West Side United

Health care institutions, residents, educators, non-profits, businesses, government agencies and faith-based institutions that work, live and congregate on Chicago’s West Side have come together as West Side United to make their neighborhoods stronger, healthier and more vibrant places to live.

The nine vibrant and diverse neighborhoods comprising Chicago’s West Side are at the heart of the city’s civic and commercial vitality. Yet people in these neighborhoods experience rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and infant mortality rates far above the national average.

Barriers to health and wellness extend far beyond the health sector. Medical evidence shows that the root causes of many illnesses that shorten the lives of people who live in urban areas are not based in biology or behavior, but are instead determined by the social forces like inequities in education, employment, food access, violence and transportation. The arteries circulating opportunity and prosperity to the West Side are blocked.

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A united voice for West Side health

In January 2017, health care and civic institutions convened groups of people and organizations to share ideas and feedback on how to improve health. Cooperation on a scale equal to these challenges is needed as initiatives offered by one institution or focused on one disease do not address the underlying causes of poor health.
Nearly 120 individuals and 50 organizations started to more systematically identify the obstacles and challenges to health, and a Planning Committee with seats allocated to neighborhood representatives, government, non-profits, and health care institutions was formed.

A unique and holistic approach

In February 2018, West Side United shared plans how to improve health of these communities.

By addressing stark disparities in health equity—the degree to which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible—the group intends to lower these obstacles by being an incubator and accelerator to scale the impact of existing initiatives, develop new programs, and provide coordinated support to existing neighborhood networks of community-based organizations.

Our mission

To build community health and economic wellness on Chicago’s West Side and build healthy, vibrant neighborhoods.

Our vision

To improve neighborhood health by addressing inequality in healthcare, education, economic vitality and the physical environment using a cross-sector, place-based strategy. Partners include healthcare providers, education providers, the faith community, business, government and others working together to coordinate investments and share outcomes.

What guides us

• Social justice and health equity are at the foundation of our work
• West Side neighborhoods are vibrant and have important assets
• Uniting efforts among institutions that often compete for resources must occur
• We must address health holistically as it is a function of both an individual’s situation and behaviors
• The voices of West Side residents are central to our decision making
• The 2018 projects lay the groundwork and build momentum for the long term goals of closing the life expectancy gap

Getting to the root cause

Through the development of the Root Learning Map® experience, community members identified assets and opportunities that exist on the West Side today — and are crafting a vision for a healthier future.

Click on each map to view a larger image and explore West Side United’s vision.