cell transplant with Lantidra, the only FDA-approved cell therapy for the treatment of brittle type 1 diabetes. Lantidra was developed at UIC through research conducted by Dr. José Oberholzer, with the clinical trials conducted at the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics.

Head of surgery, Dr. Enrico Benedetti, noted the new procedure is safer than a pancreas transplant. “With Lantidra, there are no surgical risks, and instead of being in the hospital for up to 12 days following an organ transplant, [the patient] was home within 24 hours,” he said.

Brittle type 1 diabetes, which is a more severe form of the disease, is estimated by the National Institutes of Health to afflict roughly 80,000 people. UI Health is the sole provider of this novel treatment for the disease. UI Health can also partner with patients’ health insurance to obtain coverage for Lantidra.

Dr. Subhash Pandey, director of the UIC Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC)

The University of Illinois College of Medicine’s Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics has received a five-year $8.3 million NIH grant renewal to continue cutting-edge research into how long-term alcohol use affects the structure and function of brain cells through genetic and epigenetic interactions. Center director Dr. Subhash Pandey said, “Understanding these complex brain mechanisms could lead to more targeted treatments for alcohol use disorder, ultimately improving the lives of individuals suffering from this chronic disease.”

The center is a hub for genomic and epigenetic studies in alcohol use disorders, involving psychiatry, biophysics and physiology faculty, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ psychology and biology faculty, the UIC Research Resources Center, and the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Anand Srivastava, associate professor of medicine in the division of nephrology. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC)

With $3.8 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, UIC researchers will use noninvasive imaging to assess blood flow, oxygenation and scarring in the kidneys of patients enrolled in the study, the largest of its kind in the United States. The researchers will then compare the scans with information from biopsies to determine if kidney fMRI scans can detect chronic scarring in the kidneys.

“Chronic kidney disease is on the rise, and this has devastating consequences,” said principal investigator Dr. Anand Srivastava, associate professor in the University of Illinois College of Medicine. “The idea would be to see if these digital fingerprints of disease improve our ability to identify the lesions in the kidney or people at risk of kidney function decline over time.” 

During a tour of the Surgical Innovation Training Lab, prospective UIC students were introduced to state-of-the-art technology that helps advance research and surgical practice. (Photo: Phyllis Hayes/UIC)

UI Health continues to elevate its mission of community engagement with action through programs and initiatives that take the efforts of the university’s academic health enterprise beyond our classrooms and clinics—building connections, opening doors and shaping the future of health and education throughout communities in Chicago and Illinois.

Chicago-area Students Tour the Surgical Innovation Training Lab

On July 15th, UI Health hosted summer interns working for State Senator Lakesia Collins’s (5th District) who are aspiring to careers in medicine, along with students participating in the Urban Health Program’s Urban Pathways Summer Program, for a tour of the Surgical Innovation Training Lab. Dr. Phyllis Hayes, UIC assistant vice chancellor for external engagement, organized the tour for these aspiring healthcare professionals.  

The young visitors toured the 17,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility dedicated to contemporary and future surgical training, innovation and technological research. After a lecture and hands-on training in the lab, they took turns using the simulation technology. Students expressed their excitement about the tour and the UIC campus, and spoke highly of their overall experience, discussing their plans for college and focusing on their futures in healthcare.

Summer Cancer Research Program and Symposium

The University of Illinois Cancer Center hosted 54 high school and undergraduate students, including students from the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative Fellows program for undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students. The students spent one day each week at UIC through the summer, mentored by UIC faculty who helped guide them through the research program. The program concluded with the Summer Cancer Research Symposium, where students, joined by their families, friends and mentors, showcased their efforts through scientific posters and presentations. 

UIC School of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health Launch New Initiative

During the summer, the School of Public Health partnered with the Chicago Department of Public Health to launch ChiPHI: Chicago Public Health Innovators, a new summer academy designed to introduce young people to the opportunities within one of the most important disciplines in the healthcare ecosystem, the science of public health.  The free, six-week summer academy took place at UIC’s campus with nearly two-dozen students from across Chicago enrolled, working on real public health challenges, developing innovative solutions to create meaningful change, while building foundational research skills. The program concluded with the ChiPHI Symposium, where students shared innovative projects they developed to address public health issues affecting their communities.

