Healthy Chicago Podcast
A discussion between public health professionals and expert guests about topics affecting public health in the city of Chicago and beyond. // Una discusión entre profesionales médicos de la ciudad e invitados sobre temas que afectan la salud pública en la ciudad de Chicago y el mundo.
Episodes
Many sleep-related infant deaths occur in ordinary, everyday circumstances: exhaustion, bedsharing, soft bedding, and safe sleep spaces that go unused in moments of fatigue. These situations can be life-threatening for a baby.
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Gina Lowell, Director of Community Health for Pediatrics at Rush University Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Kyran Quinlan, Pediatric Medical Advisor at the Illinois Department...
¿Sabías que hay un grupo de jóvenes de entre 14 y 19 años que ayudan a asesorar a líderes de la ciudad sobre los desafíos que existen hoy en día en la salud mental y que contribuyen a la creación de políticas que apoyan el bienestar de la juventud en nuestra ciudad?
En este episodio, tuvimos una conversación sin filtros con integrantes del Grupo de Trabajo de Salud Pública de la Comisión de Juventud del alcalde de Chicago sobre la s...
On this episode of the Healthy Chicago Podcast, Ayo and Charlotte, local high school students and members of the Mayor’s Youth Commission (MYC), join Kathy Calderon (Director of Behavioral Health Program Operations) in conversation about their work in the MYC, raising awareness about mental health amongst Chicago’s youth, and how current trends and technologies like social media present challenges and advantages for some teenagers.
What is National Infant Immunization Week and why is it important? On this episode, Atinuke Ajibola (Public Health Nurse II) and Diana Balbarin (Nurse Practitioner) discuss why this yearly observance is crucial for children’s health, what the current guidelines are, and how to navigate any uncertainty around vaccines and vaccine-prevention illnesses.
Find out more at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdph/provdrs/infectious_dise...
Como cada año, la Semana Nacional de la Vacunación Infantil se celebra la tercera semana de abril. En este episodio, Ariel Padilla y Whitney Bellido, enfermeras de las clínicas de inmunización de las vacunas, nos hablan sobre la importancia de estar al día con las vacunas, cómo estas protegen a los más pequeños y cuál es el calendario actualizado de vacunación. También abordamos los mitos que rodean a las vacunas y cómo los padres ...
¿Alguna vez te has preguntado quién realiza la labor de investigar y contener el contagio de enfermedades en Chicago?
En este episodio hablamos con la Investigadora de enfermedades, María Ferreira-Alharb, quien se dedica a investigar y contener brotes. Es un trabajo que realiza a diario para proteger la vida de los habitantes de Chicago. Nos cuenta qué pistas sigue para encontrar el origen de un brote, el seguimiento que lleva a cab...
Noel Green speaks with LaRhonda Witherspoon about the role that CDPH's Syndemic Infectious Diseases Bureau plays in providing support for patients who have fallen out of care. The Department’s Communicable Disease Control Investigators (CDCI) connect with newly diagnosed cases of communicable and infectious diseases to help with proper use of medications, provide understanding of diagnoses, link patients to care, prevent furthe...
March is National Nutrition Month—a time to highlight the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits. On this episode, Tallett Vanek (Director of Nutrition at CDPH) is joined by Annie Chacko (Regional Nutrition Coordinator at CDPH) and Nancy Rivera (WIC Supervisor at Alivio Medical Center) to discuss the vital role of CDPH’s WIC clinics in supporting families across Chicago.
WIC clinics provide ...
¿Sabías que Chicago cuenta con la red de monitoreo de aire más grande de todo el país y la segunda más grande del mundo? Esta red está formada por monitores que recopilan datos sobre la calidad del aire, permitiendo conocer qué respiran los residentes de la ciudad, medir los niveles de contaminación y prevenir problemas de salud. Además, estos datos ayudan a que los ciudadanos puedan tomar decisiones más informadas en su vida diari...
