2016 Press Releases
December 19, 2016
Comer Children's, Mariano's GIVE MORE partnership raises $218,000
A month-long fundraising partnership between the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital and Mariano's raised $218,000 to support the 172-bed children's hospital on Chicago's South Side.
December 13, 2016
UChicago Medicine opens major outpatient clinic in Orland Park
The University of Chicago Medicine opened its new outpatient facility Tuesday, bringing exceptional academic medicine to patients in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs.
October 31, 2016
UChicago Medicine earns 10th straight 'A' for hospital safety rating
The University of Chicago Medicine earned its 10th consecutive straight "A" rating in hospital safety, according to a new report card released Monday by a prominent industry watchdog.
October 24, 2016
MacLean Center $50,000 ethics prize awarded to University of Wisconsin emeritus professor
The 2016 MacLean Center Prize in Clinical Ethics and Health Outcomes, a $50,000 award and the largest in clinical medical ethics, has been awarded to Norman Fost, MD, MPH, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Medical History and Bioethics at University of Wisconsin.
October 20, 2016
5K race raises $315,000 for research at Comer Children's Hospital
The 14th annual RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children's Hospital raised more than $315,000 to support pediatric research at the University of Chicago Medicine.
October 18, 2016
Community health care just got better for challenged Chicago neighborhoods
Saint Anthony Hospital has announced its new partnership with the University of Chicago Medicine for its obstetrics and pediatrics service lines.
October 7, 2016
University of Chicago Medicine announces inaugural Community Advisory Council
The University of Chicago Medicine announced the creation of its inaugural community advisory council. The CAC will seek community input on health issues of importance to its primary service area and surrounding communities.
October 4, 2016
UChicago Medicine, Ingalls Health System complete merger
The University of Chicago Medicine and Ingalls Health System have joined forces in an alliance that combines a top community hospital in Chicago's Southland with one of the country's leading academic medical institutions.
September 26, 2016
Comer Children's wins $2M federal grant to help kids affected by violence
The University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital will provide screening and mental health care for hundreds of children and families that have been affected by violence in many of Chicago's South and West side neighborhoods.
September 19, 2016
UChicago Medicine opens state-of-the-art Family Birth Center in Hyde Park
The University of Chicago Medicine is opening its new 25,000-square foot Family Birth Center inside Comer Children's Hospital, bringing a more customizable birth experience to women on the South Side and south suburbs. The new state-of-the-art facility, replaces the hospital's labor and delivery unit inside Mitchell Hospital, beginning Sept. 19.
September 15, 2016
UChicago Medicine breaks ground on South Side's new emergency department with adult trauma care
Four months after receiving state regulatory approval, the University of Chicago Medicine today held a groundbreaking ceremony for the South Side's newest emergency department, which will also offer Level 1 adult trauma care.
September 1, 2016
Comer Children's Hospital partners with Mariano's to GIVE MORE
The University of Chicago MedicineComer Children’s Hospital is partnering with Mariano’s, one of four grocery banners of Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co., to launch the month-long GIVE MORE fundraising campaign for lifesaving pediatric medical care and research.
August 28, 2016
UChicago Medicine completes final stage of CCD, moves in 156 patients
The University of Chicago Medicine transported 156 patients to newly constructed rooms in the Center for Care and Discovery (CCD) on Sunday, Aug. 28, completing the final stage of construction in the hospital building that first opened in 2013.
August 3, 2016
Two new websites help UChicago Medicine deliver messages to patients
Two new consumer websites will help current and future patients learn more about the award-winning care provided at the University of Chicago Medicine.
July 25, 2016
Physician-scientist Gary Toback, MD, PhD, 1941-2016
Gary Toback, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and former interim section chief of nephrology, died early Wednesday morning, June 20, when he was struck by a vehicle while jogging near his home in the nearby South Shore neighborhood, something he did almost every day. The incident is being investigated.
