A healthy community is a strong community.
On September 19, City of Aurora representatives and community resource partners joined local Aurora area healthcare industry leaders at Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center for Invest Aurora’s Post-Pandemic Healthcare Leadership Breakfast.
Organized in partnership with RUSH Copley Medical Center and the City’s Mayor’s Office, this breakfast focused discussion around the current and future state of healthcare following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael Isaacson, Executive Director of Kane County Health Department, addressed the county’s leading health concerns and their primary motivators, emphasizing that such concerns have been exacerbated by the pandemic and must be addressed on individual and community-wide levels.
Inter-industry and community collaboration is critical to adequately addressing healthcare on a grander scale. Leaders in attendance discussed the ways in which their organizations are actively addressing such concerns, as well as how they can work together to fill the gaps where service falls short.
Ongoing efforts within the local community include:
- Workforce Development Initiatives including robust higher-education career training, employment re-entry programs, and enhanced employee mental health rights.
- Public and private transportation services to/from healthcare appointments.
- Municipal Community Development Block Grant funding designated to supporting food insecurity, affordable housing, and related health needs.
While there is work currently underway within the public and private fields to both prevent and tackle healthcare concerns, COVID-19 made it clear that there is still much to be done to prevent large-scale community disruptions in the face of healthcare uncertainties. Discussions at our Leadership Breakfast brought to light the many tools and partner opportunities that are available within and outside of our local healthcare industry that can support such efforts.
Our 2023 Leadership Breakfast Series is sponsored by ComEd. ComEd powers a growing regional economy and strengthens local communities through their efforts to drive job creation, capital investment and sustainable energy.