UI Health

Kiana Player, our Associate Chief Nursing Officer for acute care services, recently received our Luminary Nursing Leadership Award to recognize the pivotal role she has played in advancing nursing practice, fostering leadership development, and driving strategic initiatives that improve the care we provide our patients. Her hard work and dedication have led to patient and staff safety improvements that exceed national benchmarks established our pediatric teams as the gold standard of infection prevention across our health system, and ensured safer and more efficient feeding practices for our youngest, most vulnerable patients. Beyond her clinical impact, her leadership has served as an example for the next generation of nurse leaders, demonstrating how authenticity, innovation, and collaboration can drive meaningful changes in healthcare. Congratulations, Kiana!

UIC researchers have designed an enzyme formulation that can be used to treat pediatric cancer patients. In tests with mice, the new enzyme, a form of asparaginase, destroyed leukemia cells without the common side effects of asparaginase. This means it: • Could eliminate side effects like blood clots and liver damage seen in other cancer treatments • Avoids dramatic weight loss • Has the potential to treat solid cancers • Could require less frequent treatment for patients A team led by UIC’s Arnon Lavie reported its research in Cancer Letters and is working to bring the novel enzyme to trials with humans. Read more about how this enzyme works at UIC today at https://lnkd.in/gTCEev7m Over the next several weeks, UIC will highlight the impactful research happening across campus and the importance of investing in this work. We invite you to do the same using the hashtag #UICResearchMatters. #ResearchMatters #UICResearch #UIC #Chicago #ThisIsUIC

UI Health celebrated Certified Nurses’ Day last month by hosting an event with our Professional Development Council to honor our certified nurses and APRNs. During the event, UI Health director of patient care services Melissa Angulo spoke to the benefits of certification — for patients and providers — and shared the resources available at UI Health to support nurses in their certification journey. UI Health is proud to employ 684 certified nurses, 290 advanced practice registered nurses, 456 Masters of Nursing, and 106 Doctors of Nursing. We look forward to continuing to support certification and professional growth at UI Health!

Today was #DoctorsDay at UI Health, and we celebrated our amazing physicians in one of their favorite ways — with free food! Does your UI Health doctor go above and beyond? Drop a comment to thank them for their hard work 🩺💚💙

Dr. Chen Lin from UI Health’s Otolaryngology — ear, nose and throat — team sat down with WGN-TV's Spotlight Chicago to share some important information about oral, head, and neck cancers and how an otolaryngologist can help you manage your risk. Visit http://ENT.UIHealth.Care to learn more about our team’s expertise and The University of Illinois Cancer Center’s free screening options

When Luciano Dimas started noticing health changes — fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath — he ignored them. He knew he hadn’t always lived the most active lifestyle, and figured this was just the next stage of aging. But when a bout with COVID-19 landed the 39-year old in the emergency room late in 2020, he knew something more serious was happening. The health issues he chalked up to aging were actually early symptoms of liver disease. After multiple failed organ donation matches, his fiancé Darlene stepped up to the plate. “All I could think about was the long, happy life I still wanted to have with my husband,” Darlene said. “I started to realize that if I didn’t look into what I could do, I wouldn’t know how much time we’d have together.” After months of testing, Luciano and Darlene got the news they’d been waiting for: She was a match! “I’m just thankful to be alive,” Luciano said. “This experience has made me realize how much of my daily life I took for granted and how lucky I am that my wife would do something like this for me.” Read Darlene and Luciano’s full story: https://bit.ly/3G0OF0a

We've applied to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the prestigious designation of Magnet®, the highest credential a healthcare organization can achieve. A Magnet® designation indicates to patients and the public that an organization has met the most stringent, evidence-based standards of nursing excellence in patient care delivery. We invite patients, family members, staff, and other interested parties to provide feedback via email or direct mail. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g9WxsYuP

Last week, fourth-year medical students at the University of Illinois College of Medicine waited to learn which residency programs they had been accepted to during the #MatchDay ceremony at UIC’s Isadore and Sadie Dorin Forum. As the countdown neared the end, the room went quiet. Three … two … and one! Students ripped into white envelopes containing the name of their residency programs, where they will complete their training and begin careers as doctors. This year, 274 medical students from UIC’s three College of Medicine campuses were matched with programs nationwide. Congratulations to the Class of 2025. And welcome to all those who matched in a residency program at UI Health! Learn more: https://bit.ly/4j40gtF

Earlier this month, UI Health welcomed Emory University’s Dr. Ighovwerha Ofotokun as a part of our Distinguished Scholar conversation series. This series is an opportunity for our staff to elevate the care they provide by learning from nationally recognized healthcare thought leaders. Dr. Igho’s career has been dedicated to caring for patients with HIV/AIDS, and his work has helped transform the disease from a terminal illness to a manageable chronic condition for millions across the globe. Now, Dr. Igho has partnered with UI Health pulmonologist Dr. Jerry Krishnan and the NIH’s RECOVER Initiative to study the effects — both mental and physical — of the pandemic on our patient populations. Learn more about this work: https://bit.ly/3DjPfW7.

This Wednesday, April 2, we’ll be hosting an open house of our UI Heath Mile Square Health Center location in Auburn-Gresham to welcome the center’s new executive director Dr. Karriem Watson. Join your community to learn more about our mission to deliver excellent, community-based, and culturally competent care through the Mile Square network of federally qualified health centers. There will be food, refreshments, fellowship, and a tour of the Auburn Gresham Healthy Lifestyle Hub, including the UI Health Mile Square Primary and Immediate Care Center and the UIC Neighborhood Center. Learn more and RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gSqSERRv