July 21, 2016
Antibiotic treatment weakens progression of Alzheimer's disease through changes in the gut microbiome
Long-term treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics decreased levels of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and activated inflammatory microglial cells in the brains of mice in a new study by neuroscientists from the University of Chicago.
July 18, 2016
International team describes step-by-step progress in battling toxoplasmosis
In the July 14 edition of Scientific Reports (Nature), 39 researchers from 14 leading institutions in the United States, United Kingdom and France suggest novel approaches that could hasten the development of better medications for people suffering from toxoplasmosis.
July 13, 2016
Simple procedure could improve treatment for common eye disease: Rejuvenating the cornea could reduce the need for cornea transplants
A new, minimally invasive procedure appears to be effective for many patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (FED), a common eye disease, without the potential side effects and cost of the current standard of care, a cornea transplant.
July 13, 2016
New technique targets gene that causes neurodegenerative disease
Neuroscientists at the University of Chicago studying a unique gene that expresses two proteins, one that is necessary for life and another, that when mutated causes a neurodegenerative disease called spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), have developed a technique to selectively block the disease-causing protein without affecting the other.
July 7, 2016
UChicago to support NIH million-person precision medicine study
The University of Chicago is one of three Illinois academic institutions that will work together to help launch President Obama's Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Cohort Program to enroll 1 million or more participants in a national research effort designed to find better ways to prevent and treat disease based on lifestyle, environment and genetics.
July 7, 2016
People with anger disorder have decreased connectivity between regions of the brain
People with intermittent explosive disorder (IED), or impulsive aggression, have a weakened connection between regions of the brain associated with sensory input, language processing and social interaction.
July 1, 2016
CMS selects UChicago Medicine for new Medicare cancer care initiative
The University of Chicago Medicine is one of three academic medical centers in Illinois selected to participate in a new federal effort designed to provide better care to cancer patients.
June 29, 2016
UChicago Medicine to host regional Cancer Moonshot Summit
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has been chosen to co-host a regional conference to rally a critical mass of minds around the topic of cancer, concurrent to Vice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot Summit in Washington on Wednesday.
June 27, 2016
Steroid receptor crosstalk informs therapies for breast cancer treatment
One of the first clues pathologists look for in tissue from a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient is the estrogen receptor, a nuclear protein that converts hormonal messages in the bloodstream into instructions for the cell about how to behave.
June 27, 2016
Anti-anxiety medication limits empathetic behavior in rats
Rats given midazolam, an anti-anxiety medication, were less likely to free trapped companions because the drug lessened their empathy, according to a new study by University of Chicago neuroscientists.
June 22, 2016
Cancer, violence among top health concerns for South Siders
Residents on the South Side say cancer, violence prevention and sexually transmitted infections are among their top health concerns, according to the latest comprehensive assessment conducted by the University of Chicago Medicine.
June 20, 2016
Microbiota affect the rate of transplant acceptance and rejection
Researchers from the University of Chicago have shown that microbiota -- the bacteria, viruses and other microbes living on the skin and in the digestive system -- play an important role in the body's ability to accept transplanted skin and other organs.
June 13, 2016
Radiation and vaccination can magnify effects of immunotherapy
By combining local radiation therapy and anti-cancer vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors, researchers from the University of Chicago, working with mice, were able to increase the response rate for these new immunotherapy agents.
June 6, 2016
Genomic Data Commons at University of Chicago heralds new era of data sharing for cancer research
The Genomic Data Commons (GDC), a next-generation platform that enables unprecedented data access, analysis and sharing for cancer research, publicly launched at the University of Chicago on June 6, opening the door to discoveries for this complex set of diseases.
May 24, 2016
Cardiac surgeon Robert Replogle, MD, 1931-2016
Robert L. Replogle, MD, a nationally recognized specialist in congenital and open-heart surgery, died at the University of Chicago Medicine on Monday, May 9, surrounded by his family. He was 84 years old.
May 13, 2016
Riverside Healthcare partners with University of Chicago Medicine
Riverside Healthcare has announced it will partner with the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital to bring world-class, inpatient care to pediatric patients in Kankakee, Iroquois, Will and Grundy counties.