In vitro prostate cancer cells. (Photo: UIC Nonn Lab)

Three members of the University of Illinois Cancer Center Cancer – Dr. Charles Gaber, assistant professor at the Retzky College of Pharmacy;  Dr. Natalie Reizine, assistant professor at the UI College of Medicine; Dr. Todd Lee, professor and head of pharmacy systems outcomes and policy at the Retzky College of Pharmacy – received a three-year $1.2 million Data Science Award through the U.S. Department of War Prostate Cancer Research Program. Their project seeks to drive improvements in the effective use of androgen deprivation therapy combination therapy in men diagnosed with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, using advanced data science techniques including supervised machine learning, hybrid epidemiologic designs and target trial emulation.

Dr. Therese Galang-Boquiren, director of predoctoral orthodontics at the College of Dentistry, received an R21 exploratory/developmental grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). The funding will support research into the use of an oral appliance to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

Dr. Mariana Reis-Havlat, assistant professor in the College of Dentistry department of periodontics, has been awarded over $1.2 million from the NIDCR to explore how aging and disease impact the tissue covering the roots of teeth (cementum) and how these changes affect periodontal regeneration. This grant marks the second phase of her five-year NIH Pathway to Independence Award.

Students posing with UIC Flames mascot Spark D. Dragon at the 2025 health Sciences Welcome Picnic. (Photo: Martin Hernandez/UIC)

The university welcomed our newest students in the health sciences colleges with a series of annual events including the annual welcome picnic and white coat ceremonies, as part of the university-wide launch of the fall semester and the new academic year. Additionally, UIC recently published enrollment numbers that speak well to the value and excellence of the University’s academic and cultural draw.

Turnout for this year’s Health Sciences Welcome Picnic, co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, was the largest yet, with hundreds of students attending, learning about the many programs and resources available to them within the health sciences colleges from the nearly 20 organizations and academic units participating in the event.

Students were able to speak with representatives from the Library of the Health Sciences, Urban Health Program (UHP), Student Legal Services, the Health Professions Student Council, Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change, and the Odehmenan Health Equity Center, among others.

Other important rituals during the early days of the fall semester were the White Coat Ceremonies held by the College of Medicine in Chicago, Rockford and Peoria; the College of Dentistry and the Retzky College of Pharmacy. Students were joined by families and friends as they received their white coats, symbolizing their pledge to this next stage of their academic training, while celebrating their futures in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.

Notably, the university recently announced final enrollment numbers for Fall 2025. The record UIC enrollment reflected an overall 2.6% increase in professional students and 1.2% increase for graduate programs from 2025. In total, the health sciences colleges welcomed more than 8,200 students across all disciplines. Increases in undergraduate enrollment for Nursing and Public Health programs were significant this year.

See Photos from the Welcome Picnic

The dental assistant program graduation celebration at the Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (center) poses with program graduates. (Photo: Michael Wesbecher/UIC)

On July 30th, students from the Dental Assistant Certification Program were joined by family, friends and university and community leaders, to celebrate their graduation as certified dental assistants. This was the eighth cohort to graduate, bringing the total since the program began in 2022, to nearly 60 graduates. While many of the graduates are hired at the Mile Square Primary and Immediate Care Center in Auburn Gresham, others have found careers at neighboring hospitals and health centers, while others have enrolled in dental programs, including at the UIC College of Dentistry, to further their education. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (2nd congressional district, Illinois) served as keynote speaker, applauding the accomplishments of the newest graduates.

The program continues to fill the gap in trained dental assistants, while introducing opportunities in oral health care for members of the community.

See Photos from the Graduation Celebration

AHS Dean Carlos Crespo (back row center) and Assistant Dean Viviana Kabbabe-Thompson (front row left) pictured with the first EXITO cohort. (Photo: Viviana Kabbabe-Thompson/UIC)

A new program at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences, launched by Dean Carlos Crespo in 2022, is offering undergraduate students an opportunity for three years of specialized study, mentorship and hands-on research experience. Called Enhancing Cross-disciplinary Innovation and Training Opportunities (EXITO, which means “success” in Spanish), the program aims to cultivate leaders who can improve health and social systems in communities that most need it. The first cohort was comprised of nine students from the AHS disability and human development, kinesiology, nutrition and rehabilitation science programs.

“We need to recruit students from the places where health disparities are, give them the same opportunity as students from other places and then encourage them to address their community’s problems better than anyone else can,” Dean Crespo said.

The National Center for Rural Health Professions at the College of Medicine Rockford and Lincoln Memorial Hospital are partnering for the new INSPIRE initiative.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford (COMR) has received funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Health Network Development Planning Program to create sustainable, community-informed strategies to build and strengthen the health care workforce in Illinois’ rural Logan County. The initiative, named Illinois Network Supporting Providers in Rural Healthcare Excellence (INSPIRE), is a partnership between COMR’s National Center for Rural Health Professions, the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network and Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and was sparked by University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen’s visit to Lincoln Memorial Hospital in 2023 to discuss challenges and opportunities to address patient care gaps.