Antonio King is no stranger to Chicago Department of Public Health, spending 21 years with the department in various roles before becoming the first Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for the City of Chicago. [Visit his previous conversation with Jamie Frazier (Executive Director of Lighthouse Foundation) on Episode 68.]
In conversation with CDPH Information Coordinator James Scalzitti, King discusses his new position, challenges and goals...
Nearly 26% of Chicago’s population lives with a disability—over 500,000 people across all ages, neighborhoods, and backgrounds. In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), CDPH recently released its newest report, “Neighborhood Conditions for Adults with Disabilities in Chicago,” highlighting the lived experiences of people with disabilities and the neighborhood conditions that affect them to help ...
In the summer of 2025, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health installed 277 sensors throughout Chicago, making it the largest community air monitoring network in the United States and the second largest in the world. Now, the partnership has publicly launched air sensor data via Open Air Chicago.
Grace Adams, CDPH Environmental Health Projects Administrator, an...
El consumo de alimentos poco saludables, el tabaquismo y la falta de actividad física pueden aumentar el riesgo de hipertensión y enfermedades cardiovasculares. Febrero es el mes de la concientización sobre la salud del corazón y representa una oportunidad perfecta para modificar hábitos, realizar chequeos de rutina de este órgano vital y conocer los recursos disponibles para mantenerlo fuerte y sano.
En este episodio te explicamos ...
February is American Heart Month.
CDPH Medical Director for Immunizations and Emergency Preparedness Alex Sloboda and Commissioner Olusimbo Ige discuss the importance of heart health, heart disease and its risks and symptoms, and how you can decrease your risks for heart issues.
Additionally, the team discusses how CDPH, Chicago Public Libraries, and Chicago Park District work together each February to offer free heart health screeni...
Wherever you go in Chicago, it seems there’s somebody nearby with a cough, runny nose, or congestion. So, what is the city's status during the current respiratory virus season? Medical Director Dr. Brian Borah talks with Senior Epidemiologist Stephanie Gretsch about activity levels of flu, RSV, and COVID; overall trends around virus activity levels; and how to protect yourself when diseases are at elevated levels.
Find out w...
On the last episode of the season, the two-person “Team Tobacco” Chioma Ejiofor (Public Health Administrator III) and Juan Ortega (Public Health Administrator III) discuss the difference between tobacco and nicotine, how smoking affects the brain and body, predatory marketing from the tobacco industry, and how you can get assistance should you want to quit.
Get help quitting tobacco at the Illinois Tobacco Quitline (https://www.quit...
On this episode, Dr. Francisco Rodriguez (CDPH Director of Mental Health Clinics) speaks with Donald “DJ” Watson (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Fables CEC) about themes surrounding men’s mental health. The conversation covers toxic masculinity, stereotypes vs. reality, cultural differences in masculinity, and how men can acknowledge personal challenges and ask for help.
Hablemos de las redadas migratorias. Muchas personas se vieron forzadas a mantenerse en casa; dejaron de ir a sus trabajos, a las escuelas y de realizar sus actividades cotidianas por miedo a ser detenidas en algún operativo migratorio. Ante todo esto, ¿cuáles fueron las consecuencias en su salud mental? ¿Cómo se vio afectada su estabilidad emocional ante el temor de una separación familiar?
En este episodio hablamos con el Dr. Fran...
Since June 1, 2025, Chicago has experienced another outbreak of mpox, with cases spiking in September. But what exactly is mpox? Further, what are the symptoms, who is at greatest risk for transmission, and what steps can people take to protect themselves? What should clinical providers know about testing and identifying mpox in practice?
In this episode, Irina ("Dr. T") Tabidze, MD, MPH (Director of Program Operations at ...
In Chicago and Illinois, changes are coming to the Health Insurance Marketplace. Did you know nearly 1 in 10 Chicagoans are uninsured? With open enrollment having started on November 1 and many new questions about affordability arising, it is the perfect time to take action.
In this episode, Director Morgan Winters from Get Covered Illinois joins host Joy Macatangay, Public Health Administrator at CDPH, to break down everything you ...
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