May 12, 2016
Stopping cancer in its tracks
Researchers from the University of Chicago have shown that inhibiting autophagy, a self-devouring process used by cells to degrade large intra-cellular cargo, effectively blocks tumor cell migration and breast cancer metastasis in tumor models.
May 10, 2016
UChicago Medicine's bold expansion plan moves forward
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board unanimously approved the University of Chicago Medicine's application to expand access to emergency, adult trauma and specialty care on the South Side.
May 9, 2016
Urban Health Initiative Summit to examine health issues on the South Side on May 24
The University of Chicago Medicine's Urban Health Initiative will host its 8th summit to engage the community in dialogue regarding community health issues and solutions on the South Side of Chicago.
May 5, 2106
Experimental advance offers a first glimpse of the biophysics of vision
In a groundbreaking experiment using the world's fastest camera, a team of scientists led by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee documented the fundamental processes of a chemical reaction as they occurred in real time.
April 25, 2106
University of Chicago Medicine earns 9th straight ‘A’ in hospital safety rating
The University of Chicago Medicine received its 9th consecutive “A” rating for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group, an industry watchdog that tracks thousands of hospitals nationwide.
April 20, 2016
AbbVie, University of Chicago collaborate to advance cancer research
The University of Chicago and AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company, have entered into a five-year collaboration agreement designed to improve the pace of discovery and advance medical research in oncology at both organizations.
April 14, 2016
UChicago Medicine to Hold Community Forum on Proposal to Expand Emergency, Trauma and Specialty Care and Create a Cancer Hospital on South Side
The University of Chicago Medicine announced the next phase of its public engagement campaign in support of its plans to increase access to emergency, trauma and specialty care and create a dedicated cancer hospital.
April 12, 2016
Hospitals partner to create University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Little Company of Mary Hospital
The University of Chicago Medicine will bring its cancer care, academic specialists and array of clinical trials to the Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers (LCMH) in Evergreen Park under a new affiliation agreement.
April 5, 2016
Center for Asian Health Equity holds public launch on health disparities
Researchers, health care providers, trainees and community members will come together for a forum on Asian-American health disparities as a kickoff event celebrating Chicago's new Center for Asian Health Equity.
April 4, 2016
Precision medicine brings new hope to those with advanced urothelial cancer
Five of six patients with advanced metastatic urothelial cancer and at least one of two specific genetic abnormalities, responded to treatment with afatinib, which was approved in 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration for patients with lung cancer, researchers report online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
April 4, 2016
Consumers reveal obstacles to using nursing home quality ratings
A study of dozens of people who placed a relative or friend in a nursing home in the previous six months found that few people were aware of the Nursing Home Compare website, published online by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help families find the best and closest available care facility.
April 4, 2016
University of Chicago Medicine to open Orland Park orthopaedics center
The University of Chicago Medicine will begin treating adult and pediatric patients at its new orthopaedic center in Orland Park on April 6.
March 24, 2016
UChicago Medicine identified as a leader in LGBT Health Equality
The Human Rights Campaign is naming The University of Chicago Medicine as a "Leader in LGBT Healthcare Equality," according to a new report released Thursday by the advocacy group.
March 17, 2016
Shared decision-making can improve health care outcomes for LGBTQ racial and ethnic minority patients
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) patients who are also racial and ethnic minorities suffer significant health disparities, while facing more complicated challenges than white LGBTQ or racial and ethnic minority patients alone.
March 17, 2016
Roderick Tung, MD, named director of cardiac electrophysiology program at the University of Chicago Medicine
Roderick Tung, MD, an authority on the management of heart rhythm disorders, with a particular focus on advanced therapies for atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias, has been appointed associate professor of medicine and medical director of the cardiac electrophysiology program at the Center for Arrhythmia Care at the University of Chicago Medicine.
March 16, 2016
Pritzker School of Medicine program ranks 11th in latest survey
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine earned a No. 11 spot in the latest edition of U.S. News & World Report's "Best Graduate Schools," continuing its status as one of the country's best training grounds for future physicians.
