Bechara Choucair, MDCommissioner
Chicago Department of Public Health
@choucair #HealthyChicago
Chicago Department of Public HealthCommissioner Bechara Choucair, M.D.
City of ChicagoMayor Rahm Emanuel
THE CHICAGO CULTURAL PLAN AND
HEALTHY CHICAGOJanuary 16, 2014
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. Healthy Chicago Public Health Agenda
2. Connections between Health, Art & Culture
3. Enroll Chicago and Chicago Artists Health Care Town Hall
4. Opportunities
HEALTHY CHICAGOPUBLIC HEALTH AGENDA• Released in August 2011
• Identifies priorities for action for next 5 years
• Identifies health status targets for 2020
• Shifts us from one-time programmatic interventions to sustainable system, policy and environmental changes
HEALTHY CHICAGOPRIORITY AREAS
GOOD HEALTH IS…
• More than just the absence of disease
• Influenced by more than genetics and health care
• Strongly affected by our choices and social and physical environments
HEALTH, ART & CULTURE
• Art and culture improve health, quality of life and promote a sense of well-being in many ways:
o Participating in the arts and in engaging in arts activities has many benefits
o Experiencing art and culture can be physical
o Programs and environments that incorporate art can help to prevent violence
• The Chicago Cultural Plan strengthens Healthy Chicago efforts
7
Public Health
Public Schools
Cultural Affairs
City Colleges
Disabilities
LibrariesBusiness Affairs
Aviation
Public Housing
Family Services
Police
2013 study of 3,402 artists found:
• 43% did not have health insurance
o 88% said they couldn’t afford it
• 39% of the 1,927 who had coverage paid for it themselves
o 6 times greater than general pop that pays for private, non-group insurance.
• 55% did not understand or were unclear about the ACA
DCASE, ARTISTS &HEALTH CARE
CHICAGO ARTISTSHEALTH CARE TOWN HALL
• Included educational presentations, health information tables, health care enrollment navigation
• 125 appointments with health care navigators
• More than 150 participants in health education sessions
• 47 flu shots
PROVOCATIVE MESSAGING
WORKING WITH ART STUDENTS
WORKING WITH THECHICAGO THEATER COMMUNITY
Exemption for actors on thee-cigarette ordinance
We helped motivate Chicago teens to focus on health choices for a healthy future through the arts.
OPPORTUNITIES
• There are many ways we can incorporate the arts into our work
• The use of film was explored as a way to encourage thinking and action related to breast cancer and cancer screening
@ChiPublicHealth
312.747.9884
facebook.com/ChicagoPublicHealth
www.CityofChicago.org/Health
