Our New Cancer Center: Strengthening the Healthcare Ecosystem
Residents of the South Side experience a disproportionately high cancer burden. We know inequities in the burden of cancer are largely driven by the social determinants of health, including access to cancer prevention, early detection, and care. The problem is expected to grow worse.
- The CDC predicts the nation’s cancer rates will increase by 49% between 2015 and 2050.
- Cancer death rates on the South Side are twice the national average.
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death on the South Side (behind heart disease) and the leading cause in five neighborhoods — Calumet Heights, East Side, Kenwood, South Deering and Woodlawn.
- About 56% of patients on the South Side leave the area to get healthcare. For cancer needs alone, 67% of residents who are seeking inpatient care leave the South Side.
- Research has found that patients living farther from health care facilities have worse health outcomes, longer lengths of hospital stay, non-attendance at follow-up visits, higher rates of chronic disease-related deaths, lower five-year cancer survival rates, and increased overall disease burden.
- To help address the issue of access, a collaborative of 13 South Side providers, including UChicago Medicine, is working to establish the South Side Healthy Community Organization. This group is scoped to serve over 400,000 residents and provide seamless, accessible healthcare.
At the Forefront of Health Equity: 2024 Community Benefit Report
As part of our commitment to advance health equity, the University of Chicago Medicine reported $715 million in community benefits in fiscal 2024.
Where You Start Your Cancer Journey Matters
We're ready to answer all your questions and concerns about your cancer care. At UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, you'll receive personalized, compassionate care from teams of world-renowned physicians who specialize in your type of cancer.
[MUSIC PLAYING] The day you are diagnosed with cancer, your world stops. Countless questions come up, like who has the best doctors? Are they experts in my type of cancer? Do they offer the latest treatments or will I have to travel far?
Where you start your cancer journey matters. As an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, UChicago Medicine is ready to answer all your questions and concerns. From common to rare diagnoses, you'll receive personalized, compassionate care from teams of World-renowned physicians who specialize in your type of cancer backed by pioneering research and access to clinical trials of promising new treatments.
By choosing UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, you will be treated at a place that has extensive experience, advanced care options, and the best possible outcomes. With our network of convenient locations throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, you can find that care close to home. We're also building Illinois' first and only stand alone cancer care and research pavilion. A 575,000 square foot facility that will shape the future of cancer care in the Chicagoland area and beyond.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Where you start your cancer journey matters. As an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, UChicago Medicine is ready to answer all your questions and concerns. From common to rare diagnoses, you'll receive personalized, compassionate care from teams of World-renowned physicians who specialize in your type of cancer backed by pioneering research and access to clinical trials of promising new treatments.
By choosing UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, you will be treated at a place that has extensive experience, advanced care options, and the best possible outcomes. With our network of convenient locations throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, you can find that care close to home. We're also building Illinois' first and only stand alone cancer care and research pavilion. A 575,000 square foot facility that will shape the future of cancer care in the Chicagoland area and beyond.
[MUSIC PLAYING]