March 11, 2016
UChicago Medicine surgeon elected vice president/president-elect of OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors
Yolanda T. Becker, MD, professor of surgery and director of the kidney and pancreas transplantation program at the University of Chicago Medicine, has been elected vice president/president-elect of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) board of directors.
March 4, 2016
University of Chicago Medicine and Chicago Lakeshore Hospital to form adult psychiatry teaching affiliation
University of Chicago Medicine and Chicago Lakeshore Hospital are forming a new collaboration that advances psychiatric teaching programs and provides comprehensive clinical educational experience for UChicago Medicine residents and medical students, while simultaneously enhancing care for both organizations’ patients.
February 29, 2016
Sleep loss boosts hunger and unhealthy food choices
Skimping on sleep has long been associated with overeating, poor food choices and weight gain.
February 18, 2016
Clot-busting therapy reduces mortality in deadliest form of stroke
The use of clot-busting drugs to clear blood from the brain’s ventricles may be the first effective strategy to decrease mortality for a type of catastrophic bleeding stroke, according to phase-3 clinical trial results announced Thursday at the International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles.
February 18, 2016
Sensory loss affects 94 percent of older adults
The first study to measure the full spectrum of age-related damage to all five senses found that 94 percent of older adults in the United States have at least one sensory deficit, 38 percent have two, and 28 percent have three, four or five.
February 18, 2016
Filing of state application launches UChicago Medicine's comprehensive plan to increase access to care on South Side
The University of Chicago Medicine is seeking state approval for a bold project that will address the lack of access to emergency and adult trauma services and complex care on the South Side.
February 4, 2016
Connective tissue disease increases risk for cardiovascular problems
A study based on medical records from more than a quarter million adult patients found that African-American patients with connective tissue diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis were twice as likely as white patients to suffer from narrowed or atherosclerotic blood vessels, which increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke or death.
January 18, 2016
Comer Children's doctor, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin call for federal research funding into gun violence
A University of Chicago Medicine physician Catherine Humikowski joined U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., at a press conference Jan. 14 as he continued to push for federal funding for research into the causes and implications of gun violence.
January 18, 2016
$5M donation from the Hospira Foundation will support research in cancer care, prevention and treatment
The Hospira Foundation has donated $5 million to the University of Chicago Medicine to create the Hospira Foundation Professorship in Oncology.
January 18, 2016
Weekend catch-up sleep can reduce diabetes risk associated with sleep loss
Two consecutive nights of extended sleep, a typical weekend occurrence, appears to counteract the increased risk of diabetes associated with short-term sleep restriction during the work week, at least in lean, healthy, young men eating a controlled diet.
January 13, 2016
Pioneering radiologist Dr. John Fennessy, 1933-2016
John Fennessy, MB, BCh, a pioneer in the field of chest radiology, died Jan. 3, 2016, from complications following cardiac surgery in November 2015. He was 82.
January 12, 2016
Individuals with rage disorder have smaller volumes in brain structures linked with emotion
People who have a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme outbursts of anger, such as road rage, have significantly lower gray matter volume in the brain region that plays an important role in regulating emotion, report scientists from the University of Chicago.
January 11, 2016
University of Chicago Medicine named Center of Excellence by Cure HHT
For HHT patients and their families in Chicago and beyond, the University of Chicago Medicine is now designated as an HHT Center of Excellence by Cure HHT, the worldwide advocacy group for the disorder.
January 7, 2016
Scientists find ancient mutation that contributed to the evolution of multicellular animals
A single chance mutation about a billion years ago caused an ancient protein to evolve a new function essential for multicellularity in animals, according to new research co-led by a University of Chicago scientist.
January 7, 2016
Medical center more than doubles hand washing rates during "Big Wash"
The University of Chicago Medicine more than doubled the industry's daily hand washing rate during a unique, 24-hour campus-wide challenge aimed at reducing hospital-acquired infections.