SPRINGFIELD – As racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes persist in the U.S., a new statewide initiative aims to promote equity in maternal health and improve outcomes for all women and children. The latest report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) found that about 75 women in Illinois die from pregnancy-related…
When a woman dies during pregnancy or within a year of childbirth in Illinois, that’s considered a maternal death. Karen Tabb Dina reviews cases like this in the state of Illinois. She’s a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who serves on a state-level committee that’s trying to figure out what’s…
COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower in rural counties than in urban counties, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, the vaccination rate among adults in urban counties is 45.7%, but only 38.9% of adults are vaccinated in rural counties. The disparity persists among different age groups and genders….
URBANA — Things haven’t been easy for community theaters in Champaign-Urbana this past year, according to their leaders. Kelly Nowlin, executive director of the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company (or CUTC), said they’ve been unable to do any live shows since they canceled their March 2020 show in the middle of its run. “It was…
CHAMPAIGN — Eight years ago, Terry Maher, a professional bassoonist living in Champaign, was unexpectedly charged a hospital “facility fee” for allergy shots that she had received from her local doctors’ group, Carle Health, every three weeks for years. “I freaked out,” Maher recalled. “I had to pay co-payments on these things and they said…
CHAMPAIGN – People in Champaign and Macon counties are welcome to receive COVID-19 vaccines at clinics in Champaign on Thursday and Decatur on Friday. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District will hold a free walk-in vaccine clinic at Salem Baptist Church in the 5th & Hill Neighborhood of Champaign on Thursday from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m….
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have reported an increase in their experiences of racism, hostility and outright violence. A recent study from California State University found anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in major U.S. cities rose 150% last year — even as overall hate crimes dropped 7%. And…
URBANA – With summer camps on the horizon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance and recommendations on April 24 for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Among them: mask-wearing, spacing out three to six feet apart, good ventilation and being outdoors as much as possible. “They also now recommend that all…
SPRINGFIELD – Each year, 75 Illinois women die while pregnant or within 12 months of pregnancy, according to a report released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The report is based on data from maternal deaths that occurred in 2016 and 2017, and were reviewed by the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee….
CHICAGO — The Center for Childhood Resilience at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is partnering with the Illinois State Board of Education to help equip schools to address the mental health needs of students and staff. The new initiative, known as Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing, or REACH, is…
Kai Humphrey, 9, has been learning from home for more than a year. He badly misses his Washington, D.C., elementary school, along with his friends and the bustle of the classroom. “I will be the first person ever to have every single person in the world as my friend,” he said on a recent Zoom…
URBANA – The U.S. is the only industrialized nation where the rate of pregnancy-related deaths is on the rise. About 700 U.S. women die each year due to pregnancy or its complications. And Black and Indigenous mothers are two to three times more likely than white mothers to die from pregnancy-related causes, according to the…
RANTOUL – The pandemic has led to an increased need for mental health support for children. In working to meet this need, one central Illinois organization is focused on providing support and guidance to parents and caregivers. Many mental health services available for children focus on helping only the child, says Ulanda Hunter, statewide director…
Read this article in English here . Un sábado reciente, unas camionetas blancas trasladaron a grupos pequeños de campesinos migrantes del huerto donde…
CHAMPAIGN – School districts in Illinois will receive $7 billion in federal funding over three years for kindergarten through high school education. The influx of cash comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, the latest federal COVID-19 stimulus package, which Congress passed earlier this year. This funding is in addition other monies provided by the…