Illinois Public Health Institute

Collaborating to advance health justice

The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) collaborates to advance health justice through equitable policy, systems, and institutional change. IPHI does this so that all people and communities have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy and thrive. For over 20 years, IPHI has held a unique place in the public health and healthcare landscape, serving as a convener of systems transformation initiatives, a policy and practice thought leader, an advocate for improved health policy, and a resource, trainer, and technical assistance provider for communities across Illinois and beyond.

Recognized as a broker that can bridge agendas, break down walls, and align stakeholders to achieve common goals and strategies, IPHI has three Centers that drive our work:

• The Center for Policy and Partnership Initiatives specializes in stakeholder-engaged planning and policy development through high level multi-sectoral partnerships.
• The Center for Health Information Sharing and Innovation assures public health data and information are used to strengthen policy and supports data modernization initiatives.
• The Center for Community Capacity Development specializes in technical assistance efforts that are focused on planning, creating and sustaining solutions that will benefit communities impacted by systems of inequity.

Through its Centers, IPHI leads several signature programs that have an impact on the health and wellbeing of people who reside in the HCF region including:

• The Illinois Alliance to Promote Opportunities for Health, a multi-sector coalition working to change policy, increase capacity of communities, and bridge connections to address nutrition, physical activity and chronic disease prevention.
• The Community Information Exchange, a cross-sector network of health and social service organizations and agencies that develop shared governance to support the needs of community members through person-centered data-sharing.
• The Cook County Collaboration to Advance Reach, Equity, and Systems to Prevent and Manage Diabetes is advancing a range of solutions to help prevent and manage diabetes among people in Cook County with the greatest health disparities.
• Illinois State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program is an initiative to implement physical activity and nutrition interventions for Illinoisans—especially in low income, communities of color, and rural communities—to live the healthiest lives possible.
• The Alliance for Health Equity, one of the largest hospital-community partnerships in the country, is dedicated to improving population and community health in Chicago and Cook County through promoting health equity, capacity building, systems change, and policy advocacy.