COMR also launched a new Addiction Medicine Fellowship, which received initial accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The first fellow will begin in July 2026 and will receive training from faculty physicians practicing at UI Health Mile Square Health Center-L.P. Johnson Rockford, UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital, Rosecrance Behavioral Health Griffin Williamson Campus and Rockford Pain Center. The fellowship is part of a program called Clinical Learning and Education in Addiction, which is funded by a grant from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board.

A new program at the Retzky College of Pharmacy (COP) will address the shortage of qualified pharmacists while saving aspiring Rockford-area pharmacists both time and tuition. In partnership with Rockford University (RU), students in the new 3+4 pathway program will complete three years at RU before transitioning to COP on either the Rockford or Chicago campus. After the first year at UIC, students will earn a Bachelor of Science from Rockford University, and after completing three more years, a Doctor of Pharmacy or PharmD.

UIC School of Public health student William Kane samples Lake Michigan water at North Avenue Beach. (Photo: Martin Hernandez/UIC)

For the past 10 years, the School of Public Health (SPH) has collaborated with the Chicago Park District to monitor water quality at Chicago beaches. Each morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, UIC student researchers retrieve water from 18 Chicago beaches and test the samples for enterococci bacteria, elevated levels of which can indicate contamination. The results are reported that same morning to the Chicago Park District which can, if needed, issue a swim advisory to protect visitors to the beaches.

Additionally, SPH is working with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) on development of the Chicago Air Sensor Network to increase the concentration of air sensors throughout the city. The network will provide neighborhood-level air quality data to the public. CDPH says that when the network is fully deployed, Chicago is set to have the largest community air monitoring network in the world with nearly 280 sensors. Following deployment and quality assurance, the goal is to launch a publicly available dashboard, expected in early 2026.

On September 22, the UIC College of Dentistry launched their initiative to implement Epic Wisdom, an electronic health record which will allow comprehensive coordination between dental and medical care, streamline dental workflows, improve patient outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency for dental practices.

UIC faculty Dr. Carmen Lilley and Dr. Craig Foster, and UIC students Tamara Valdez, Zack Martin and Keshav Gandhi.

Two UIC alums and a current doctoral student will spend the 2025-26 school year abroad after accepting offers from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Each year, the Fulbright student program selects recent college graduates, current graduate students or early-career professionals to travel overseas for graduate studies, research or teaching English in schools. It is the largest cross-cultural exchange program in the world.

UIC faculty researchers Craig Foster and Carmen Lilley have received the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for the 2025-26 academic year. Fulbright awards support global problem-solving through international cooperation, expanding scholars’ perspectives and enriching their labs and classrooms. Through their work, program alums have earned 63 Nobel Prizes, 98 Pulitzer Prizes and 82 MacArthur Fellowships. This year, more than 400 Fulbright awards were distributed to people in 135 countries. 

UIC’s Institute for Research on Addictions (IRA) represents a cohesive, multidisciplinary collaboration among investigators to address the major public health and societal concern of substance misuse and addictions. In July of 2025, the IRA hosted Dr. Sara Becker, inaugural director of the Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science and the Alice Hamilton professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University. Using implementation science, Becker hopes to find solutions to the U.S.’s health care accessibility issues.

In their new annual report, the University of Illinois Cancer Center shines a light on 2024 highlights in their mission of research excellence and elevating the community voice to ensure patients receive the highest level of care.

Read the Cancer Center Annual Report

Laurence Appel, chief financial officer for the UI Health Hospital & Clinics, has been named among 78 Academic Medical Center CFOs to Know by Becker’s Hospital Review.

Scott Jones, MHA, FACHE, chief operating officer for the UI Health Hospital & Clinics, has been honored as one of 70 Academic Medical Center COOs to Know by Becker’s Hospital Review.

David Chestek, chief medical information officer for the UI Health Hospital & Clinics, was highlighted in the Becker’s article How 4 Health Systems are Dismantling Silos to Drive Smarter, Connected Care.

Theresa Eagleson, associate chief strategy officer for the UI Health Hospital & Clinics and executive director of Healthcare Strategy in the UIC Office of Population Health Sciences, has been named as the 2025 recipient of the Ruth Rothstein Award for Excellence, which recognizes individuals who have made a profound impact on the health of Cook County residents.

