Chicago, IL
Sunday, September 13

What this is

A low-key get-together while a big chunk of the industry is in town. No overly engineered receptions, no pitch decks, just good people and real conversation. Come as you are. 

Why Chicago

Because Chicago embodies midwest heart, and even though during the time I lived there the Cubs beat the Indians in the World Series, Chicagoland will always have a special place in my heart. Conversations that move things forward happen over a deep dish and shared stories of baseball, not in a session room.

Location

6-8pm, Location TBD - downtown Chicago!

One thing worth knowing

Chicago is ground zero for the safety-net hospital story. The city has 18 designated safety-net hospitals, more than half on the South and West Sides, serving patients who are largely uninsured or on Medicaid. Two of them, Weiss Memorial and West Suburban, closed this year, and Illinois hospitals are warning that looming Medicaid cuts could mean staffing reductions, longer ER waits, and the end of critical services like maternal and behavioral health. When a safety-net hospital closes, the strain lands on every other hospital nearby, so this is everyone's problem, not just theirs.

One thing you can do

If you live in Illinois: find your state legislator at ilga.gov and tell them safety-net hospitals need protecting. Send this:

COPY, PASTE, SEND
Hi [Representative], I'm a constituent in [your city]. Chicago has already lost safety-net hospitals this year, and Medicaid cuts threaten more closures and service cuts. I'm asking you to protect funding for safety-net hospitals and the maternal and behavioral health services communities depend on. Where do you stand? Thank you.

If you're in from out of town: this one travels. Safety-net hospitals are closing everywhere, so take the pattern home, look up whether your own city's safety-net hospitals are at risk, and if you build or buy in this space, ask how your work helps the hospitals serving the most vulnerable, not only the well-resourced ones.