Dr. Meenakshy Aiyer, dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, was one of seven presenters at the TEDx Conference hosted by Bradley University on September 17.

Three health sciences faculty have been honored as UIC Distinguished Professors:

Dr. Luisa DiPietro, professor of periodontics at the College of Dentistry. has been named the 2025 recipient of the Paul Goldhaber Distinguished Award, the highest honor given by the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, recognizing individuals of international distinction whose work advances oral and systemic health.

Dr. Ramaswamy Kalyanasundaram, department head and professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, is one of the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition’s 12 Researchers to Know for 2025 in recognition of innovation, impact and interdisciplinary excellence.

The University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics recognized the following individuals with 2025 of the Year awards:

Dr. Kristen Malecki, professor and division director of environmental and occupational health sciences at the School of Public Health, is the new co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, joining Dr. Lisa Tussing-Humphreys of the College of Applied Health Sciences.

Dr. Pam Martyn-Nemeth, professor of biobehavioral nursing science at the College of Nursing, was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame in honor of achieving significant and sustained national and/or international recognition for her work.

The article Muscle weakness in cancer survivors may be caused by treatable weakness in blood vessels, by Dr. Jalees Rehman, Benjamin Goldberg Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, was published for national syndication on The Conversation.

Dr. Liza Suárez, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, was featured in the WebMD article The Surprising Link Between Childhood Trauma, Weight Gain, and Obesity.

Dr. Sahar Alrayyes, clinical professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, received the Ann Page Griffin Humanitarian Award at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Annual Meeting earlier this year.

Dr. Fatemeh Afshari, clinical professor at the College of Dentistry, has been appointed as the college’s Chief Dental Informatics Officer.

Dr. Mohammed Asif, clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, was appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to serve on the Illinois State Medical Board.

Dr. David Hinkamp, who has headed the Health in the Arts program at UI Health for many years, is president-elect of the Performing Arts Medical Association.

Dr. Amanda B. Rodriguez Betancourt, resident chief in the department of periodontics at the College of Dentistry, has been honored with the 2025 Dr. D. Walter Cohen Teaching Award from the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation.

Two collaborative initiatives between the Cook County Department of Public Health and the School of Public Health have been honored with 2025 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo):

Five UIC health sciences students received funding for community-centered projects through the prestigious Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellows Program:

Dr. Eduardo Bustamante, associate professor at the College of Applied Health Sciences, was featured in a segment of Science Friday, speaking about the relationship between physical activity and mental health.

Listen to the Science Friday Segment with Dr. Bustamente

Angela Martinez, a family nurse practitioner in the UI Health Hospital & Clinics, was featured in a 3-minute Spanish-language segment on Univision Chicago, addressing the importance of breastfeeding within the Latino community for World Breastfeeding Week.

Watch the Univision Segment with Angela Martinez

October 18 – 2025 Pediatric Fall Symposium (University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria)

October 24 – Protecting Innocence Symposium 2025 (University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford)

October 28 – Chair Chats featuring Robert M. Califf, MD (Office of the Chancellor)

October 29 – Centering Knowledge Translation in Health Equity for Empowered Communities (Odehmenan Health Equity Center)

November 7 – Power of Nursing Leadership 2025 (College of Nursing)

November 13 – ASSETS: Structural Solutions to Clinical Research Excellence (University of Illinois Cancer Center)

November 18 – Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series: Raymond Deshaies, PhD (University of Illinois College of Medicine)

November 20 – Rural Health Day 2025 (University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford)

October-November – Research-related Sessions by the Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Dr. Michael Charles, a physician of internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics, was featured on WGN Spotlight to talk about the various barriers men may experience in seeking proper healthcare.

See the WGN Spotlight with Dr. Charles

UIC is in the top 10 globally for research productivity in sickle cell disease, according to the number of citations of its researchers by other scholars. The UI Health Sickle Cell Center continues to be the largest of its kind in the Midwest, serving some 600 adults and 160 children with sickle cell disease annually.

UI Health Volunteer Services has over 1,000 hospital volunteers, placing it among the largest volunteer programs in Illinois. The volunteers provide a variety of services to patients and their families in departments throughout the Hospital & Clinics.

The University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics has been recognized with nine quality-achievement awards from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines® program. The nine awards were in the categories of Stroke, Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease and Resuscitation.

UIC Office of The Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System

914 South Wood Street, MCA (MC 973)
Phone: (312) 355-5473 | Email: VCHA@uic.edu

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